HYSTASPES (Hydaspes): A fictitious Persian sage, the reputed author of a prophecy in circulation in early Christian times, an Oriental appendix to the Christian Sibylline Boobs. Justin is the first to mention these "oracles of Hystaspes," though he gives no key to their contents (ANF, i. 169, 178). But the following data are given by Clement of Alexandria (ANF, ii. 490) : In the second century there was a Greek book that was circulated in Christian and heathen circles under the name of Hystaspes, in which the Christians discovered, even more clearly than in the Sibylline books, references to Christ and to his kingdom; especially to his divine sonship, to the sufferings ordained and still impending for him and his believers from the world and its:rulers; though likewise to the persevering patience of the faithful, and the second coming of their Lord. Lactantius, too, referred twioe to Hystaspes. According to him (ANF, vii. 213), Hystaspes prophesied the downfall of the Roman empire; again (ANF, vii. 215), the tribulations preceding the end of the world; in which he foretold that " the pious and faithful, being separated from the wicked, will stretch forth their hands to heaven with weeping and mourning, and will implore the protection of Jupiter: that Jupiter will look to the earth and hear the voices of men and will destroy the wicked." " All which things," Lactantius added, " are true, except one, that he attributed to Jupiter these things which God will do." There were, furthermore, certain eschatological prognostications adduced in Lactantius (ANF, vii. 255) which were declared to agree with those of Hystaspee, Harmes and the Sibyl, on the one hand, and

with Christian future hopes on the other. According to an unknown writer of the fifth century (ed. by Buresch in his Claros, pp. 87-128, Leipsic, 1889), the revelations of Hystaspde treated "of the Savior's incarnation."

Neither Clement nor Justin gives any information about Hystespea personally; but according to Lactantius he was a very ancient Median king before the Trojan war. Despite the confused chro nology, he was probably confounded with the father of Darius I., about whom it was told (Ammianus Marcellinus, XXIII., vi. 32,33) that, he learned among the Brahmins the laws of the movement of the world and the constellations, together with his religious practises, which he then communicated to his Magi. At all events, it is reasonable to, assume that the "oracles of Hystaepes" were bsed on reminiscences of Persian religious history and doc trine. The doctrines of Zoroastrianism as to the oon fiict between Ormazd and Ahrimsn; as to the grievous tribulations in the last times; as to the ap pearing of the Soahyant, "savior," and his millennial kingdom; as to the great universal conflagration, and the ultimate reign of peace--all 'these might well have impressed a Christian of the first centuries as being so many echoes of Christian ideas. For that matter, indeed, even Zoroaster was regarded as a prophet of Christ; and both an apocalypse and some alleged mystic or cryptic books were designated as "Zoroastrian" (Harnack, Iritteratur, i.163,173, 862, 932). Possibly; again (cf. Harnack), we have to deal with an originally Jewish writing. The limited information on the subject is, unfor tunately, insufficient for shaping a definitive verdict as to the origin, contents, form, and purpose of the "oracles." G. KNOanR.

BrswoasAmy: Scharer, Geschichte, iii. 460-M, Eng. transl. II., iii. 292-294 (gives the literature); E. Kuhn, Eire soroostrische Wsusapung in drristlichern Gewands, in Pestprvss an Rudolf van Both, p. 217, Stuttgart, 1893; DCB, iii. 189; Neander, Christian Church, 9. 178.