CHAPTER III.
THE DRUZE RELIGION AND DRUZE WOMEN.
The great expounder and defender of the Druze religion is Hamze, the "Universal Intelligence," the only Mediator between God and man, and the medium of the creation of all things.

This Hamze was a shrewd, able and unprincipled man.

In his writings he not only defends the abominations of Hakem, but lays down the complete code of Druze doctrine and duty.
It is the belief of many, and said to be the orthodox view among the Druzes that their system as such is to last exactly 900 lunar years.

The date of the Druze era is 408 Hegira, or 1020 A.D.The present year, 1872, corresponds to the year 1289 Anno Hegira, so that _in nineteen lunar years_ the system will begin to come to an end according to its own reckoning, and after 1000 years it will cease to exist.

Others have fixed this present year as the year of the great cataclysm, but the interpreters are so secret and reserved in their statements, that it is only by casual remarks that we can arrive at any idea of their real belief.