Zoroastrianism

Podcast Transcript

Sometime between the 7th and 13th century BC, a man was born in Eastern Persia who had a revolutionary idea.

He claimed that there weren’t multiple gods, but rather just one god.

He established a religion which, at various times, was one of the most followed in the world. Thousands of years later, it still has adherents, although only a fraction of what it once was.

Learn more about Zoroastrianism, its origins, and its tenets on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions, but today it is also one of the world’s smallest.

The origins of Zoroastrianism date back to its founder, Zarathustra, also known as Zoroaster in the West.

The details surrounding Zoroaster’s life are murky, and estimates vary widely. Some put him alive around the year 1500 BC, and others close to 600 BC.

That is close to a 1000-year span, which is absolutely enormous.

He was born into a pastoral society in what is now northeastern Iran or southwestern Afghanistan. Beyond this we know next to nothing about him.

What we know, as is the case with many ancient religious figures, comes to us through his teaching.

Zoroastrianism is centered on the teachings of Zoroaster, who is believed to have composed a series of hymns and poems known as the Gathas, which form the core of the Avesta, the sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism.

Zoroaster preached a message of ethical monotheism, declaring Ahura Mazda, or the “Wise Lord,” as the supreme, uncreated God and the source of all that is good. He opposed the traditional polytheism of Indo-Iranian religion and emphasized moral choice and individual responsibility.

Zoroastrianism is one of three very early monotheistic religions that developed in the Ancient world. One of the first was established by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaten, who established the cult of the Aten in Egypt in the 14th century BC. This didn’t last long as it was abolished soon after his death by his son Tutenkamen.

Judaism is the other major ancient monotheistic religion, which was probably established after or near the same time as Zoroastrianism, although, as I noted above, the dates are in question.

While many aspects of Zoroaster’s and Zoroastrianism’s origins are shrouded in history, we do know that the religion gained popularity and reached its peak during the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC.

As I covered in a previous episode, the Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, was founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC.

It isn’t known if Cyrus himself was a Zoroastrian, but even if he wasn’t, he was indirectly responsible for the spread of Zoroastrianism.

The famous Cyrus Cylinder, a clay cylinder inscribed with cuneiform script, is often referred to as the first charter of human rights, embodying Zoroastrian values of justice and religious freedom. However, it doesn’t reference Ahura Mazda, but rather the Babylonian god Marduk.

This empire, stretching from India to Greece, became the vehicle through which Zoroastrian ideas spread across the ancient world. The Achaemenid kings, particularly Darius I, embraced Zoroastrian principles while maintaining religious tolerance throughout their vast domains.

During this period, Zoroastrian concepts began influencing other religious traditions. The religion’s emphasis on cosmic dualism, divine judgment, resurrection, and messianic salvation would later appear in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great in 330 BC marked the beginning of centuries of foreign rule that challenged the dominance of Zoroastrianism.

Under the Greek dynasties after Alexander, the religion was influenced by Greek philosophical ideas and competition from other belief systems.

During the Parthian period from 247 BC to 224, Zoroastrianism began to develop its distinctive priestly class structure and elaborate ritual practices. The oral traditions of Zoroaster’s teachings were systematized, though they wouldn’t be written down until much later. This period saw the religion adapting to survive under non-Zoroastrian rulers while maintaining its core identity.

The rise of the Sassanid dynasty in 224 brought about a remarkable revival of Zoroastrianism as the state religion of Persia. This period represents the religion’s second golden age.

Under Sassanid rule, the Zoroastrian scriptures were compiled and written down for the first time. The religion developed sophisticated theological concepts, elaborate fire temple rituals, and a powerful priestly hierarchy.

Sassanid Persia emerged as a significant rival to the Byzantine Empire, with Zoroastrianism serving as a unifying force against the expansion of Christianity.

The Arab Muslim conquest of Persia in 651 fundamentally transformed Zoroastrianism’s position in Persia. Initially, Muslims granted Zoroastrians protected status as “People of the Book,” allowing them to practice their religion while paying special taxes.

Zoroastrianism had the same status as other monotheistic religions, Judaism and Christianity.

However, social and economic pressures gradually encouraged people to convert to Islam.

Over the following centuries, Zoroastrian communities steadily diminished through conversion, intermarriage, and emigration. The religion retreated to isolated communities, particularly in the Yazd and Kerman provinces of central Iran.

Despite this decline, Zoroastrian communities maintained their religious practices and cultural identity with remarkable tenacity.

One of the most significant developments in Zoroastrian history was the migration of Persian Zoroastrians to western India, beginning around the 8th century. These refugees, who became known as Parsis, meaning “from Persia”, established thriving communities along India’s western coast, particularly in Gujarat.

The Parsis adapted remarkably well to their new environment while preserving their religious traditions. They developed a unique blend of Persian Zoroastrian heritage with Indian cultural elements, creating a distinct community identity that, like the Zoroastrians in Iran, would prove remarkably resilient over the centuries.

During the medieval period, both Iranian and Indian Zoroastrian communities focused on preserving their religious heritage through careful transmission of texts, rituals, and traditions. Parsi priests maintained correspondence with their Iranian counterparts, seeking guidance on religious matters and ensuring doctrinal consistency.

This period witnessed the composition of important Zoroastrian texts in Middle Persian, followed by later versions in Persian and Gujarati. Religious scholars worked to interpret ancient texts for contemporary communities, developing commentaries and theological treatises that would guide the religion through centuries of minority status.

The arrival of European colonial powers in India paradoxically benefited the Parsi community, whose education, business acumen, and cultural adaptability made them valuable intermediaries between Indian and European societies. During British rule, Parsis became prominent in commerce, industry, philanthropy, and public service.

The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed a remarkable Parsi renaissance, with community members playing leading roles in India’s industrial development, independence movement, and cultural life. Simultaneously, Zoroastrian communities began emigrating globally, establishing diaspora communities in Europe, North America, and Australia.

One of the most notable modern Zoroastrians, Freddie Mercury, came from a Parsi family that had migrated to Zanzibar.

Today, there are approximately 110,000 to 190,000 Zoroastrians worldwide, primarily residing in India and Iran, with other notable populations in the United States, Canada, and the Kurdish region of Iraq.

I’ve discussed the history of Zoroastrianism, but aside from being monotheistic, what exactly do Zoroastrians believe, and how do they practice worship?

As I stated near the beginning, at the heart of Zoroastrianism lies the worship of Ahura Mazda, who is the uncreated creator of all existence.

They believe that Ahura Mazda represents pure wisdom, truth, and goodness. This deity is omniscient, omnipotent, and perfectly just, serving as the ultimate source of moral law and cosmic order.

Zoroastrian ethics center on the fundamental principle of “Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta,” which means good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. This triad represents the three paths through which humans can align themselves with divine will and contribute to the cosmic struggle between good and evil.

Every human action, word, and even thought carries moral weight and consequences.

Zoroastrianism presents a dualistic cosmology where the universe is the battleground between the forces of good, led by Ahura Mazda, and evil represented by Angra Mainyu.

However, this dualism is not absolute. Evil is ultimately destined for defeat, and humans play a crucial role in this cosmic drama through their exercise of free will.

Every person must choose between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, order and chaos. This choice carries profound consequences not only for individual salvation but for the ultimate fate of creation itself.

Zoroastrians believe in the immortality of the soul and individual judgment after death. Upon death, each soul crosses the Chinvat Bridge, where their deeds are weighed. The righteous proceed to paradise, while the wicked fall into hell. However, unlike other religions, this punishment is not eternal. Ultimately, all souls will be purified and reunited with Ahura Mazda.

The religion teaches that history will culminate in the “Frashokereti” or renovation of the world, which is their version of the apocalypse.

A savior figure known as Saoshyant will emerge to resurrect the dead, judge all humanity, and establish a perfected world where evil is finally vanquished.

Zoroastrianism reveres the elements of fire, water, earth, and air as sacred creations of Ahura Mazda. Fire holds particular significance as a symbol of divine light and purity, leading to the religion’s association with fire worship, though Zoroastrians worship through fire, not fire itself.

Contemporary Zoroastrian practice centers on fire temples.

Zoroastrian fire temples are sacred places where the element of fire is enshrined and venerated as a symbol of divine truth, purity, and the presence of Ahura Mazda.

Unlike places of congregational worship in other religions, Zoroastrian fire temples are not gathering halls for sermons. They are sanctuaries designed around the continuous tending and ritual maintenance of a sacred flame.

At the heart of every fire temple is the sanctum, a secluded inner chamber where the sacred fire is housed. Only specially trained priests may enter this chamber.

The fire itself is kept burning perpetually and is treated as a living symbol of divine order. To maintain the fire, priests perform ritual feedings of sandalwood and incense multiple times a day, always with prayers and under strict purity conditions.

Before entering the sacred area, the priest undergoes ritual ablutions and wears white garments, including a mouth covering to prevent contamination of the flame by breath or saliva.

Perhaps the most unusual practice of Zoroastrianism is its traditional funeral rites.

Zoroastrians believe that a dead body is immediately contaminated by nasu, a corpse demon that causes spiritual pollution. Contact with a corpse endangers ritual purity, and thus, extreme care is taken to prevent the sacred elements from being tainted by decomposition.

For this reason, they cannot bury the body, as it would contaminate the earth. They can’t burn the body as it would desecrate fire. Likewise, you can’t perform a burial at sea, lest it would pollute the water.

So, if those options are off the table, what else can you do?

The traditional Zoroastrian practice for disposing of corpses involves what is known as a Tower of Silence.

A Tower of Silence is a circular, roofless, stone structure, typically raised and located on a hill, where dead bodies are laid out and exposed to the elements, as well as scavenging birds, primarily vultures.

The corpse is laid on top of the tower in designated rings: men in the outermost, women in the middle, and children in the innermost circle. Birds consume the soft tissues, and the sun sanitizes what remains. Bones are later collected into an ossuary, where they disintegrate over time.

Zoroastrianism is one of the few religions that have existed for over 2,000 years and continues to exist today. Despite its brief golden ages over a thousand years ago, the religion never spread far beyond Persia and parts of Western India.

Thousands of years later, they remain a small community who manage to keep their ancient traditions alive