5 fascinating facts about Zoroastrianism

One of the world’s most ancient and influential religions, Zoroastrianism thrived until the 7^th century A.D.—and is still practiced today. Here are some fascinating facts about the religion.

Zoroastrianism may be the world’s first monotheistic religion

The belief in one supreme being may have originated with Zoroastrianism and influenced later monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to tradition, the Zoroastrian god—Ahura Mazda—revealed the tenets of the religion to the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek) in Central Asia in the 2^nd millennium B.C.

It was once one of the largest religions in the world

Zoroastrianism was originally practiced in the Persian Empire by millions of people. Today, less than 100,000 Zoroastrians are estimated to be living across the globe.

Alexander the Great destroyed most of their scripture.

The teachings of Ahura Mazda were collected in 21 books, 20 of which were allegedly destroyed by the Greeks during Alexander’s invasion of the Persian Empire in 330 B.C. While just one book from the Avesta remains, many prayers and hymns were memorized by Zoroastrian priests and are passed down to this day.

Dogs really are their best friends.

In Zoroastrian belief, dogs have incredible spiritual value and must be well taken care of, and there are severe punishments for harming dogs. It’s also believed that after you die, your soul will be guided by dogs.

Some of their sacred fires have been burning continuously for more than 1,000 years.

Fire represents the divine to Zoroastrians, and some Zoroastrian fire temples feature flames that have been tended continuously for centuries or millennia. The fire in the Zoroastrian temple in Yazd, Iran is believed to have been burning since the 5^th century A.D.

Interested in reading more about Zoroastrianism? Check out our May 2024 magazine article.