Iranian Empire
226-650CE
 1700-600BCE
 Zoroaster (founder of this religion) is thought to
have lived during this time period due to his
writing style
 600 BCE
 religion thought to be founded in this year by
Zoroastrians
 650CE
 Persia invaded by Arabs, many
Zoroastrians fled to India, those that didn’t
were forced to convert to Islam
 2006CE
 Zoroastrians still practicing in India and
other parts of the world such as Canada
 Founder of
Zoroastrianism
(Zarathustra in
Greek)
 Known as Bringer
of the Golden Dawn
 Polytheism not for Persia
 Meditate and search for answer
 Answer given when 30yrs old
 Preach and teach people for rest of life
 Taught about religious purity and social
justice
 Against corrupt priests/potentates
 551BCE – Zoroastrianism is state religion
of Persia despite poor response from
people
 Ahura Mazda = Lord of the Universe
(God)
 Angra Mainyu = Evil Spirit (Satan)
 These are TWO SEPARATE DEITIES
 Spenta Mainyu = Holy Spirit
 Answers questions as to why there is Evil
in world
 World will have three Eras
 Creation
 Present Era (Good and Evil mixed)
 Frashegird (Doomsday)
 Saoshyant




“make existence brilliant”
Similar to Messiah in Judaism
there will be 3
virgin birth (all three)
 5 Modern Principals

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Equality of male/female
Cleanliness of Environment
Hardwork and Charity
Condemnation of Oppression of Humans
Symbol of Fire
 Core doctrine is “Good Thoughts, Good
Words, Good Deeds.”
 “Bridge of Separation”
 3 days
 Based on deeds
 Narrower/wider based on deeds
 Narrower until you fall off into the “abyss
of hell”
 Wider until you reach heaven
 Traditional Method

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

Bodies given to nature
Family hold 3 day vigil
After – taken to Dakhma
When bones pushed into well in centre
 Modern Method
 Funeral parlour
 Ceremony performed with bag for deeds,
Sudreh and Kusti
 Unclean after soul leaves body
 Body disposed of by burial or cremation
 If cremation ashes scattered over religious
grounds
 Between 7 -15 yrs old
 Spiritual birth – Navojte
 Given an undershirt called a sudra and a
holy cord called a kusti
 Always worn
 Kusti tied and untied with ritualistic prayers

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Most important symbol
Appears on many relics
Represents divine presence
Behind fire temple there is a fire
continuously burning, maintained by a priest
 Signifies continuous presence of Ahura Mazda
 Rituals conducted before fire, but do not
worship fire
 Face resembles human:
connection to mankind
 2 wings with 3 main
feathers
 Good thoughts, words,
deeds
 Lower ½ of symbol
symbolizes
 Bad thoughts, words,
deeds
 140 000 Zoroastrians worldwide (current
estimates)
 Believed to have large influence on other
religions
 Buddhism/Islam/Judaism/Christianity
 In many communities around world
(Including Canada) Zoroastrianism is
practiced
 One of oldest existing religions
 May have been 1st monotheistic religion
 One must be born into the faith
 Rarely accept converts, though it DOES
happen

Examples of Avestan Manuscripts. http://www.avesta.org/gifs/samples.htm.
February 17,2006.

"Interpertation of the Faravahar”
http://www.crystalinks.com/faravahar.html. February 19,2006.

Robinson, B.A. Zoroastrianism Founded by Zoroaster. Feb 24, 2005.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/zoroastr.htm. February 17, 2006.
Saoshyant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saoshyant. February 17, 2006.


Henderson, Patti. Exploring World Religions The Canadian Perspective.
Toronto: Oxford University Press. 2001.

Wells, Brian. Zoroastrianism. 1997.
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Zoro1.html. February 17, 2006.
Zoroastrianism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism. February 17, 2006.
Zoroastrianizm. http://library.thinkquest.org/C006238/eng/main_zoro.htm#.
February 17, 2006.
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