LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Zoroastrianism
built 256 days ago
Zoroastrianism is a simple compact faith with the right mix of spirituality, ethics and environment, a subject in which it was far ahead of its times. Its religious scripture, Avesta, has five parts - Yasna (religious ceremonies), Videvdad (laws), Yashts (worship), Khordeh Aveshta (prayers). The holy book includes the original five Gathas containing 17 hymns revealed to Spenta Zarathustra. There are five prayers in a day preceded by ablutions. A sacred cord called Kushti, made of wool, is tied around the waist to practice any teaching of Zarathustra. A Topee is ... worn like most other faiths.
Source:
Many traits of Zoroastrianism can be traced back to the culture and beliefs of the proto-Indo-Iranian period, and Zoroastrianism consequently shares some elements with the historical Vedic religion that ... has its origins in that era. However, Zoroastrianism was also strongly affected by the later culture of the Iranian Heroic Age (1500 BCE onwards), an influence that the Indic religions were not subject to. Nonetheless, scholars have used evidence from the texts of both religious systems to reconstruct the earlier stage of Proto-Indo-Iranian beliefs and culture. This has also formed attempts to characterise the even earlier Proto-Indo-European religion and so, for example, determine the process by which Dyeus became Jupiter, Sabazios, Zeus, and Tyr. Norse eschatology, involving cosmic conflagration by Surtr during Ragnarök, as well as the death and resurrection of Baldr, may derive from Zoroastrian influence before any Christian influence.
Source:
Zoroastrianism clearly has had a large influence on Christianity. There are many aspects of Christianity that were not drawn from Judaism, although that religion was the major predecessor of Christianity. One of the most obvious tenets of Christianity that has its roots in Zoroastrianism is the concept of dualism. The Zoroastrian faith believes in two original spirits; Ahura Mazda, the Eternal and Uncreated, the Wise Lord, and Angra Mainyu, Uncreated but not Eternal, the Evil Spirit. This dualist nature is thought to have come from the fact the people of Zarathustra were invaded by nomads during the time of Zarathustra's life, and that he therefore had very strong sentiments on the nature of good and evil (Flower 56). From this basic concept springs many others, many of which are ... found in Christianity.
Source:
In the mid-20th century the well-known Russian archeologist and orientalist S.P.Tolstov studied the ancient monuments dating from the mid-1st millennium B.C. and came to a conclusion that Zoroastrianism had originated in the ancient Khorezm. At present this opinion is shared by many distinguished scholars. Indeed, today in the world there were found 63 Zoroastrian monuments, including those in Iran, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thirty-eight of them are in Uzbekistan, whereas 17 of these monuments are located in Khorezm.
Source:
Whether Zoroastrianism is older than Judaism is uncertain. Nevertheless, it has had an undeniable impact upon Western religious belief. Examples include a tangible, active force for evil (Angra Mainyu, or Satan); a judgment of souls after death; and afterlives in heaven and hell. None of these ideas are present in original Judaism. It is possible that the Jews heard them at the end of the Babylonian Exile, under the Persian emperor Cyrus (Zaehner, 20-21). Also, according to Nesta Ramazani, "Islamic institutions such as waqf (religious endowments) and madreseh (a theological school attached to a mosque) have their roots in Zoroastrian traditions" (Ramazani, 21).
Source:
Zoroastrianism appears to have begun as a spiritual expression of a peaceful group of people in Persia, modern day Iran, who called themselves people of righteousness (asha). These people had enemies, a polytheist majority which they referred to as the People of the Lie (druj). In its origins, Zoroastrianism began with a single divine spirit, Ahura Mazdah. Gradually, six dieties were named as aspects of Ahura Mazdah (called the Amesha Spentas). As time went on, these abstract representations of the single god were personnified in many texts, somewhat like archangels. The Zoroastrian gods had opposing evil spirits with whom they were constantly at war.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Zoroastrianism