they drove the demons
Out of their earthly fortress, by the second
Out of the air, and by the third oblation
Out of the sky. Thus were the evil spirits
Chased by the gods in triumph from the worlds."[387:2]

The ancient _Egyptians_ were familiar with the tale of the war in
heaven; and the legend of the revolt against the god Ra, the Heavenly
Father, and his destruction of the revolters, was discovered by M.
Naville in one of the tombs at Biban-el-moluk.[387:3]

The same story is to be found among the ancient _Persian_ legends, and
is related as follows:

"Ahriman, the devil, was not created evil by the eternal one,
but he became evil by revolting against his will. This revolt
resulted in a 'war in heaven.' In this war the _Iveds_ (good
angels) fought against the _Divs_ (rebellious ones) headed by
_Ahriman_, and flung the conquered into Douzahk or
hell."[387:4]

An extract from the Persian _Zend-avesta_ reads as follows:

"_Ahriman_ interrupted the order of the universe, raised an
army against _Ormuzd_, and having maintained a fight against
him during ninety days, was at length vanquished by Honover,
the divine Word."[388:1]

The _Assyrians_ had an account of a war in heaven, which was like that
described in the book of Enoch and the Revelation.[388:2]

This legend was also to be found among the ancient Greeks, in the
struggle of the _Titans_ against _Jupiter_. Titan and all his rebellious
host were cast out of heaven, and imprisoned in the dark abyss.[388:3]

Among the legends of the ancient _Mexicans_ was found this same story of
the war in heaven, and the downfall of the rebellious angels.[388:4]

"The natives of the _Caroline Islands_ (in the North Pacific Ocean),
related that one of the inferior gods, named _Merogrog_, was driven by
the other gods out of heaven."[388:5]

We see, therefore, that this also was an almost universal legend.

The belief in _a future life_ was almost universal among nations of
antiquity. The _Hindoos_ have believed from time immemorial that man has
an invisible body within the material body; that is, a soul.

Among the ancient _Egyptians_ the same belief was to be found. All the
dead, both men and women, were spoken of as "_Osiriana_;" by which they
intended to signify "gone to Osiris."

Their belief in One Supreme Being, and the immortality of the soul, must
have been very ancient; for on a monument, whi