Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz

by Isya Joseph

Devil The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz is a book written by Isya Joseph that explores the religious beliefs and practices of the Yezidi people, who are often misunderstood and demonized due to their association with Satan worship. The book delves into the history and mythology of the Yezidi religion, including their creation story, their beliefs about the nature of God and the devil, and their rituals and ceremonies. It also examines the Yezidi holy texts, including the Black Book and the Book of Revelation, and their significance to the Yezidi faith. Additionally, the book explores the persecution and marginalization of the Yezidi people throughout history, including the recent genocide perpetrated by ISIS in Iraq. Overall, Devil Worship provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Yezidi religion and its place in the world today.1919. The Origin of the Manuscript; The Translation of the Arabic Text; In the Name of the Most compassionate God; The Articles of Faith; The Religious Origin of the Yezidis; The Yezidis Myth; The Christian Tradition; The Dogmatic View of Mohammedan Scholars; The Essential Elements in Yezidism; Other Deities and Festivals; Sacraments, Religious Observances and Secerdotal system; Their Customs; List of the Yezidi Tribes; Persecution; Bibliography; Index.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[Yomna Saber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very significant book for anyone who is trying to decipher the many ambiguities of Yezidiz, their origins, the doctrine and their rituals. The author verifies, even through the title, that they worship Satan, which is almost explicitly mentioned in their holy book. Personally, I was appalled at how anti-feminist this religion is, women are terribly degraded. I also didn't like the amount of hate that's very clearly mentioned and directed against Christians and Muslims, I believe that any religion should show the minimum amount of possible tolerance to others. That's a good book and it helped me immensely in my search for some clarifications about this doctrine.

[Ginger Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Yazidis are a mystery. While this book was more detailed than the last one that I read about the Yazidi people and religion, a lot of the theories about them still seem to be based on conjecture by people who don’t understand them. But, the book was written in 1919 by an academic, so the Western attitude toward a Middle Eastern tribe permeates it.

I think my biggest disappointment was the continued reference to the Yazidi people as the “Devil-worshippers.” The author went to great lengths to investigate theories about whether the Yazidi religion was a sect of either Islam or Christianity, but he never bothered to move beyond the theory that Melek Ta’us is Lucifer. The only reason that I gave the book three stars was due to some of the interesting information about Yazidi customs.

In the end, a lot was written about the Yazidis, but it was not meaningful or helpful in trying to understand these persecuted, maligned people. It might help if someone bothered to spend enough time with them to get some insight in their religion and culture. I have one additional book about the Yazidis that was written after the latest genocide. Hopefully, it will be more enlightening.

[Justin Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author covers essential areas that give a vivid and complete description of this people group. I've met Yezidi individuals, and spent time on Mount Sinjar and other Kurdish locations, but I never did, nor would be able to, know the them as well through personal interaction as I do from reading Joseph's experience and studies. I think that if the author could see their plight today he would be disheartened, but not surprised.