Zoroaster,The Founder Of Zoroastrianism

"Prophet" of Iran, Zoroaster, was the founder of Zoroastrianism, a religion that lasted more than 2000 years and still has adherents today. He is also author of Gathas, the oldest part of Avesta, the sacred instructions Zoroastrian adherents.
We biographical information about Zoroaster (Zarathustra in the ancient Iranian name) is not complete, but it seems he was born circa 628 BC
and the area that now includes northern Iran. Very little can be known of his childhood. After an adult, he preached the new religion itself drawn up. At the initial level of opposition, but when the age of forty years, he managed to pull King Vishtaspa as adherents, a ruler of a region in northern Iran. After that the King was his friend and protector at the same time. According to the traditional story of Iran, Zoroaster lived until the age of seventy-seven years; his death in 551 years was estimated at BC.

Zoroastrian Theology is an interesting mixture of monotheism and dualism. According to Zoroaster, there is only one true God called Ahura Mazda (the name of modern Iran: Ormudz). Ahura Mazda ( "Wise Lord") advocated honesty and truth. But, Zoroastrian adherents also believe there is an evil spirit, Angra Mainyu (in terms of modern Persian: Ahriman) that reflects the crime and falsehood. In the real world, this symbol of the eternal conflict between the forces of Ahura Mazda and Ahriman one hand on the other. Each individual is free to choose where he was taking sides, to Ahura Mazda or Ahriman. Although the two sides battle may close at some point, Zoroastrian adherents believe that in the long term strength Ahura Mazda will come out a winner. Theology they also include a full conviction of life after death.

In ethical matters, Zoroastrian religion stresses the importance of honesty and truth. Ascetisme, reckless living, adultery, was strongly opposed. Zoroastrian adherents of various religious conduct interesting, some of which focused on the worship of fire. For example, the sacred fire always kept burning in the Zoroastrian temple. But, the most evident in their worship is a way to eliminate the body, rather than buried or burned, but placed on the left tower eaten vulture. (The birds were usually engulfed prey purely down to the bone within hours).

Although Zoroatrianisme have various elements that are similar to the Iranian religions older, do not seem widespread in the Zoroastrian own. But, the area where he lives with hook-associated with the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great in the mid-16th century BC at the time of the death of Zoroaster. In the two centuries later, religion was accepted by the Persian kings and get a decent followers. After the Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great in the late mid-4th century BC, the Zoroastrian religion swift decline. But eventually, the Persians gained its independence again, Hellenistis influence declined, and there is a revival of Zoroastrian religion. In the Sassanid dynasty (226 to 651 AD) Zoroastrian religion is accepted as the official state religion of Persia.

After the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD, most of the Persian population gradually converted to Islam (in some cases by force, although in principle the Muslims have a tolerant attitude to other religions). Around the 10th century, some remaining Zoroastrian religion fled from Iran to Hormuz, an island in the Persian Gulf. From there they or their derivatives go to India where they established a kind of colony. Hindus Parsees call them because they were of Persian origin. Now there are about l00.000 more groups Parsees in India, generally lives near the city of Bombay, where they form a group of affluent society. Zoroastrianism was never disappear entirely in Iran, only about 20,000 adherents still in the country.

Today, the world's Zoroastrian adherents in lesser numbers than the Mormons and Christian Scientists. But, Mormonism and Christian Science recent growth; viewed from the course of history, the overall number of followers of Zoroaster much greater. This is the main reason why Zoroastrians included in this book, while Joseph Smith and Mary Baker are not included

More than that, Zoroatrianisme have an impact to other religions, like Judaism and Christianity. In fact, a greater influence on Manicheism obvious, the religion founded by Mani, who take over Zoroastrian ideas about the conflict between good spirits and demons and developed into a complex religious and coercive. For a while the new belief that she founded the world's major religions, although later extinct entirely. Michael H. Hart,One hundred most influential figures in the history.