Zoroastrianism

Question 1

When and where did Zoroastrianism begin?

Answer 1

Began around 3,000 years ago in Persia

Question 2

Who founded Zoroastrianism?

Answer 2

Zarathustra

Question 3

When was Zoroastrianism the state religion of the Persian Empire?

Answer 3

6th through the 4th centuries B.C.E

Question 4

Zoroastrianism was the state religions of ____ and ____ from the 6th through the 4th centuries BCE

Answer 4

1. Persian Empire

2. Sassanid Empire

Question 5

What is Zoroastrianism like today?

Answer 5

only about 250,000 followers, mostly in Eastern Iran

Question 6

What are Zoroastrians today called?

Answer 6

Gambars or “infidels”, esp. in Mumbai, India

referred to as Parsis (Persians) by the Hindu Population

Question 7

What are the three main stages of Zoroastrianism?

Answer 7

1. The religion prior to the arrival of the prophet Zoroaster. The Endo-European/Aryan culture that he reformed
2. The early faith, promulgated by Zoroaster himself
3. Zoroastrianism of the Persian Empire espoused by the monarchs from Cyrus and Darius onward, which introduced elements into the religion mostly via a priestly group called the Magi, considerably tempering its monotheistic character

Question 8

When was Zoroastrianism of the Persian Empire?

Answer 8

559-330 CE

Question 9

What are examples of the parallels between Zoroastrianism and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Answer 9

• Monotheistic
• Creation Stories
• prophets
• figure of Shaoshyant
• world ages/aeons
• the armageddon-like final battle
• angels/demons
• bodily resurrection
• final judgement
• heaven and hell

Question 10

What is a major reason why we look at Zoroastrianism?

Answer 10

Radical Dualism that gives a moral dimension to the afterlife that not only strongly encourages and rewards virtue, but by doing so gives humanity a role in extinguishing evil from the world

Question 11

The term Aryan is a ____ word that means _____

Answer 11

Sanskrit word that means “the noble ones”

Question 12

What did the term Aryan refer to?

Answer 12

It referred to the group of migrants who moved into the Indus Valley in the second Millennium BCE from what is now Iran

Question 13

What happened to the Aryans that did not migrate into India?

Answer 13

They became founders of the ancient Iranian religion Zoroastrianism

Question 14

(True/False) There are many similarities between the religion revealed in the Indian Vedic Literature and the Gathas of Zoroastrianism.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

When did the Persian Empire rule the Middle East?

Answer 15

From the 6th to 4th centuries BCE

Question 16

When modern Persians caught a name for their nation, what did they call it?

Answer 16

Iran, which means land of the Aryans

Question 17

Profits, reformers, those that benefit the community, restorers of truth and purity

Answer 17

Saoshyants

Question 18

Where was Zoroaster born?

Answer 18

Born in Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan

Question 19

When was Zoroaster born?

Answer 19

Either between 1200-900 BCE or 600-400 BCE

Question 20

Zoroaster was born into a warrior clan called _____.

Answer 20

Spitama

Question 21

Who was Zoroaster’s father?

Answer 21

Pourushapsa- “Possessor of Horses”

Question 22

Who was Zoroaster’s mother?

Answer 22

Dughdova- “One who has milked”

Question 23

Zoroaster received his Kusti/Sadre at what age?

Answer 23

15

Question 24

When did Zoroaster leave home?

Answer 24

When he was 20

Question 25

When did Zoroaster have his pivotal religious experience?

Answer 25

When he was around 30

Question 26

What happened to Zoroaster around the age of 40?

Answer 26

He is imprisoned and he ends up converting King Vishtaspa in Bactria

Question 27

What happens when Zoroaster is 70?

Answer 27

He is killed while tending the sacred fire during a battle

Question 28

What are the important elements of Zoroastrianism?

Answer 28

1. Dualistic/ Ethical Monotheism (the relationship between good, evil, God, and ethical action) 2. Eschatology: the expectation of a transfiguration of life and existence at the end of time

Question 29

the relationship between good, evil, God, and ethical action

Answer 29

Dualistic/Ethical Monotheism

Question 30

The expectation of a transfiguration of life and existence at the end of time

Answer 30

Eschatology

Question 31

Who is worshipped as the one Supreme God in Zoroastrianism?

Answer 31

Ahura Mazda

Question 32

Who is Ahura Mazda's prophet?

Answer 32

Zoroaster

Question 33

What accounts for the presence of good and evil everywhere?

Answer 33

Cosmological Dualism

Question 34

the modes of good action

Answer 34

Spenta Mainyu

Question 35

the modes of evil

Answer 35

Angra Mainyu

Question 36

What are the divine manifestations of Ahura Mazda's power called?

Answer 36

Beneficent Immortals

Question 37

The soul as the scene of struggle

Answer 37

Ethical Dualism

Question 38

What are the main teachings of Zoroastrianism?

Answer 38

1. the soul as the scene of struggle; ethical dualism 2. honor and husbandry vs. deceit and plundering 3. the final victory of Ahura Mazda and the Rennovation of the World (Frashno-Kereti) 4. The judgment of individual souls; humans will be judged in the afterlife for their good or evil thoughts, words, or deeds

Question 39

What was an important ethical aspect of Zoroastrianism?

Answer 39

Understanding of the sacredness of the elements of earth, fire, water, and air, and maintaining their purity

Question 40

Major literary source for early period of Zoroastrianism

Answer 40

The Gathas

Question 41

What does Gathas mean?

Answer 41

Hymns, a collection analogous to the Torah for Jews

Question 42

Considered to be the word of the prophet Zoroaster; all other scriptural works are based upon this

Answer 42

The Gathas

Question 43

The ____ instructs the believer in the basic teachings of Zoroaster on good and evil

Answer 43

The Gatha

Question 44

What does Ahura Mazda literally mean?

Answer 44

The wise lord

Question 45

How does the wise lord connect with the material world?

Answer 45

Through six/seven emanations, each of which has guardianship over a human virtue and a sector of creation

Question 46

The emanations of Ahura Mazda are called?

Answer 46

Amesha Spentas, or "Beneficient Immortals"

Question 47

Zoroastrians pray to Amesha Spentas (true/false)

Answer 47

FALSE. Zoroastrians do not pray TO the Amesha Spentas, but THROUGH them to commune with God.

Question 48

The later Zoroastrian tradition is radically different from its predecessor (true/false)

Answer 48

True

Question 49

Why might the later Zoroastrian tradition be so radically different?

Answer 49

Not sure whether Zoroaster's initial influence made its way out of eastern Iran into the Mesopotamian Basin, or whether a parallel reform took place and the Zoroastrian influence came later.

Question 50

A priestly group that was a main part of stage three of Zoroastrianism

Answer 50

The Magi

Question 51

Through their efforts, the faith was extended throughout the world that was influenced by Iranian thought. They permitted older Zoroastrianism to be mixed with both Iranian and foreign religious concepts and practices. They emphasized dualism in both cosmic principles and in the conflicts of each human life.

Answer 51

The Magi

Question 52

Zoroastrians who changed the faith to incorporate more of the elements rejected by Zoroasthra and the Persian Kings of the Achaemenid dynasty that began with Cyrus.

Answer 52

Sassanids *their essential refoundation of Zoroastrianism consisted of a revival of the concept of royalty that well served the monarch, the warrior aristocracy, and the priesthood.

Question 53

Zoroaster's monotheism was replaced with dualism, a fight between two equally powerful forces and a later heretical group of priests, the _______, caught a theology to answer problems raised with such a strict dualism.

Answer 53

Zurvanites

Question 54

The ancient scriptures of Zoroaster were known as

Answer 54

Avesta

Question 55

The meaning of the word Avesta is uncertain. What does it most likely mean?

Answer 55

Most likely derives from the middle Persian word avestag, meaning "law"

Question 56

(True/False) The term avesta is broad enough to encompass all of the commands of Zoroaster.

Answer 56

True * To serve good and to turn from evil * To be both morally and ceremoniously pure

Question 57

Some scholars refer to the Avesta as what?

Answer 57

"miscellany, without cohesion" *That is a group of separate, various, michellaneous, writings, collected into one volume; a mixture of things.

Question 58

Main ceremony, focuses on 17 hymns in syllabic meter

Answer 58

Yasna

Question 59

Constituting a type of verse distinguished primarily by the syllables rather than rhythmic arrangements

Answer 59

Meter

Question 60

Concerned with purity laws

Answer 60

Vendidad

Question 61

What are some other pain books besides the Avesta?

Answer 61

Vendidad (purity laws), Bundahishisn, Wizidagiha, and Zadspran *largely based on interpretations lost in the Avestan books

Question 62

variously translated as “Authoritative Utterance” “injunction,” “wisdom,” and “scripture”; the name of Zoroastrian scriptures.

Answer 62

Avesta

Question 63

“Sacrifice”; hymns for worship; the first and foremost division of the Avesta.

Answer 63

Yathas

Question 64

a collection of seventeen hymns in the Yasna, which Zoroastrians hold to be the words of Zarathushtra.

Answer 64

Gathas

Question 65

The Law Against Demons; a division of the Avesta containing myths and codes of religious law.

Answer 65

Vendidad

Question 66

“All the [Divine] Lords”; a twenty-chapter collection of hymns in the Avesta.

Answer 66

Visparad

Question 67

“Hymns”; hymns of praise to twenty-one divinities, angels, and human heroes of ancient Persia; a division of the Avesta.

Answer 67

Yashts

Question 68

The earliest and most important section of the Yathas is the ____.

Answer 68

Gathas

Question 69

How are the Gathas distinguished from other Yasna hymns?

Answer 69

by their emphasis on ethics and their lack of attention on ritual concern

Question 70

the juices of the haoma plant are ground out and mixed with milk and herbs

Answer 70

haoma ritual

Question 71

Priests daily recite all seventy-two chapters (True or False)

Answer 71

True

Question 72

What is the final consummation?

Answer 72

Ahura Mazda destroys Angra Mainyu and his evil work, frees and purifies all of the souls in hell, resurrects the pure souls from heaven, and they all dwell in a restored world of riteousness.

Question 73

How many times per day must a Zoroastrian pray?

Answer 73

5 times per day (sunrise, noon, sunset, midnight, and dawn)

Question 74

A Zoroastrian must pray in the presence of _____?

Answer 74

Fire *Symbol of richeousness

Question 75

Describe the gown worn by Zoroastrians

Answer 75

Gown called a Sedra, wrapped by a Kusti

Question 76

Sacred cord, which should be worn constantly

Answer 76

Kusti

Question 77

Sacred shirt

Answer 77

Sedra

Question 78

What must a Zoroastrian do before praying?

Answer 78

Must perform ritual ablutions, for the faith makes cleanliness a part of godliness

Question 79

The ancient veneration of fire among the Iranian people most likely centered on the ____.

Answer 79

ever-burning hearth fire

Question 80

When was the temple cult of fire instituted?

Answer 80

4th century BCE

Question 81

Monthly feasts

Answer 81

The Jasans

Question 82

No Ruz

Answer 82

New Year's Day

Question 83

Gahambar's

Answer 83

Seasonal Feasts

Question 84

Muktad

Answer 84

All soul's Day

Question 85

Stone tower, tower of silence

Answer 85

dakhma

Question 86

What happens to the body after death?

Answer 86

The body is given to charge of professionals, who live to some extent segregated lives, as unclean persons.

Question 87

What happens to a person on the fourth day after death?

Answer 87

They must pass the Chinvat Bridge *The soul on a scale (either pass a bridge to heaven or cross a knife-sharp bridge and fall to hell)