Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions. It is a multi-faceted faith centered on a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology predicting the ultimate conquest of evil with theological elements of henotheism, monotheism/monism, and polytheism. Ascribed to the teachings of the Iranian-speaking spiritual leader Zoroaster, it exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda, as its supreme being. Historical features of Zoroastrianism, such as messianism, judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and Buddhism.
The Avesta is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in Avestan language.
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, particularly a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for work with the Bible; however, in modern usage biblical exegesis is used for greater specificity to distinguish it from any other broader critical text explanation.
Iranian religions are religions which originated in Greater Iran.
Zoroastrian music is a genre of religious music that accompanies religious and traditional rites among the Zoroastrian people.
The Dēnkard or Dēnkart is a 10th-century compendium of Zoroastrian beliefs and customs during the time. The Denkard is to a great extent considered an "Encyclopedia of Mazdaism" and is a valuable source of information on the religion especially during its Middle Persian iteration. The Denkard, however, is not generally considered a sacred text by a majority of Zoroastrians but is still considered worthy of study.
Homosexuality in Zoroastrianism is, as in many other religions, a controversial topic with differing consensus over time.
Yazata is the Avestan-language word for a Zoroastrian concept with a wide range of meanings but generally signifying a divinity. The term literally means "worthy of worship or veneration", and is thus, in this more general sense, also applied to certain healing plants, primordial creatures, the fravashis of the dead, and to certain prayers that are themselves considered holy. The yazatas collectively are "the good powers under Ahura Mazda", who is "the greatest of the yazatas".
The Book of Ardā Wīrāz is a Zoroastrian religious text of the Sasanian era written in Middle Persian. It contains about 8,800 words. It describes the dream-journey of a devout Zoroastrian through the next world. The text assumed its definitive form in the 9th-10th centuries after a long series of emendations.
Pazend or Pazand is one of the writing systems used for the Middle Persian language. It was based on the Avestan alphabet, a phonetic alphabet originally used to write Avestan, the language of the Avesta, the primary sacred texts of Zoroastrianism.
Ahuna Vairya is the Avestan language name of Zoroastrianism's first of four Gathic Avestan formulas. The text, which appears in Yasna 27.13, is also known after its opening words yatha ahu vairyo. In Zoroastrian tradition, the formula is also known as the ahun(a)war.
The Vendidad /ˈvendi'dæd/ or Videvdat Avestan: 𐬬𐬍𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬬𐬋𐬛𐬁𐬙𐬀 is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. However, unlike the other texts of the Avesta, the Vendidad is an ecclesiastical code, not a liturgical manual.
Hērbad /ˈhɜːr'bæd/ is a title given to Zoroastrian priests of minor orders.
Khordeh Avesta, meaning 'little, or lesser, or small Avesta', is the name given to two different collections of Zoroastrian religious texts. One of the two collections includes the other and takes its name from it.
In the Avesta, airyaman is both an Avestan language common noun as well as the proper name of a Zoroastrian divinity.
Charles-Joseph de Harlez de Deulin was a Belgian Orientalist, domestic prelate, canon of the cathedral of Liège, and member of the Academie Royale of Belgium, who studied and translated the Zoroastrian holy texts.
Zend or Zand is a Zoroastrian technical term for exegetical glosses, paraphrases, commentaries and translations of the Avesta's texts. The term zand is a contraction of the Avestan language word zainti (𐬰𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬙𐬌', meaning "interpretation", or "as understood".
Ashem Vohu is a very important prayer in Zoroastrianism. The Ashem Vohu, after the Ahunavar is considered one of the basic, yet meaningful and powerful mantras in the religion. It is considered a lesson and praise of those who embrace Asha, along with being a sacred blessing for the aforementioned. It is also at the end of most of the prayers in the Khordeh Avesta, except a certain few, most notably the Fravarane.
Neyrangistan, Hirbodistan, Hadokht Nask is a Zoroastrian religious book which is written in middle Persian language. The book consists of three documents whose name is gathered from them. Neyrangistan, Hirbodistan, Hadokht Nask is an exegesis text of Avesta like the Zend and refers to the laws of the Zoroastrian tradition and the opinions of exegetes regarding the laws. The texts are probably written and collected by Saoshyant and Pishagsar, two exegetes of the Avesta. The latest available version of the book is edited in the 17th century.
Xwedodah is a spiritually-influenced style of consanguine marriage assumed to have been historically practiced in Zoroastrianism before the Muslim conquest of Persia. Such marriages are recorded as having been inspired by Zoroastrian cosmogony and considered pious though little academic and religious consensus has been established as to the extent of the practice of Xwedodah outside of the aristocracy and clergy of the Sasanian Empire. In modern Zoroastrianism it is near non-existent, having been noted to have disappeared as an extant practice by the 11th century AD.
