Zoroaster, also known by his Avestan name Zarathushtra, was an ancient Iranian religious reformer traditionally dated to sometime between the second and first millennium BCE, whose teachings became the foundation of Zoroastrianism. According to the oldest Zoroastrian scriptures, the Gathas, which tradition holds he composed, he preached a message centered on the cosmic struggle between truth and falsehood and the worship of Ahura Mazda as the supreme god. His ideas, including concepts of moral dualism, judgment and an eschatological future, are argued by some scholars to have influenced later Abrahamic religious thought. Zoroastrianism became the state religion of successive Iranian empires before the Islamic conquest of Persia.
Facts
RoleIranian religious reformer, spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism, traditionally credited as author of the Gathas 1 Role
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In Era
Source New World Encyclopedia: Zoroaster
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Source Wikidata: Zoroaster
Sources
1. Zoroaster (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph, first sentence, role as religious reformer and founder
was an Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism
lead paragraph, opening clause, formal Avestan name
Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster
Zoroaster: Gender
Zoroaster, also known by his Avestan name Zarathushtra, was an ancient Iranian religious reformer traditionally dated to sometime between the second and first millennium BCE, whose teachings became the foundation of Zoroastrianism.
View the Source Wikidata: Zoroaster
New World Encyclopedia: Zoroaster
New World EncyclopediaIn Era: The Ancient Near East and Bronze Age World, Article textQuote, In Era: The Ancient Near East and Bronze Age World, Article text
Many scholarly estimates place him circa 1200 B.C.E.
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