Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, founded in 600 BC by Zarathushtra in Iran. It believes in two deities, Ahura Mazda representing goodness and Angra Mainyu representing evil, who are eternal rivals. Fire is the most important symbol, representing the divine. Key practices include daily prayers before a sacred fire, purification rituals, and exposing the dead to natural elements. It has influenced later religions and around 150,000 adherents worldwide today.

2. Zoroastrianism
One of the World’s Oldest
Monotheistic Religions

3. Zoroastrianism

4. Origins
 Began in Azerbaijan, Iran
 Founded in 600 B.C by
Zarathushtra
 Practiced mostly in Iran

5. Founder
Zarathushtra
 Lived in Azerbaijan in Iran
 Religious reformer in Persia
(modern day Iran)
 Known as Zoroaster
 Spent life teaching and preaching

6. Key Figures
Ahura Mazda
 Supreme deity, Creator, Lord of the Universe
 Leader of the Amesha Spentas
 Battles to rid world of evil and darkness
Angra Mainyu
 Rival of Ahura Mazda
 Evil spirit of death and violence

7. Key Figures Cont’d
Amesha Spentas (Beneficent Immortals)
 Seven divine beings belonging to Ahura Mazda
 Messengers/connection between God and man
 Help God and man fight Angra Mainyu for
peace and justice

8. Key Beliefs
 Purpose: to help God make the world a
better place to live
 There are two deities:
- Ahura Mazda represents pure goodness
- Angra Mainya represents pure evilness
 Deities are rivals
 Goodness is more powerful and prevalent
but cannot abolish evilness.

9. Key Beliefs Cont’d
 Have free will
 Those who do good can be peaceful and
happy
 Belief system
- Parallels good and evil tendencies
within every person
- Provides an answer to: If God is
good, why is there evil in the world?

10. Key Ceremonies
Jashan Ceremony
 Thanksgiving ceremony reenacts moment of
creation (world in harmony)
Nirang-din Ceremony
 Creates the Holy Nirang
 Nirang is foundation of other
sacred rituals
 Good in the world increases,
evil decreases

11. Key Ceremonies Cont’d
Coming of Age Ceremony
 Parsis initiated at age 7 in India, age 10 in
Persia
 Receive Sadre and Kusti
Yasna Ceremony
 Haoma (sacred liquor), milk, bread, meat,
animal fat offered to Ahura Mazda
 Ritual purification
 Priests recite the Avesta (the sacred writing)

12. Symbol - Fire
 Most important symbol
 Places of worship called Fire Temples
 Represents the divine
 Is forever burning in Fire Temple
 Three types of fires:
- Royal fire in only four temples
- Adaran fire in most temples
- Dadgah fire in the home

13. Symbol – Symbolic Garments
Two types are worn:
 Sudre (the armor of God)
- white cotton garment
- worn at all times except when
bathing
 Kusti (the swordbelt of faith)
- 72 threads composed of lamb's wool
- made by priest's wife and blessed

14. Symbol - Faravahar
 2nd most common symbol
 Unsure of its meaning and representation
 Ancient theory:
- Represents the King's Authority in terms
of its divine origins.
 Today:
- Reminds people of purpose in life (to
create a union with God)

15. Key Rituals
Purification Ritual
 Keeps mind, body and environment pure to
defeat evil
 3 types of purification:
- Padyab (ablution)
- Nahn (bath)
- Bareshnum (dog’s left ear is touched by
the followers, dog's gaze casts evil spirits
away)

16. Key Practices
Burial of the Dead
 Bodies of the dead given back to nature
(sunlight and vultures dispose of corpse)
 Brought to a Dakhma for Dakhma-nashini
 Rich and poor died in same manner = people
equal in the eyes of God.

17. Key Practices Cont’d
Worship
 Takes place at fire temple
 5 daily prayers or hymns said before fire

18. Timeline
 600 B.C.: Zoroastrianism spreads in Iran
 640 B.C: The Arab Invasion
 1000 B.C.: Aryans arrive in Iran from central
Asia
 1600 B.C.: Zarathushtra is born

19. Timeline Cont’d
 936: Zoroastrians immigrated to Gujarat in
India
 1381:Mongol Ruler Timur Lenk invaded Iran
killing thousands of Zoroastrians
 1719: Afghan invaders massacre thousands of
Zoroastrians in Kerman
 1878:The first fire Temple is built in America

20. Timeline Cont’d
 1882: Jaziye (a kind of tax for non-Muslims) is
abolished in Iran
 1960: First World Zoroastrian Congress held in
Tehran
 1979: Religious freedom granted to
Zoroastrians
 1990: The Zarathushtrian Assembly is
established in the United States

21. # of Adherents in the World
 World population of Zoroastrians is
150,000
- 100,000 in India
- 17,000 in Iran
- 12,000 in North America
- 20,000 outside of Persia and India

22. Influence in the 21st Century
 Contributed to major Western religions
- Christianity
- Judaism
- Islam
 Important concepts
- redemption, final judgment, life after
death, Satan as God's enemy,
resurrection, souls, heaven and hell

23. Influence in the 21st Century
Cont’d
 Jewish theory influenced by the post-
Babylonian period in exile
 Small, noticeable religious community offers
religious education classes, ceremonies, and
receptions

24. Key Terms/Definitions
 Persian:
- a group of people that mostly live in Afghanistan,
Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
 Monotheistic:
- A religion in which only one God is worshipped
 Jaziye:
- A kind of tax for non-Muslims
 Parsis:
- Indian community of practicing Zoroastrians
 Gabars:
-Iranian community of practicing Zoroastrians

25. Interesting Facts
 First monotheistic religion
 Pray at a Fire Temple and believe fire is the
symbol of God, but they never pray to fire
 Prevalent in later monotheistic religions - Islam,
Judaism, Christianity
 Themes such as good and evil, hell, and a
messiah originated from Zoroastrianism
 World's oldest continuing non-judgmental
religion