Definition
Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions, founded on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, in ancient Persia. Scholars debate his exact dates, with estimates ranging widely across the second and first millennia BCE. The faith centers on the worship of a single supreme creator god, Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord.
At its core, Zoroastrianism frames existence as an ongoing moral struggle between truth and order on one side and falsehood and chaos on the other. Followers are taught to align with the good through the simple ethical triad of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.
Why it matters
How it works
Zoroastrian theology presents a universe shaped by the opposition between Ahura Mazda and a destructive principle of disorder. Human beings are moral agents whose choices contribute to the eventual triumph of good. The religion teaches that each soul faces judgment after death and that creation will ultimately be purified and renewed.
Fire holds a central ritual role as a symbol of purity and divine presence, which is why temples maintain a sacred flame. The faith spread and flourished under the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires. After the Islamic conquest of Persia, many adherents migrated, and the tradition continued in smaller but enduring communities.