The Good Religion Origins Zoroastrianism was founded in
- Slides: 9
The Good Religion
Origins Zoroastrianism was founded in ancient Persia, which is modern day Iran:
Origins In ancient times, Persia was a loosely organized polytheistic community. This was very troubling to a man named Zoroaster. He was convinced that polytheism was not meeting the needs of the Persia people. After a journey of meditation and solo thinking, he received a revelation and Zoroastrianism was born.
Who was Zoroaster? Lived sometime between 1700 and 600 BCE – these dates are fiercely debated amongst scholars His life has been presented as legend, as so little is recorded reliably in history
Who was Zoroaster? It is said he tamed wild beasts in his youth, performed miraculous healings and fought off evil by reciting simple prayers Zoroastrians cherish the legend of Zoroaster
Zoroaster and Jesus The legend of Zoroaster’s life bears a strong resemblance to the life of Jesus Christ: Visually similar Zoroaster was conceived by a flash of light and born to a virgin mother His ancestry was traced back 45 generations to the Persian version of “Adam” He engaged wise men in debate Like Jesus, Zoroaster went into the desert at age 30 where he received the revelation that changed his own life, as well as many others
The Birth of Zoroastrianism When Zoroaster embarked on his journey of contemplation, he received a revelation that “confirmed his suspicions”: A multitude of competing gods did not dominate the spirit world; instead, the universe was ruled by one God. This God’s name was Ahura Mazda.
The Birth of Zoroastrianism Zoroaster spent the rest of his life preaching, teaching and fighting to convince people of the power of the one God. At first, his efforts were not well received; however, by the time he was 77 years old, Zoroastrianism, or, “The Good Religion” was the state religion of Persia.
