TLDR; Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest religions, offers profound philosophical insights and ethical principles that remain remarkably relevant today. A resurgence of Zoroastrianism could inspire a deeper connection to ideas of stewardship, individual responsibility, and the balance between good and evil.
🔥Let’s bring this religion back🔥
A Short History of Zoroastrian Religious Beliefs
Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions. It originated in ancient Persia and is based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster (1768 BC – 1691 BC). The basic teachings of Zoroaster are founded on the idea of a dualistic cosmology of good versus evil, along with an apocalyptic narrative that predicts good will win over evil forces. The religion is also messianic, believing in free will, judgment after death, and belief in heaven, hell, angels, and demons. In addition, Zoroastrianism is also the oldest religion to adhere to a monotheistic god, an eschatological narrative, and a final resurrection by God. Zoroastrian apocalyptic literature keeps hope for a better future by helping society endure hardship.
The practice of Zoroastrianism can be dated to about 2000 BCE but is first recorded in the 6th Century BCE; it was the official religion of Iranian dynasties from 600 BCE to 650 BCE but declined around the 7th Century due to the Muslim conquest of Persia. As a result of the Islamic conquest from 633 to 654 AD under Caliph Abu Bakr, there was immense persecution of Zoroastrian people in Sassanid Iran. In 637, the invading Muslim forces took the capital of the Sassanid Empire, Ctesiphon, in 651 and incorporated it into the Arab Caliphate. The Zoroastrian King Darius (548-486 BC), the third Persian King of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC), believes Ahuramazda or Lord Wisdom divinely appointed him. These proclamations of being appointed King by a divine god were common. Under Darius, Zoroastrianism became the state religion, which helped unite the empire.
Beliefs of Zoroastrians
In Zoroastrianism, Ahuramazda is the main deity that bestows teachings to Zoroaster through the archangel Vohu Manah; these teachings have been compiled into texts. Vohu Manah is one of the seven emanations of Ahura Mazda; each emanation represents one face of creation. The texts are contained in the primary collection of teachings called the Avesta, which supposedly has original texts composed by Zoroaster called the Gathas. The Gathas are poems and liturgy, or Yasna, which is the basis for all worship. The Gathas are comprised of 17 Avestan hymns and 238 stanzas; these were incorporated in the Yasna of 72 chapters, which became the primary liturgical text. The 17 hymns are divided into five sections: Having Happiness, Bounteous Spirit, Good Dominion, Best Beloved, and The Invocation of the Divinity of Airyaman.
The Avesta also contains the Visp-rat, a liturgical scripture that celebrates Zoroastrian leaders, and the Vendidad, which includes Zoroastrian laws for civil and ritual purposes. The Avesta is a collection of prayers for specific occasions. This book also recounts the creation of people and the first man, Yima. Yima was considered the son of the sun, and when he declined Ahura Mazda’s offer to become divine, Yima then established human lives on Earth. Because he was such a virtuous man, there was no death, disease, or aging during his reign; when this Golden age ended, he sought refuge inside the Earth and will re-emerge to repopulate the world at the appropriate time.
The seventeen poems in the Gathas teach that truth, Asha, or the spirit of goodness, and outline how people should live following Ahura Mazda’s directions. The life force of Ahuramazda is known as Asha, or truth, and opposes Druj, or falsehood. Druj emanates from Angra Mainyu or a destructive mentality. Zoroastrian dualism teaches that eventually, Ahuramazda will triumph over Angra Mainyu, at which point there will be a sort of cosmic reset where time will end. Here, all immortal souls will be reunited in heaven with Ahuramazda or banished into one of the hell realms. Since the end time did not happen in Zoroaster’s lifetime, Zoroastrianism developed into a faith emphasizing the dualistic nature of good versus evil (Malandra).
The Apocalypse According to Zoroastrians
There are different types of narratives of eschatology, which is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the ultimate future of humankind and the individual soul. Eschatological literature examines the end of the world, focusing on reuniting humans with the divine, either in this world or the afterlife. These end-of-world events are usually prophesized in sacred texts or more religious avenues; an example in Christianity is that Luke warns “people to flee the wrath that is to come” from not repenting (Luke 3:7-8). As punishment, a person’s soul will spend eternal punishment in hell without the presence of God. To further complicate the matter, a specific time for future events is not given. The Bible states, “When the time is right, I, The Lord, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60:22). Similarly, the end times of Zoroastrianism do not have a timeframe, which creates a sense of constant watching and anticipation for prophesized events.
Messianism, millennialism, and apocalyptic literature are distinct forms of eschatology. Messianic myths are where a future salvation figure, or culture hero, emerges. Millenarianism is the belief in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This belief is based on the book of Revelation to John, the last book of the New Testament in the Bible. This book states that Christ will establish a 1,000-year reign of peace on Earth before the Last Judgement. Millenarianism also supports a secular belief in the world’s end, where a final utopian age is created through a revolution. Both messianism and millennialism focus on the return of the dead and renewal after a catastrophic end to the current world. At that time, the cultural hero emerges and leads people into a battle against evil forces. Both enforce a belief in supernatural peace on Earth.
Zoroastrian apocalyptic literature is supernaturally charged with cataclysmic events that happen at the world’s end. Zoroastrianism is considered apocalyptic literature because Zoroaster received prophetic revelations that required the aid of a supernatural interpreter. The literature is also not based on Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. For Zoroaster, he was a means of disseminating information about the end times and creating meaning for people in this context. In Zoroastrianism, the current events in the world are largely pessimistic, and there is a sense that final events between the forces of good and evil are unavoidable.
Zoroastrianism teaches that the end time will come with a cosmic battle between the forces of light and good and the forces of darkness and evil. Zoroaster established a timeframe where there are the last of four periods of 3,000 years intervals before the world ends. After Zoroaster appeared at the end of the second age, intervals of 1,000 years will be visited by three separate saviors, or messiahs. The last of these messiahs will be Saoshyant, appearing at the absolute end and heralding a time called Frashokereti, which is the final battle where evil is destroyed. The Farvardin Yasht, XIII:17 states, “God addressed Zoroaster in the following terms: The most powerful among the companions of the Muslims, O Zarathushtra, are those of the men of the primitive law, or those of the Soeshyant (not yet born) who are to restore the world.” Saoshyant will resurrect the dead and rehabilitate the physical world into a paradise.
The Saoshyants
In medieval literature, Zoroastrians write about the three Saoshyants. The first will be Ushedar, the second Ushedarmah, and the last will be the Saoshyant. The three saviors will be born to virgins who are impregnated while bathing in a lake. Another religion, the Baha’i faith, believes that the Saoshyant has already been incarnated in Baha’u’llah (1817-1892), the founder of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’u’llah taught about unity and religious renewal; the other two saviors were the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570-632) and the Bab (1819-1850), who is another central figure in the Baha’i Faith.
The primary theme of Gathas is the belief of Frashokereti, or renovation of the world, and that of the individual judgment of living and dead. The judgment will take place at the Chinvat Bridge, which each person must cross and face their judgment. Upon these deities’ determination, the soul will be led across the bridge to heavenly salvation or the hellish abyss. If a soul is determined to be neutral, having neither good nor bad, it will go to Hamistagan or purgatory, located between the Earth and the stars. The abyss of purgatory is designed for the soul to think they are in isolation, but it is a temporary state and is supposed to create a reformative for the soul.
The Zoroastrian doctrines note that the final battle of good and evil will darken the sun and moon. There will also be molten lava that will burn the evil doers but not harm the good souls. Then, the world will fall under Angra Mainyu and his servant Zai Dahaka, who will further terrorize the world with disorder and chaos. The final savior, Saoshyant, will offer final judgment for all. Ahura Mazda and Saoshyant will offer a bull as a sacrifice for the remaining humans to become immortal.
This apocalyptic narrative has two judgments: the spiritual and the physical. The Zoroastrian religion outlines two methods during the end times: The first is that judgment is declared on individuals, determining their resurrection in heaven or hell; The second judgment will be on society and how all humanity will fare in judgment. The goal is for a perfect world to form, where evil is destroyed, and the body and soul can be united.
The Future of Zorastrianism
Zoroastrianism still exists in India, where the Parsis established their exiled community around the 9th Century. This group has retained its unique religion and culture, despite being only about 90,000 people. It is estimated that there are 100,000 to 200,00 followers. They also play a pivotal role in India’s merchant class, filling positions in industry and trade; this group also plays a vital role in the economic development of that Indian region through philanthropy. Other small Zoroastrian communities exist in Iran, Europe, and North America.
Apocalyptic narratives in the Zoroastrian community are not theoretical – they are lived daily. For example, Ahura Mazda desired that there should only be good on Earth. Thus, praying while having good intentions helps oneself and the world. An adherent can maintain purity by seeking elements created by Ahura Mazda and not impure ones created by Angra Mainyu. An example would be refraining from touching an impure corpse or burying it to pollute the Earth. It is customary for the corpse to be laid out, dried, and picked by the animals; the bones are placed in a well to decay further. Purity laws and maintaining purity of the physical and spiritual world prepare oneself and others for the return of Ahura Mazda’s paradise on Earth.
Let’s Bring This Religion Back
The Zoroastrian community has a declining population. Most of the population is over 50, and limited numbers of those enter the priesthood. There is no religious hierarchy, and only local priests have some authority. Therefore, the communities have different views about conversion and who can become a priest, which explains why their numbers have dwindled. Many also agree that only people born into Zoroastrianism can practice Zoroastrianism, so there are no converts, but this is changing.
For Zoroastrians, humanity’s extinction, civilization’s destruction, and the rebirth of a utopian paradise are central beliefs. Today, the Zoroastrian apocalyptic narrative keeps hope for a better future and to endure the hardships first under the Muslim empires and now as minority groups. Without “deliverance” from the end times, there is not much promise for an improved life. The golden age of Zoroastrianism is when it dominated Persia and was the state religion under King Darius (550BC-486BC). In a way, their prophecy has been fulfilled in faith and spirit; with many practitioners dying, the communal identity will also disappear, along with temples and fires. If this is the outcome, the historical legacy of Zoroastrianism would be studied but no longer practiced.
Further Reading
Gathas – Free resource
Mary Boyce, Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices – Free Resource
California Zoroastrian Center – Website
Author: mountshastamyths
Lurking around here with more questions than answers