Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, & Sikhism are all - Quora Lets see the main Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity. For example, it was prophesized that the Zoroastrian prophet, Zarathustra, and Jesus Christ would both be born of a virgin by super natural occurrences. Zoroastrianism is a religion from ancient Iran and in present day only has about "124,000 to 190,000 remaining practitioners, but for more than 1,000 years it may have been the official religion of the vast Iranian Empire." (Fisher, pg. The only one with Zoroastrian knowledge that was close to the Prophet was a man called Salman Al-Farsi (Salman the Persian). This practice is not observed in Judaism or Christianity, and it is very likely that Islam adopted this practice from Zoroastrianism (Flower 61). To complicate matters further, followers of Zoroastrianism hold that Zarathustra was only renewing the practice of a faith that had already been practiced by the Aryans of Iran thousands of years before his coming. It was the state religion of three major Persian dynasties. Low birth rates are, however, taking a toll. They will awake from the dead. Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion similar to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. The last of these is to be the Saoshyant, or savior, who will bring about the final judgement. As time progressed, these differences in opinion began to become forms of identification, and man began to use faith and religion to distinguish themselves from one another., Islam and Christianity share a lot of similarities and differences. What Is The Purpose Of The Mantra During Meditation? Zarathustras teachings grew to dominate Persia, but they fluctuated in popularity as various empires and cultures overtook the region. The founder of Zoroastrianism is a mysterious prophetic figure known as Zarathushtra (or Zoroaster in Greek). Raphaels The School of Athens, finished in 1511, includes a figure, seen in this detail from the larger work, many historians think is Zoroaster, holding a globe (Credit: Alamy). The religion of Iran before the time of Zarathushtra is not directly accessible, for there are no reliable sources more ancient than those composed by or attributed to the prophet himself. Founded in ancient Persia, it likely influenced the development of Judaism and predates both Christianity and Islam. Devil and God All of these concepts were originally taught in Zoroastrianism before Islam existed (Zoroastrianism, 574). According to the Shahnameh or "Book of Kings," one of Zarathushtra's first teachings was about the transformative power of fire. To Zoroastrians, all of reality is shaped by these dueling forces of light and dark, and every human being is free to choose their own path. In Commagene in the middle of the 1st century bce, gods bear combinations of Greek and Iranian names: Zeus Oromazdes, Apollo Mithra, Helios Hermes, Artagnes Herakles Ares. Likewise, the Clavis Artis, a late 17th/early 18th-Century German work on alchemy was dedicated to Zarathustra, and featured numerous Christian-themed depictions of him. The religions cultural legacy, however, is another matter. For a discussion of the context in which Zoroastrianism arose, see ancient Iranian religion. Similar to the beliefs of Christianity, Zoroastrianism taught that all humans are called to take part in the divine battle against Angra Mainyu. Zarathustra, however, condemned this practice, and preached that God alone Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom should be worshipped. The most visible symbol of Zoroastrianism is the Farohar or Faravahar, what looks like a large winged eagle with the body and head of a bearded man. The religions that inspired this essay include Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 Parsees live in India, mostly in upper-class enclaves around Mumbai, although their numbers are shrinking. Zoroastrianism may have been the first monotheistic religion, and its emphasis on dualities, such as heaven and hell, appear in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Credit: Alamy). Yes, there is a duality in Islam. A particular example of the possibility of influence is the mentioning of the magi or men from the east that had been recorded honorably giving gifts of myrrh and frankincense to Jesus as a baby. The Final Judgment both of these religions mention the final judgment. Christianity and Islam - Wikipedia A Hindu Wanting To Work On Spiritual Awareness Might Decide To Practice Meditation. The dualism of good and evil, God and The Devil this dualism is present not only in Christianity through Jesus and Satan or God and Lucifer. Now, you might see why many think that Zoroastrianism influenced Christianity. Zoroastrians worship in fire temples, such as this one in Yazd, Iran they believe fire and water are the twin agents of purity and necessary for ritual cleansing (Credit: Alamy). ZOROASTRIANISM AND CHRISTIANITY. Comparative religion - Wikipedia HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In Iran the evolution must have been different: the ahuras were extolled to the exclusion of the daevas, who were reduced to the rank of demons. On the other hand, as the presumed founder of astrology and magic, Zarathushtra could be considered the arch-heretic. 3. The idea of a single god was not the only essentially Zoroastrian tenet to find its way into other major faiths, most notably the big three: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Iranian prophet appears holding a sparkling globe in Raphaels 16th Century School of Athens. In the Christian Bible, Jesus was born from a virgin who named Mary. Comparing Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity | 123 Help Me But it's a different type of duality. How Does Zoroastrianism Compare to Christianity? - Reasons to Believe Why did zoroastrianism fail, and islam succeeded? : r/islam - Reddit 242) The origins of Zoroastrianism is similar to Hinduism, possibly influenced by Buddhism, with beliefs that . Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, practiced Zoroastrianism. Hagiography and Monotheism in History: Doctrinal encounters between Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/topics/religion/zoroastrianism. He stands above a pair of wings that areoutstretched from a circle representing eternity. ), Zoroastrian-style dualism showed up in apocryphal Jewish literature. He may have lived in a tribe that followed an ancient religion with many gods (polytheism). Zoroastrianism answers some of these questions and admittedly has some similarities with the Christian religion, but in the end it calls men and women to trust themselves and their goodness to please a perfect and holy God. The amount and importance of these Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity are impressive. Furthermore, Zoroastrianism remained a major world religion for over 1,000 years afterwards, and when it was finally replaced as the dominant religion of the Middle East, it was by Islam. Evil as an independent force was an idea that had its roots in Zoroastrianism, and in particular the terrible events that Christianity holds will be unleashed by evil upon the world are thought to be taken almost directly from Zoroastrianism (Zoroastrianism, 575). Every month starts with the first day of the first week and Zoroastrian holidays fall on the same dates every year. Accessed April 3rd, 2000, Oxtoby, Willard G. The Zoroastrian Tradition. A Comparison Of Judaism And Zoroastrianism - Religions Facts | Online Most of what is known about Zoroaster comes from the Avestaa collection of Zoroastrian religious scriptures. For these reasons, it is clear that Zoroastrianism was in part a direct precursor to both Christianity and Islam. ZOROASTRIANISM AND THE RESEMBLANCES BETWEEN IT AND CHRISTIANITY PROFX:SSOR A. V. WILLIAMS JACKSON, PH.D., LL.D. The Sasanians ruled from the Black Sea in the West down through the Persian Gulf and all the way East into India. At Susa, for instance, which had been one of the capital cities of the Achaemenids but where the religion of Auramazda was not indigenous, the coinage of the Seleucid and Arsacid periods does not represent a single Iranian deity. The higher classmen of Christianity and Islam agree and the scholars agree with each other, but the underclassmen of these religions disagree., Christianity and Islam are two religions that are monotheistic, meaning they believe in only one God. Archaeologists have searched for these places, though it's unclear whether the great fires ever existed or were purely mythical. It has influenced Star Wars and Game of Thrones and characters as diverse as Voltaire, Nietzsche and Freddie Mercury have cited it as an inspiration. Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images. TIME. And the late Farrokh Bulsara aka Freddie Mercury was intensely proud of his Persian Zoroastrian heritage. The Arab invaders charged Zoroastrians living in Persia taxes for retaining their religious practices and implemented laws to make life difficult for them. Zoroastrianism - Gths, Avesta, Pahlavi & Zoroastrian Literature Firstly, simply because one theory is similar to another does not necessarily mean that one actively copied or influenced the other. On the other hand, elements exist in Christianity and Islam that were first seen in Zoroastrianism, and had no foundation in Judaism. sound so similar, especially since Islam and Christianity spread in the same area and even at different periods. Muslims do believe that Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God. Rather, God, over time, revealed the basic truth of the Universe to many Prophets; which may or may not have included Zoroaster. Inspired by Nietzsche, the 19th-century composer Richard Strauss wrote the epic piece of orchestral music also called "Thus Spake Zarathustra" later featured in the wild opening scene of "2001: A Space Odyssey.". That little known religion is called Zoroastrianism, or the Parsi faith. Emeritus Professor of Indo-Iranian Studies, University of Lige, Belgium. These similarities show that Islam has been deeply influenced by Zoroastrianism. It was Cyrus the Great, first ruler of the Persian empire, who ordained Zoroastrianism as the official religion of his state. Many Zoroastrians today bury their dead beneath concrete slabs, though some Parsi in India still practice sky burials. Research background The similar topics of this article, which have already been written and decorated, are as follows: Books: 1. His is the savior of the world, Saoshyant. Until recently, most modern scholars accepted a date of around 600 B.C.E. In both holy books: the Bible for Christians and the Qur'an for Muslims, it is described the creation of the earth in the very first's chapters. (Zoro- Towers of Silence, such as this one in Chilpyk, Uzbekistan, are where Zoroastrians would leave the bodies of the dead to be consumed by birds (Credit: Alamy). It depicts a bearded man with one hand reaching forward. Penguin Dictionary of World religions, 2nd Edition Zoroastrianism is much older than Christianity. What human beings need most is not moral guidance from a prophet who shows the way of earning salvation like Zoroaster and Muhammad, but rather a Savior like Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This situation was reflected in Vedic India; later on, asura came to signify, in Sanskrit, a kind of demon, because of the baleful aspect of the asuras invisible power. Lets consider it a mystery for now. They do so with soul and body, not against the body, for the opposition between good and evil is not the same as the one between spirit and matter. The Iranian prophet and religious reformer Zarathushtra (flourished before the 6th century bce)more widely known outside Iran as Zoroaster (the Greek form of his name)is traditionally regarded as the founder of the religion. These religions include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam they all trace their origins back to its father founder Abraham. While Zoroastrianism prophecies do not relate to, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam are all Middle Eastern religions at most and may have had some intermingling with each other. (2003). Both of which will raise the dead. Overcoming arachnophobia, or how I learned to love the spiders with HUMAN HEADS. Zoroastrian tradition holds that, after Zarathustra, there will come three more prophets born of a virgin, each of whom will become pregnant after bathing in a lake which preserves "the seed of the prophet" (Traditional 7). Also significant is the fact that Islam differs remarkably from Judaism and, to a lesser extent, Christianity in matters dealing with conflict. The score owes its inspiration to Nietzsches magnum opus of the same name, which follows a prophet named Zarathustra, although many of the ideas Nietzsche proposes are, in fact, anti-Zoroastrian. The religion of those peoples has been reconstructed by means of common elements contained in the sacred books of Iran and India, mainly the Avesta and the Vedas. Corrections? All these are precursors to corresponding beliefs in Christianity. THE ENCOUNTER OF ZOROASTRIANISM WITH ISLAM Marietta Stepaniants Director, Centre for Oriental Philosophies Studies, Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences . Although flippant at times and not rooted in history, Voltaires philosophical tale sprouted from a genuine interest in Iran also shared by other leaders of the Enlightenment. Comparing Zoroastrianism, Judaism, And Christianity | Bartleby Thus, in Zoroastrianism the notion of actively battling evil is quite acceptable (Flower 56). 600 CE to 1250 CEa time in which Islams golden age took place and, from a Eurocentric point of view, a time of Christian expansion and conversionwas a period of religious spread and expansion. Question: Is it true that Zoroastrianism created Christianity? The Japanese automaker Mazda chose its name in part as a reference to Ahura Mazda, God in Zoroastrianism, and also the name of the company's second president, Jujiro Matsuda. London, England: Penguin Books 1997, Zoroastrianism. Islam, also, has continued to flourish as a world religion, and is now widely practiced in many parts of the globe, including growing numbers in North America. The prophet Zoroaster (Zarathrustra in ancient Persian) is regarded as the founder of Zoroastrianism, which is arguably the worlds oldest monotheistic faith. In W. Oxtoby (Ed.) Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity The purpose of this research is to discuss three similarities among these branches of the Abrahamic faiths. Accessed April 3rd, 2000, Jihad Explained Available: http://www.iiie.net/New_IIIE/Brochure-18.htm Many consider that these Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity are, in fact, influences. The similarity of the two works is uncanny, but one can only offer hypotheses. On the whole, Zoroastrianism is optimistic and has remained so even through the hardship and oppression of its believers. I think what [Freddies] Zoroastrian faith gave him was to work hard, to persevere, and to follow your dreams.. Eduljee, whose Vancouver Zoroastrian community is about 1,000 people strong, admits that he's "very concerned" about the future of Zoroastrianism, although he believes "we might just survive.". Zoroastrianism was the state religion of three Persian dynasties, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century A.D. Zoroastrian refugees, called Parsis, escaped Muslim persecution. Similarly, in Zoroastrianism it is important to maintain ritual cleanliness, which refers to spiritual as much as physical cleanliness (Flower 61). Theists and atheists do reason differently about God and the world. We as a family were very proud of being Zoroastrian, she said. As we saw in myprevious article, Zoroastrianism is the ancient Persian religion that dominatedIran prior to the coming of Islam. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast. Voorst (2013) supports this relation by acknowledging that the wise men mentioned in the Christian Bible and the same gifts were given by priests in Zoroastrianism (p. 206). It was this same Cyrus that liberated the Jews from the occupation they had suffered under the Babylonians, and, when the Jews returned to Jerusalem, then called Judaea by the rulers of Palestine, they took back with them the elements of Zoroastrianism that can today be found in all three of the monotheistic religions that came out of Judaism: Judaism itself, Christianity, and Islam (Flower 58). Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Zoroaster in the sixth century BCE and was one of the first monotheistic faiths in the world. If the soul is unworthy, then he or she is led across by an old hag, and when the soul is halfway across the bridge turns on its edge and the soul topples to hell (Flower 57). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). So what is Zoroastrianism? The notion of a savior being born of a virgin is obviously well known, as are the concepts of heaven and hell, judgement at death and also at a later day of Judgement, and the existence of evil. "Every single thought, word and deed is written on your soul," says Eduljee. Christianity at its heart is a religion not of self-help but of divine rescue. Beliefs and mythology Sources. Darius, who owed his throne to the support of some noblemen, could not help favouring their cult, though he adopted Auramazda as a means of unifying his empire. Comparisons Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity this regard, this article addresses this fundamental issue in the two religions of Islam and Zoroastrianism. The Parsee community in India still boasts the largest concentration of Zoroastrians in the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Muslim concept of jihad, or struggle. The Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity Eduljee says that growing up, the preparation for Nowruz started a month before New Year with a good spring cleaning. According to Zoroastrian belief, at the time of death, the dead are led over Chinvat Bridge. The prophet Zoroaster (c. 628551 BC) affirmed and proclaimed a monotheistic faith that identified Ahura Mazda as the almighty God. In the Christian religion it is referred to as "Christ" and in the Islam religion it is referred to as "Allah". A Goal Common To Confucianism Taoism And Buddhism Is To Establish Peace And Harmony In Life. "It's an ancient concept of karma. So enamoured with Iranian culture was Voltaire that he was known in his circles as Sadi. Mercury died of complications from AIDS in 1991, and his London funeral was performed by a Zoroastrian priest. In part 1 of this two-part series I noted that for Christians to effectively engage secularists in meaningful discussion, it is vital to understand How Does Zoroastrianism Compare to Christianity? "If there are old quarrels, you're supposed to settle them.". Zarathushtra was supposed to have instructed Pythagoras in Babylon and to have inspired the Chaldean doctrines of astrology and magic. 5. "He was a wise soul. Christinaity seen Himalayan from China side, it looks other way. Our word "paradise" is derived from the Old Iranian word pairi-daeza, which roughly translates to "celestial garden.". Zoroastrianism has a very clear notion of the concepts of heaven and hell. Consider the most enlightened thoughts. Zoroastrian places of worship are sometimes called fire temples. Zoroastrianism was founded in Persia in the 6th century BCE by the priest Zarathustra, known to the Greeks as Zoroaster. Some scholars have argued that Jews learned monotheistic theology from Zoroastrians. After they died, he was forced to leave to the city of Medina due to pressures of polytheistic Meccan merchants that were threatened by his teachings. Some doctrines hold that the wicked will burn eternally in hell, but newer beliefs state that these may be purified in a river of molten metal and allowed to rejoin the new, idyllic Earth that is free of evil (Flower 56). Freddie Mercury and Zadig & Voltaire aside, there are other overt examples of Zoroastrianisms impact on contemporary popular culture in the West. Muhammads teachings and way of life are included in the Quran, which is the Islamic holy book. Therefore, it is evident that, by preceding Islam, Zoroastrianism influenced Islam. Although this is known, the actual beginnings of the religion are hard to pinpoint. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. The good deed well done.". Christianity and Islam both had agreeing and disagreeing views on merchants. Then gifts are exchanged, especially new clothes for the New Year. God had a very immediate relationship with Abraham and promised him his descendants would ultimately comprise many nations (Global Education Source, 275). Zoroastrianism, or more natively Mazdayasna, is one of the world's oldest extant religions, "combining a cosmogonic dualism and eschatological monotheism in a manner unique [.] ", "Zarathushtra was just a human being, not God manifested as human," says Eduljee. While Islam was spread by the sword due to the military conquests and expansion of the Arab empire (which was predominantly Muslim), Christianity had no association with a specific race or group of peoples and therefore did not spread with the purpose of expanding an empire. Many Europeans became familiar with Zoroastrian founder Zarathustra through the 19th-century novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of three Persian dynasties, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century A.D. Zoroastrian refugees, called Parsis, escaped Muslim persecution in Iran by emigrating to India. This Magian had destroyed cultic shrines, yadanas, which Darius restored. Christianity believes in Jesus, while Judaism believes in Mohammed. 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). Penguin Dictionary of World Religions, 2nd Edition It likely influenced the other major Western religionsJudaism, Christianity, and Islam. ", Outside of Zoroastrianism, the name Zarathushtra is best known from Friedrich Nietzsche's novel "Thus Spake Zarathustra" (using an alternate spelling), in which the existential German philosopher put his own words and thoughts in the mouth of the ancient prophet. This image is famously carved into the ruins at Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Zoroastrian Achaemenid Empire in Iran, and now graces Zoroastrian temples and gravesites. The good word well spoken. Joobin Bekhrad finds out. Similarities Between Zoroastrianism Christianity And Islam | Studymode Similarities Between Zoroastrianism And Christianity Although these are two different religions, they have many things in common. . Does this connection really exist? Prior to Zarathustra, the ancient Persians worshipped the deities of the old Irano-Aryan religion, a counterpart to the Indo-Aryan religion that would come to be known as Hinduism. It is generally believed by scholars that the ancient Iranian prophet Zarathustra (known in Persian as Zartosht and Greek as Zoroaster) lived sometime between 1500 and 1000 BC. . (Ed.) In conclusion, there can be no doubt that Zoroastrianism has had a very profound influence on Islam and Christianity. The seeming instinct or impulse of religious people in general is to think that heaven is a choice of the will.
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