Difference between revisions of "Asmodaeus"

<p> <strong> ASMODÆUS </strong> , the ‘evil demon’ of [[Tob]] 3:1-17; Tob 6:1-17; Tob 8:1-21 , appears freely in the [[Talmud]] as <em> AshmÄ•dai </em> , which popular etymology connected with <em> shâmad </em> , ‘to destroy.’ It is fairly certain, however, that it is the Avestan <em> Açsma daçva </em> , ‘fury demon,’ conspicuous from the earliest to the latest parts of the Parsi scriptures. It would seem that the Book of [[Tobit]] is really a [[Median]] folk-story, adapted for edification by a Jew, with sundry uncomprehended features of the original left unchanged. For these see ‘Zoroastrianism’ in Hastings’ <em> DB </em> <em> [Note: Dictionary of the Bible.] </em> , § 4. In the Talmud Ashmedai is king of the <em> Shçdîn </em> , demons supposed to be mortal, and of either sex. </p> <p> James Hope Moulton. </p>