Zoroastrianism and the Avesta
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
Zoroastrianism is a religion traced to the prophet Zarathustra in Iran. It recognises Ahura Mazda as the supreme, wise God. It teaches that in the struggle between good and evil in the world humans choose their side through good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Its scripture is the Avesta. Scholars differ by several centuries on when Zarathustra lived. Today it is kept alive mainly by Zoroastrians in Iran and Parsis in India.
For specialists
The oldest layer of the Avesta is the Gāthās, hymns attributed to Zarathustra. The closeness of the Gathic language (Old Avestan) to Rigvedic Sanskrit is the main basis for an early dating. The texts were passed on orally for centuries; today's written Avesta was recorded in an alphabet created in the Sasanian period (3rd–7th centuries CE). How far Zoroastrianism and the ideas of afterlife, judgement and angels in Judaism, Christianity and Islam influenced one another is debated.
Views on dating
No single date is given because the date is not documented with certainty; the views of different sources are listed.
| Early dating based on linguistic comparison | Roughly 1500–1000 BCE; the language of the Gāthās is very close to that of the Rigveda.[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Traditional Zoroastrian chronology ("258 years before Alexander") | 6th century BCE[2] |
| Range proposed by scholars | From about 1750 BCE to the 6th century BCE; many scholars favour about 1000 BCE, give or take a century.[2] |
Claims
Open questions
- When and where exactly did Zarathustra live?
Connections
Sources
- Book (1979). Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London
- EncyclopediaZoroaster ii. General survey. Encyclopaedia Iranicairanicaonline.orgarchive
- EncyclopediaZoroastrianism i. Historical review up to the Arab conquest. Encyclopaedia Iranicairanicaonline.orgarchive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Zoroastrianism and the Avesta. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/zerdustluk/
@misc{athena_zerdustluk,
title = {Zoroastrianism and the Avesta},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/zerdustluk/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 28, 2026 · Last changed: September 28, 2026 · Page history