Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is an ancient monotheistic-leaning religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster in ancient Persia and is among the oldest faiths still practiced today. It centers on Ahura Mazda, the wise creator, and teaches that human beings participate in a moral struggle between truth and order (asha) and falsehood (druj). A well known summary of its ethic is good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Once the state religion of successive Persian empires, it is now practiced by a relatively small global community.

The primary scripture of Zoroastrianism is the Avesta, a collection of sacred writings composed over a long period in the Avestan language. Within it, the Gathas are a set of hymns traditionally attributed to Zoroaster himself and considered the oldest and most revered portion, while the Vendidad contains laws, purity codes, and mythological material. Together these texts preserve the tradition's theology, liturgy, and ethics. The Avesta, Gathas, and Vendidad can be read in the U-God library.

Zoroastrians worship Ahura Mazda as the supreme, wise, and good creator, and they understand existence as shaped by a struggle between the forces of truth and order and those of falsehood and chaos. Human beings are seen as free moral agents whose thoughts, words, and deeds matter in this struggle and are subject to judgment. The tradition teaches concepts of individual moral responsibility, a final renewal of the world, and the ultimate triumph of good. Fire and light are honored as symbols of purity and the divine presence, which is why Zoroastrians are sometimes called fire-worshippers, a description they themselves generally reject as a misunderstanding.

Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, was the prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism, who lived in ancient Persia or Central Asia. His exact dates are uncertain and much debated, with scholarly estimates ranging from around the second millennium BCE to the early first millennium BCE. He is traditionally regarded as the recipient of revelation from Ahura Mazda and the author of the Gathas. His teachings reformed earlier Indo-Iranian religion by emphasizing one supreme creator and a strong ethical dimension.

Yes, Zoroastrianism is still practiced, though its adherents number in the tens of thousands to low hundreds of thousands worldwide, making it a small community relative to its historical influence. Significant populations include the Parsis of India, who are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who migrated centuries ago, as well as Zoroastrians in Iran and a growing diaspora in North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Communities maintain fire temples, rituals, and festivals. Scholars also note the tradition's historical influence on ideas found in several other religions.