What is Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is an old religion, dating from around 1000 BC to 2000 BC, there is no exact date so approximations vary widely depending on what the writer wants to transmit. The name comes from the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). He was a priest of the existing religion of his time but he showed an original mind and he proved to be a bold reformer. That is why he began to preach a religion that survived till this day despite some hard moments in the lives of its believers.

One of the characteristics that made this religion differ from others of its time is monotheism. This one great and supreme God, named Ahura Mazda is a very important element in the development of the human civilization and I will try to explain in this article why I believe this.

Let's start with the basics, we have a number of source texts, first the Avesta, with the Old Avesta, containing the five Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti and the Young Avesta comprising Yasna, Videvdad and Visperad. Second we have the Pahlavi texts, considered of secondary importance, not canonical. The Denkard and the Bundahishn (Creation) stand out to be veritable encyclopedias of the religion.

For the Avesta texts, the Avestan language was used and an interesting but out-of-date theory is given about the existence of this language. Noah had three sons, Shem who made the semitic civilization, Ham created the Hamitic and Japhet started the Japhetic (Indo-European). The Avestan language is part of the Japhetic tree so to speak, the Indo-Europeans, the Aryans. The reason why people felt this theory was appropriate is, in our case, among other things, the existence of a "destruction" story reminding people of the Great Flood described in the Bible.

22. And Ahura Mazda spake unto Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of Vivanghat! Upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall bring the fierce, deadly frost; upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall make snow-flakes fall thick, even an aredvi deep on the highest tops of mountains.
23. 'And the beasts that live in the wilderness, and those that live on the tops of the mountains, and those that live in the bosom of the dale shall take shelter in underground abodes.
24. 'Before that winter, the country would bear plenty of grass for cattle, before the waters had flooded it. Now after the melting of the snow, O Yima, a place wherein the footprint of a sheep may be seen will be a wonder in the world.
25. 'Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, and thither bring the seeds of sheep and oxen, of men, of dogs, of birds, and of red blazing fires. Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, to be an abode for man; a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, for oxen and sheep.
26. 'There thou shalt make waters flow in a bed a hathra long; there thou shalt settle birds, on the green that never fades, with food that never fails. There thou shalt establish dwelling-places, consisting of a house with a balcony, a courtyard, and as gallery.
27. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of men and women, of the greatest, best, and finest on this earth; thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of cattle, of the greatest, best, and finest on this earth.
28. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of tree, of the highest of size and sweetest of odour on this earth; thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of fruit, the best of savour and sweetest of odour. All those seeds shalt thou bring, two of every kind, to be kept inexhaustible there, so long as those men shall stay in the Vara.
29. 'There shall be no humpbacked, none bulged forward there; no impotent, no lunatic; no malicious, no liar; no one spiteful, none jealous; no one with decayed tooth, no leprous to be pent up, nor any of the brands wherewith Angra Mainyu stamps the bodies of mortals.
(Vendidad, Fargard 2 ; Source: Avesta.org)

Zoroastrianism introduced a dualism that can be seen in almost all the other religions, from the present or the past. There is an opposition between order and chaos, good and bad, truth and falsehood. Two forces battle one against the other, trying to take humanity on either side. All that is good belongs to Ahura Mazda, and all that is bad to Angra Manyu (or Ahriman in the Pahlavi texts). Unlike the Christian concept of God, Ahura Mazda does not have any power against evil except actual combat in which humans play an important role.

The full article will be available in
Awil-um Magazine 4/2010 (October - December)