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The prophet Zoroaster was thought to have lived in about 600 B.C., but the evidence of language is persuading more scholars to date him about 1200 B.C., which means he lived when Persia was emerging from the Stone Age. This would make him the first of the great prophets of the world's religions.
At the age of thirty, Zoroaster had the first of a series of visions which inspired him to preach a new message. His teaching was at first rejected, and he suffered persecution, being forced to leave his home. Then his message found favor with a local king, Vishtasp, and Zoroaster's religion became the official teaching of a small kingdom somewhere in north-east Persia, and in time spread throughout Persia and became the official religion of what was, for 1,000 years, one of the major world empires.
Zoroastrians believe that their prophet is the one chosen by God to receive his unique revelation. This is contained in seventeen hymns, the Gathas. These hymns are now the central part of a major act of worship (Sana).
The characteristic feature of Zoraster's teaching is his emphasis on personal religion. All men and women (both sexes have the same duties in Zoroastrianism) have a personal responsibility to choose between good and evil. On the basis of their exercise of their free will, they will be judged in the hereafter. Those whose good thought words and dads outweigh the evil will go to heaven regardless of their social status, those who's evil thighs, words and deed outweigh the good will go to hell, again regardless of social status. This moral democracy offended the established priests and princes who had considered paradise their sole preserve.
God, Zoroaster taught, was the wholly Good Creator of all things, of sun, moon and stars, of the spiritual and material worlds, of humans and of beasts. The Wise Lord (Ahura Mazda) is the bountiful sovereign, the friend not only of Zoroaster but of everyone.
He is in no way responsible for eveil in the world, this comes from the Destructive Spirit (Angra Mainyu) whose nature is violent and destrucitve. It was he who created the demons, who rules in hell and who has opposed God from the beginning. In Zoroastrianism the 'Devil' is not a fallen angel, for that would make the Good Creator responsible for evil - an inconceivable idea to Zoroastrians. This world is the battleground in which the forces of good and evil do battle. The world and humankind were created by God to aid him in this battle.
he also created a number of heavenly beings. Foremost among them were the Bounteous Immortals, the sons and daughters of God, as they became known. In some ways they resemble the Christian idea of archangels. They are Good Mind (Vohu Mahah) Righteousness (Asha) Devotion (Armaiti) Dominon (Kshathra) wholeness and Immortality (Haurvatat and Ameretat). Thse are not only heaveny beuings, they are also ideals to which the reighteous should aspire.
Zoroaster taught that the world was essentially good, but spoiled at present by the attacks of evil. He looked forward to to the day when the battle with evil would reach its climax, when good would triumph and the world would be restored to the perfect state its Creator gave it. At last the dead will be raised and judged, the wicked will go to hell, and the righteous dwell with God in perfection for eternity.
The people largely responsible for the propogation of Zorastrianism through the Persina empire were the Magi, the priestly tribe of the Medes who continued in office throughout all the periods of the Zoroastrian history of Persia. The magi acted as royla chaplains, and tgravelled with all important delegtions. They also live din th emany Persian settlements in various parts of the mepire. So when Matthew's Gsopel refers to wise men (Magi) visiting the infant Jesus, his readers would know well the significance of that.
After Persia was conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 7th century A.D., Zoroastrianism became increasingly threatened. Education, promotion equality before the law, all were denied to the followers of Zoroaster. Gradually they weer forced to retreat into the obscurity of desert villages. so the religion of the land became associated with poverty and backwardness. Zoroastrians were often the subject of vicious attacks from Muslims. Persecuiton, oppression, poverty, injustice, isolation, these have been the conditions which Zoroastrians have faced in their own land for over 1,300 years of Muslim rule. It is a tribute to their couorage, determination and faith that there are any followers of Zoroaster left at all in present-day Iran. There are a few in the cities, but the majority continue to shelter in the villages of the Yazdi palin. altogether there are about 30,000 still following the religion of ancient Persia.
The main base of the religion today, in numerical terms, is in India, among the Parsis. In the tenth century A>D. a small band of the faithful set out to seek a new land of religious freedom, preferrrin gto leave Persia rather than give up the religion of their forefathers. in Indai they have lived in peace and security, at times even acheiving a psotion of wealth and power which they used to campaign for and support their co-religionists back in th ehomeland.
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