The religious works in the exhibition represent confessional and philosophical traditions of the various faiths practiced in the persianspeaking world today. Jul, 2010 zoroaster forgotten prophet of the one god. Nehemiah and ezra also reorganised the traditional religion of the judaeans and israelites. Zoroastrianism teaches the eventual triumph of ahura mazda and the eternal defeat of angra mainyu and his cohorts. Lets see the main similarities between zoroastrianism and christianity. Our sources for information about the pre zoroastrian aryan religions are the zoroastrian and hindu scriptures.
The long search finally ends with salman meeting the promised prophet, and earning his freedom become one of his closest companions. The teachings of zoroaster and millions of other books are available for. Comparisons between zoroastrianism and christianity. Zoroastrianism is a preislamic iranian religion and one of the worlds oldest monotheistic religions. Zoroastrianism as a religion was not firmly established until several centuries later. An explanation of zoroastrianism and its connection to christianity s. Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet zoroaster also known as zarathustra, in avestan. Ultimate reward and retribution are both common themes within zoroastrianism and christianity. Zoroaster came to be regarded in christian europe as a master of magic. Regardless, zoroastrianism is considered one of the worlds oldest monotheistic religions the doctrine or belief that there is only one.
Hartz likened this spirit to the holy spirit of christianity. Nov 06, 2015 zoroastrian beliefs the zoroastrian concept of god incorporates elements of both monotheism and dualism. Kapadias investigation of the zoroastrian faith is important for clarifying and defining. Heaven and hell the concept of heaven and hell is present in both religions. The zoroastrian faith is organized around five themes. Since direct influence by zoroastrianism on christianity is unlikely, scholars are unsure if the similarities emerged via early christianity s shifting emphasis on older zoroastrian influenced jewish elements. Zoroastrianism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Many doctrines of the christian faith have parallels in zoroastrianism, e. I especially loved this book because it focused on only zoroastrianism and only referred to christianity or judiasm as a.
Their religious beliefs and practices this book, now reissued with a new introduction by mary boyce, is the first attempt to trace the continuous history of the faith from the time it was preached by zoroaster down to the present daya span of about 3,500 years. Persian mar nemeh the zoroastrian book of the snake omens and. Ad 226 under ardashir i, who established the sassanid dynasty and fostered a general revival of achaemenian culture. I do not know how much you know about this religion, but it was founded by someone called zoroaster or zarathushtra who was born around 1200 bc and has a holy text called the avesta.
But monotheism existed long before the jews attained to it. Kapadias investigation of the zoroastrian faith is important for clarifying and defining the important religious tenets native to followers of zoroaster. Culture the obscure religion that shaped the west bbc. The acceptance of christianity in georgia caucasian iberia saw the zoroastrian religion there slowly but surely decline. Zoroastrianism, ancient preislamic religion of iran that likely influenced the other.
Scholars have long acknowledged the contributions of zoroastrianism to other faiths, including judaism, christianity, islam, and buddhism. By 650 bce, the zoroastrian faith, a monotheistic religion founded on the ideas of the philosopher zoroaster, had become the official. Zoroastrianisms influence on judaism, christianity, islam. Syncretism and the zoroastrian influence on judaism. Conversion out of the religion and increasing acceptance of intermarriage to persons of other religions has tended to reduce the remaining population over time.
The holy book of zoroastrianism is the zend avesta. May 27, 2005 as far as i can tell, as of now, there is only one real argument against christianity and that comes from zoroastrianism. The case of zoroastrianism, judaism, and christianity jstor. There are, however, significant differences between zoroastrianism and modern religions of the book. An explanation of zoroastrianism and its connection to christianity. Concepts such as the notion of one god, heaven and hell, the dualism of good and evil, a savior to come, and everlasting life can trace their roots to the religion of zarathustra. For him, religion may exist without a state, but a state cannot exist without religion. Although this is known, the actual beginnings of the religion are hard to pinpoint. The middle third of the book on the selucids and sassanids. I will always keep my the zoroastrian faith book handy as my reference source. By 650 bce, the zoroastrian faith, a monotheistic religion founded on the ideas of. Religion a thousand years of the persian book exhibitions. You will find here a selected list of books on zoroastrianism, life and teachings of zoroaster or zarathushtra, zoroastrian beliefs, zend avesta, parsees, indo.
Ardashir founded his power on a combination of religion and state. In his visions, zarathustra was taken up to heaven, where ahura mazda revealed that he had an opponent, aura mainyu, the spirit and promoter of evil. Zoroaster, who lived in eastern ancient iran around bc, created zoroastrianism. The dualism of good and evil, god and the devil this dualism is present not only in christianity through jesus and satan or god and lucifer. Their religious beliefs and practices the library of. This rare assyrian christian gospel contains the first four books of the new. Zoroaster forgotten prophet of the one god john palmer. Ahuramazda, the sun god mithras, and the most important archangel, spenta mainyu holy spirit, formed a holy trinity. Zoroastrianism or mazdayasna is one of the worlds oldest continuously practiced religions. This includes the original words of their founder zarathushtra, preserved in a series of five hymns, called the gathas. The parallels of zoroastrianism on judiasm, christianity and islam are clearly deliniated here as well.
Apr 11, 2007 zoroastrianism was the dominant world religion from 559 bce to 651 ce, and was thus the most powerful world religion at the time of jesus. Are the ideas of jesus and christianity borrowed from mithra and zoroastrianism. The ancient theology played a large role in the formation of judaism, christianity and. The imagery that is used within christianity is the book of life. Increasingly, christians in america who are faithful to share the gospel are discovering that religious beliefs once foreign to us have now moved. For four centuries zoroastrianism was the state religion of the sassanids, and it successfully met the challenge of nascent christianity and, later, of heretical manichaeism. Zoroastrianism enters recorded history in the mid5th century bce. However, as herodotus reports in his first book paragraph 1 the persians had no images of their gods and considered the use of them as a sign of folly.
The latter represent the basic source of the religion. Other names for zoroastrianism are mazdaism and parsiism. Only the hymns, or gathas, are attributable to zarathustra. Pre zoroastrian iranian religion introduction beyond all doubt, in iran, hundreds of years before christ died, a prophet arose whose life and teaching left an indelible but nowadays ignored impression. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. To judaism christians ascribe the glory of having been the first religion to teach a pure monotheism. In revelation we read and i saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Zoroaster and his earliest followers were monotheists, dualism being a later development of the persian theology.
Feb 09, 2017 zoroastrianism is the ancient, preislamic religion of persia modernday iran. Zoroastrianism is most famously known as the worlds first major. Oct 11, 2000 zoroastrianism was a major religion before christianity and islam were founded. The term zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with mazdaism the worship of ahura mazda, exalted by zoroaster as the supreme divine authority. Holy text, beliefs and practices religious tolerance.
Zoroastrians, unlike christians, do not believe people are born with original sin. 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. Zoroastrianism zoroastrianism beliefs and mythology. Certain elements of christianity, such as x, y, and z are suprisingly similar to elements in zoroastrianism. The description of zoroastrianism reflects the authors personal beliefs and should be read with a critical mind and a large dose of sound skepticism.
It likely influenced the other major western religionsjudaism, christianity. Bbc culture the obscure religion that shaped the west. In christianity, heaven is the kingdom of god and hell is the kingdom of the devil, satan. Are the ideas of jesus and christianity borrowed from mithra. This consummation is described in the yasnas as the last turning point in creation yasna 43. Did judaism and christianity borrow the messiah, the resurrection, and final judgment from zoroastrianism mithra. Zoroastrianism, in spite of its small current number of adherents, has played a huge role in the study of comparative religion. Arguably the worlds first monotheistic faith, its one of the oldest religions still in. Zoroastrianism is an ancient persian religion that may have. As far as i can tell, as of now, there is only one real argument against christianity and that comes from zoroastrianism.
The first sassanian king ardashir began emphasising the close cooperation of the throne and zoroastrian priesthood. Jewish and christian messiah and the zoroastrian sosyans. Communication between himself and humans is by a number of attributes, called amesha spentas or bounteous immortals. List of books and articles about zoroastrianism online. Syncretism and the zoroastrian influence on judaism published 4.
Zoroastrianism by jenny rose in search of zarathustra by paul kriwaczek zoroastrians by mary boyce the teachings of zoroaster and the philosophy of the parsi religion by a kapadia s a kapadia the zoroastrian faith by s. Apr 06, 2017 the idea of a single god was not the only essentially zoroastrian tenet to find its way into other major faiths, most notably the big three. The similarities between zoroastrianism and christianity. Similarities between zoroastrianism and christianity.
It survives there in isolated areas but primarily exists in india, where the descendants of zoroastrian persian immigrants are known as parsis, or parsees. Jan 06, 2016 unsubscribe from calabasas online tutoring. They are written in various metres and in a dialect different from the rest of the avesta, except for seven chapters, chiefly in prose, that appear to have been composed shortly after the prophets demise. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This book is useful for the later history of the zoroastrians. Modern zoroastrian priest wearing mouth cover while tending a temple fire. The influence of zoroastrianism on christianity and islam. Salman the persian, zoroastrian, persia part 2 of 2. Centuries before dantes divine comedy, the book of arda viraf.
All these texts are embedded in the yasna, which is one of the main. On the other hand, in zoroastrianism, we have heaven, or the light and goodness above, which is the kingdom of ahura mazda. The holy trinity of christianity, consisting of the father, son, and holy spirit, is sometimes seen as roughly analogous to the trimurti of hinduism, whose members brahma, vishnu, and shiva are seen as the three principal manifestations of brahman, or godhead. Until recently, most modern scholars accepted a date of around 600 b. The iranian prophet and religious reformer zarathustra flourished before the 6th century bcemore widely known outside iran as zoroaster, the greek form of his nameis traditionally regarded as the founder of the religion. Zoroastrianism is defined by the merriam webster 1 online dictionary as a persian religion founded in the sixth century b. Within the gathas, the original zoroastrian sacred text, these immortals are sometimes described as concepts, and are sometimes personified.
According to later zoroastrian legend denkard and the book of arda viraf, many sacred texts were lost. Buy cheap zoroastrianism books online zoroastrianism book. I do not know how much you know about this religion, but it was founded by someone called zoroaster or zarathushtra who was born around 1200 bc and has a holy text called. Zoroastrianism contains both monotheistic and dualistic features. Major features of zoroastrianism, such as messianism, judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including second temple judaism, gnosticism, greek philosophy, christianity, islam, the bahai faith, and buddhism. Although the exact date zoroastrianism was founded is unknown, archaeological evidence and linguistic comparisons with the hindu text rig veda suggest that it emerged around 12001500 bce. It had a major influence on other religions and is still.
After reading this book, i am able to talk to others about this religion as i have a good base, and i am ready to take the next step in ordering another book, maybe the avesta itself or the prayer book, to delve deeper into zoroastrian understanding. Apr 23, 2019 zoroastrianism is arguably the worlds oldest monotheistic religion. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century bce in persia iran. Oct 12, 2018 this religion obviously has aspects similar to christianity and may have been influenced by events from genesis forward as they were passed down from generation to generation. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. This priesthood introduced many pre zoroastrian gods into the religion. Zoroastrianism, the ancient pre islamic religion of iran that survives there in isolated areas and, more prosperously, in india, where the descendants of zoroastrian iranian persian immigrants are known as parsis, or parsees. To readers other than scholars of iranian religion this material. Dec 24, 2009 zoroastrianism an ancient, shrinking religion zoroastrianism is one of the worlds oldest living faiths. Zoroastrianism is an ancient persian religion that may have originated as early as 4,000 years ago.