All Middle Persian texts written on Zoroastrianism during this time period are considered secondary works on the religion, and not scripture. [164], The surge in Kurdish Muslims converting to Zoroastrianism is largely attributed to disillusionment with Islam after experiencing violence and oppression perpetrated by ISIS in the area. [103] The Iranians were however just as familiar with the Greek writers, and the provenance of other descriptions are clear. which conception see Apam Napat). In 2011, the Tehran Mobeds Anjuman announced that for the first time in the history of modern Iran and of the modern Zoroastrian communities worldwide, women had been ordained in Iran and North America as mobedyars, meaning women assistant mobeds (Zoroastrian clergy). [133], While Ahura Mazda created the universe and humankind, Angra Mainyu, whose very nature is to destroy, miscreated demons, evil daevas, and noxious creatures (khrafstar) such as snakes, ants, and flies. The 2005 Encyclopedia Iranica article on the history of Zoroastrianism summarizes the issue with "while there is general agreement that he did not live in western Iran, attempts to locate him in specific regions of eastern Iran, including Central Asia, remain tentative". Zoroaster said that these were evil spirits and were workers ofAngra Mainyu, God's adversary. Zoroastrianism is arguably the world's oldest monotheistic religion. [32] It has been argued by Dr Almut Hintze that this designation of monotheism is not wholly perfect and that Zoroastrianism instead has its "own form of monotheism" which combines elements of dualism and polytheism. In Middle Persian, the name is Zardu(x)t,[19] in Parthian Zarhut,[20] in Manichaean Middle Persian Zrdrwt,[19] in Early New Persian Zardut,[19] and in modern (New Persian), the name is Zartosht. [47] The ultimate purpose in the life of a practicing Zoroastrian is to become an ashavan (a master of Asha) and to bring happiness into the world, which contributes to the cosmic battle against evil. [133], Zoroastrianism also includes beliefs about the renovation of the world (Frashokereti) and individual judgment (cf. The 11th-century Cordoban Ibn Hazm (Zahiri school) contends that Kitabi "of the Book" cannot apply in light of the Zoroastrian assertion that their books were destroyed by Alexander. (b) Name the God he proclaimed. The core teachings of Zoroastrianism include: The religion states that active and ethical participation in life through good deeds formed from good thoughts and good words is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. [41], Almut Hintze, the British Library, and the European Research Council have dated Zoroaster to roughly 3,500 years ago, in the 2nd millennium BC. [133], According to legend, the final savior of the world, known as the Saoshyant, will be born to a virgin impregnated by the seed of Zoroaster while bathing in a lake. Very little is known of the time between Zoroaster and the Archaemenian period except that during this period Zoroastrianism spread to Western Iran. The King and his queen, Hutosa, heard Zoroaster debating with the religious leaders of his land, and decided to accept Zoroaster's ideas and made them the official religion of their kingdom. He also opposed cruel animal sacrifices and the excessive use of the possibly hallucinogenic Haoma plant (conjectured to have been a species of ephedra and/or Peganum harmala), but did not condemn either practice outright, providing moderation was observed. Zoroastrianism is often compared with Manichaeism. The name Zoroaster is a Greek rendering of the name Zarathustra. In 522 BCE, the Magi revolted and set up a rival claimant to the throne. Zoroaster's birth and early life are little documented. It is achieved only at the expense of Ahura Mazd (by then called Ormazd), who is conflated by later Zoroastrian theologians with Spenta Mainyu and brought down to the level of his opponent, Ahriman. "However, a principle of the division of labor appears to have spared Zoroaster most of the responsibility for introducing the dark arts to the Greek and Roman worlds." Xerxes. [53], Zoroaster is recorded as the son of Pouruaspa of the Spitamans or Spitamids (Avestan spit mean "brilliant" or "white"; some argue that Spitama was a remote progenitor) family,[54] and Dugdw,[43] while his great-grandfather was Haataspa. [121], Zoroaster rejected many of the gods of the Bronze Age Iranians and their oppressive class structure, in which the Kavis and Karapans (princes and priests) controlled the ordinary people. This form appears subsequently in the Latin Zroastrs and, in later Greek orthographies, as Zroastris. Answer: Ahura Mazda (the Lord of lights) (c) What did Zoroaster teach? [71] Whether a vast collection of (semi-)religious texts "written on parchment in gold ink", as suggested by the Denkard, actually existed remains a matter of speculation. God of Truth [logos]. Answer Did Judaism and Christianity borrow the Messiah, the resurrection, and final judgment from Zoroastrianism / Mithra? All the names appear appropriate to the nomadic tradition. The Saoshyant will raise the deadincluding those in all afterworldsfor final judgment, returning the wicked to hell to be purged of bodily sin. Zoroaster believed in one creator God, teaching that only one God was worthy of worship. [10], With possible roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, Zoroastrianism enters recorded history around the middle of the 6th century BCE. Zoroaster believed in one creator God, teaching that only one God was worthy of worship. [2] In the 9th- to 12th-century Middle Persian texts of Zoroastrian tradition, this 'Ragha' and with many other places appear as locations in Western Iran. What belief did Zoroaster teach? Ahura Mazda, according to . Its ethos and cultural matrix was likewise Hellenistic, and "the ascription of literature to sources beyond that political, cultural and temporal framework represents a bid for authority and a fount of legitimizing "alien wisdom". Like the Greeks of classical antiquity, Islamic tradition understands Zoroaster to be the founding prophet of the Magians (via Aramaic, Arabic Majus, collective Majusya). The dualist principle, however, reappears in an acute form in other texts after Zarathushtra. Zoroaster was born - in either Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan - into a culture with a polytheistic religion, which featured excessive animal sacrifice. [20] Throughout the Gathas, Zoroaster emphasizes deeds and actions within society and accordingly extreme asceticism is frowned upon in Zoroastrianism but moderate forms are allowed within. [50] On the fourth day after death, the urvan is reunited with its fravashi, whereupon the experiences of life in the material world are collected for use in the continuing battle for good in the spiritual world. What did Zoroaster teach & who was it between? [21], There is no consensus on the dating of Zoroaster; the Avesta gives no direct information about it, while historical sources are conflicting. Greek Geography. Zoroaster is almost always depicted with a beard, this along with other factors bearing similarities to 19th-century portraits of Jesus. Some, such as the "Denkard", are doctrinal defenses of the religion, while others are explanations of theological aspects (such as the Bundahishn's) or practical aspects (e.g., explanation of rituals) of it. [176], It is noteworthy that Mani, who was brought up and spent most of his life in a province of the Persian empire, and whose mother belonged to a famous Parthian family, did not make any use of the Iranian mythological tradition. While the land of Media does not figure at all in the Avesta (the westernmost location noted in scripture is Arachosia), the Bndahin, or "Primordial Creation," (20.32 and 24.15) puts Ragha in Media (medieval Rai). At this time, the Zoroastrian community was concentrated in the eastern portion of Greater Iran. "[73] It was not until the end of the Parthian period (247 .mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%}b.c.a.d. [107] It is believed that Nietzsche invents a characterization of Zarathustra as the mouthpiece for Nietzsche's own ideas about morality.[g]. He founded a religion named Zoroastrianism. [66], The Histories is a primary source of information on the early period of the Achaemenid era (648330BCE), in particular with respect to the role of the Magi. One notable example is the incorporation of the Yazata Sraosha as an angel venerated within Shia Islam in Iran. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. What did Zoroaster teach?, What did Zoroaster believe?, What did Zoroaster believe Ahura Mazda was?, What were written down in holy book? "[87] The "damning indictment" that becoming Muslim was Un-Iranian only remained an idiom in Zoroastrian texts. Furthermore, some of the deities of the old religion, the Daevas (Devas in Sanskrit), appeared to delight in war and strife. [citation needed], Today Zoroastrianism can be divided in two main schools of thought: reformists and traditionalists. [55][32], The roots of Zoroastrianism are thought to lie in a common prehistoric Indo-Iranian religious system dating back to the early 2nd millennium BCE. Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principal act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Where is Christianity growing the fastest? He taught the cosmic struggle b/w forces of god (Bounteous/holy spirit, flowing from the Ahura Mazda) & the Evil/Hostile spirit (under control of Ahriman) What is the root of all that is positive, true, or just in the world & human society Asha, or the Bounteous/holy spirit What is Asha symbolized by? Some scholars say that Zarathustra (a.k.a. He taught that the universe is locked in an eternal struggle between good and evil. It is not clear, for example, what part of Zoroastrianism derives from Zarathushtras tribal religion and what part was new as a result of his visions and creative religious genius; the extent to which the later Zoroastrian religion of the Sasanian period (224651 ce) genuinely reflected the teachings of Zarathushtra; and the extent to which the sourcesthe Avesta and reports of various Greek authorsoffer an authentic guide to Zarathushtras ideas. What is. B. [88], Despite economic and social incentives to convert, Zoroastrianism remained strong in some regions, particularly in those furthest away from the Caliphate capital at Baghdad. Many ordinary people did not like Zoroaster's downgrading of the Daevas to evil spirits. Next, all will wade through a river of molten metal in which the righteous will not burn but through which the impure will be completely purified. Zoroaster) lived around 600-500 BC. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. C. He taught that the universe is locked in an eternal struggle between good and evil. In the 16th century, in one of the early letters between Iranian Zoroastrians and their co-religionists in India, the priests of Yazd lamented that "no period [in human history], not even that of Alexander, had been more grievous or troublesome for the faithful than 'this millennium of the demon of Wrath'. [35][36] In any case, Asha, the main spiritual force which comes from Ahura Mazda,[20] is the cosmic order which is the antithesis of chaos, which is evident as druj, falsehood and disorder. [citation needed], These pseudepigraphic texts aside, some authors did draw on a few genuinely Zoroastrian ideas. ][110], It has been suggested that this "traditional date" is an adoption of some date from foreign sources, from the Greeks[115] or the Babylonians[116] for example, which the priesthood then reinterpreted. Some scholars base their date reconstruction on the Proto-Indo-Iranian language and Proto-Indo-Iranian religion,[11] and thus his origin is considered to have been somewhere in northeastern Iran and sometime between 1500 and 500 BC. Both fire and water are also hypostasized as the Yazatas Atar and Anahita, with worship hymns and litanies dedicated to them. Read more. [citation needed]. It centers on the words of the prophet Zarathushtra, called Zoroaster by the ancient Greeks, and focuses worship upon Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom. Contemplate the beams of fire with a most pious mind! Under Abbasid rule, Muslim Iranians (who by then were in the majority) in many instances showed severe disregard for and mistreated local Zoroastrians. In Middle Persian literature, the prominent belief was that at the end of time a savior-figure known as the Saoshyant would bring about the Frashokereti, while in the Gathic texts the term Saoshyant (meaning "one who brings benefit") referred to all believers of Mazdayasna but changed into a messianic concept in later writings. The Gathas consist of only 17 songs and 241 stanzas. Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism.He is said to have been an Iranian prophet who founded a religious movement that challenged the existing traditions of ancient Iranian religion, and inaugurated a movement that eventually became a staple religion in ancient Iran.He was a native speaker of Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the . He used to call the one Horomazes and the other Areimanius".[104]. [165], India is considered to be home to a large Zoroastrian population - the descendants of migrants from Iran and today known as the Parsis. Diszegi, Vilmos (1998) [1958]. [57][58][59][60] Zoroastrian tradition names Airyanem Vaejah as the home of Zarathustra and the birthplace of the religion. In the final renovation, all of creationeven the souls of the dead that were initially banished to or chose to descend into "darkness"will be reunited with Ahura Mazda in the Kshatra Vairya (meaning "best dominion"),[40] being resurrected to immortality. [115] According to Middle Persian tradition, Ahura Mazda created the twenty-one Nasks of the original Avesta which Zoroaster brought to Vishtaspa. [citation needed], Individual judgment at death is at the Chinvat Bridge ("bridge of judgement" or "bridge of choice"), which each human must cross, facing a spiritual judgment, though modern belief is split as to whether it is representative of a mental decision during life to choose between good and evil or an afterworld location. [12] Recent estimates place the current number of Zoroastrians in the world at around 110,000120,000[13] at most, with the majority of this figure living in India, Iran, and North America; their number has been thought to be declining. Born into the Spitama clan, he worked as a priest. He taught that the universe is dominated by good, not evil. Read more. ZOROASTER WAS THE PERSIAN PROPHET on whose teachings the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism is based.The name by which he is commonly known in the West is from the Greek form of his original name,Zarathushtra, which means "Shining Light." Date of Zoroaster. Marital relationship in between an Iranian and somebody . Zoroaster's name in his native language, Avestan, was probably Zarautra. Vishtaspa), who in turn compelled his subjects to adopt the religion of the Magians. [175] In 2020, Historic England published A Survey of Zoroastrianism Buildings in England with the aim of providing information about buildings that Zoroastrians use in England so that HE can work with communities to enhance and protect those buildings now and in the future. In his Aj'ib al-makhlqt wa ghar'ib al-mawjdt, he further describes how the Al-Mutawakkil in 247 AH (861 AD) caused the mighty cypress to be felled, and then transported it across Iran, to be used for beams in his new palace at Samarra. [62] The later Pahlavi sources like Shahnameh, instead claim that an obscure conflict with Tuiryas people led to his death, murdered by a karapan (a priest of the old religion) named Brdrs. [citation needed], Though the Armenians share a rich history affiliated with Zoroastrianism (that eventually declined with the advent of Christianity), reports indicate that there were Zoroastrian Armenians in Armenia until the 1920s. Those who do evil are said to be attacked and confused by the druj and are responsible for aligning themselves back to Asha by following this path. They played an instrumental role in the economic development of the region over many decades; several of the best-known business conglomerates of India are run by Parsi-Zoroastrians, including the Tata, Godrej, Wadia families, and others. Zoroastrianism is not entirely uniform in theological and philosophical thought, especially with historical and modern influences having a significant impact on individual and local beliefs, practices, values, and vocabulary, sometimes merging with tradition and in other cases displacing it. The remaining 49% of English Zoroastrians were scattered relatively evenly throughout the country, with the second and third largest concentrations being Birmingham (72) and Manchester (47). [102][103][104], There exist many similarities between Zoroastrianism and Abrahamic religions as pointed about already by The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906). [21] The resulting cosmic conflict involves all of creation, mental/spiritual and material, including humanity at its core, which has an active role to play in the conflict. [96][97][98] The women hold official certificates and can perform the lower-rung religious functions and can initiate people into the religion. Juha Pentikinen, Walter de Gruyter, Shamanism and Northern Ecology 11/07/2011. [citation needed], The Greeksin the Hellenistic sense of the termhad an understanding of Zoroaster as expressed by Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, and Agathias[83] that saw him, at the core, to be the "prophet and founder of the religion of the Iranian peoples," Beck notes that "the rest was mostly fantasy". Islamic jurists took the stance that only Muslims could be perfectly moral, but "unbelievers might as well be left to their iniquities, so long as these did not vex their overlords. Mountains will again flatten and valleys will rise; the House of Song will descend to the moon, and the earth will rise to meet them both. According to tradition, the soul is judged by the Yazatas Mithra, Sraosha, and Rashnu, where depending on the verdict one is either greeted at the bridge by a beautiful, sweet-smelling maiden or by an ugly, foul-smelling old hag representing their Daena affected by their actions in life. The forces of good will ultimately triumph over evil, rendering it forever impotent but not destroyed. [73] Strabo further states that these were "noteworthy enclosures; and in their midst there is an altar, on which there is a large quantity of ashes and where the magi keep the fire ever burning. Haug's thinking was subsequently disseminated as a Parsi interpretation, thus corroborating Haug's theory, and the idea became so popular that it is now almost universally accepted as doctrine (though being reevaluated in modern Zoroastrianism and academia). [59], Eventually, at the age of about forty-two, he received the patronage of queen Hutaosa and a ruler named Vishtaspa, an early adherent of Zoroastrianism (possibly from Bactria according to the Shahnameh).
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