ate tradition was that many such writings
were destroyed by Alexander. This points to a belief that the existing
writings were later than the fall of the old Persian empire. When a
beginning was made of committing Zoroastrian material to writing is
uncertain. In the first century of our era Pliny had heard of verses
ascribed to Zoroaster,[2081] and, as Mazdean books were in existence at
the rise of the Sassanian dynasty, the probability seems to be that the
reduction to writing had then been going on for a considerable time--how
long it is impossible to say. The material grew with the development of
the people and was ascribed to Zoroaster[2082] (as the Jews ascribed
their legal material to Moses). An official collection of sacred
writings was made in the fourth century of our era--the exact extent of
this collection and the principle that governed its formation are not
clear. It may be surmised that the appearance of strange teachings, such
as that of Mani, and the spread of Christianity eastward, forced on the
leaders the task of defining the orthodox faith.[2083] In making their
collection they would naturally take only such writings as were in
accord with the spirit of the religion of their time. Thus they
established (in the fourth century) a body of sacred writings; it does
not follow that no additions were later made to the canon--how far it is
represented in the present Avesta it may be difficult to say.

+1133+. The history of the Islamic canon is simple. The Koran enjoys the
distinction of being the only sacred canon produced by one man. There
never was any question of its sacredness, and there has been hardly any
question of its content. Mohammed's discourses were taken down by his
followers in his lifetime, were put into shape just after his death, the
collection was revised a few years later (under the Calif Othman), has
since been universally accepted in the Moslem world as the authoritative
divinely given standard of religious truth, and there is no reason to
doubt that it contains substantially all the teaching of the Prophet
and only his teaching. The scribe Zayd, who acted as editor, may have
altered or inserted a word here and there, but he would not have dared
to change the thought. The traditions of extra-Koranic sayings ascribed
to Mohammed (the _hadith_), so far as they may be supposed to be genuine
utterances of his (most of them are spurious), do not add anything to
his doctrine.[2084]

+1134+.