Zoroaster

enUK

Zo·ro·as·ter

Z0027000 (zôr′ō-ăs′tər) or Zar·a·thu·stra (zăr′ə-tho͞o′strə) In Zoroastrian tradition, the Iranian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism. The Avesta describes his reception of a revelation from Ahura Mazda and other events in his life, traditionally dated to the 6th century bc.

Zoroaster

(ˌzɒrəʊˈæstə) n (Biography) ?628–?551 bc, Persian prophet; founder of Zoroastrianism. Avestan name: Zarathustra

Zo•ro•as•ter

(ˈzɔr oʊˌæs tər, ˈzoʊr-, ˌzɔr oʊˈæs tər, ˌzoʊr-)

n. fl. 6th century B.C., Persian religious teacher. Also called Zarathustra.

Thesaurus

Noun

Zoroaster - Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism (circa 628-551 BC)Zarathustra

Translations

Zoroaster

enUK

Zoroaster Zaraϑuštra Spitāma
Known for	Founder of Zoroastrianism

Zoroaster

(zōr`ōăs'tər), c.628 B.C.–c.551 B.C., religious teacher and prophet of ancient PersiaPersia
, old alternate name for the Asian country Iran. The article Iran contains a description of the geography and economy of the modern country and a short account of its history since the Arab invasion of the 7th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. , founder of ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism
, religion founded by Zoroaster, but with many later accretions. Scriptures

Zoroastrianism's scriptures are the Avesta or the Zend Avesta [Pahlavi avesta=law, zend=commentary].
..... Click the link for more information. . Zoroaster, the name by which he is ordinarily known, is derived from the Greek form of Zarathushtra (or Zarathustra) [camel handler?], his Persian name. Zoroaster is believed to have been born in NW Persia. His youthful studies were crowned at the age of 30 by the first of a series of revelations of a new religion. His attempts to proselytize at home failed, and he fled east to ancient Chorasmia (now largely Iranian Khorasan), where he converted King Vishtaspa (who may have been Hystaspes, the father of Darius). The religion then spread rapidly through Vishtaspa's domain. The circumstances of Zoroaster's death are not known.

Bibliography

See E. Herzfeld, Zoroaster and His World (1947); R. C. Zaehner, The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism (1961).

Zoroaster

(Iranian and Greek form of the name Zarathushtra), religious reformer; prophet of the ancient Iranian religion that has come to be called Zoroastrianism. Modern scholarship has established that Zoroaster was a real historical figure, who composed the Gathas, the most ancient part of the Avesta. Zoroaster probably lived between the tenth and first half of the sixth century B.C. and taught in eastern Iran, Middle Asia, or Afghanistan, but exactly where and when he lived has not been established. According to the Gathas, his teachings met at first with failure in his native land, and he was forced to seek asylum at the court of the kavi (local ruler) Vishtaspa, who most likely ruled in Drangiana. Vishtaspa and his following accepted the new religion, facilitating its diffusion. In the Little Avesta, Zoroaster is treated as a mythological figure and demigod.

REFERENCES

Abaev, V. I. “Skifskii byt i reforma Zoroastra.” Archiv. Orientální, 1956, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 23–56.
D’iakonov, I. M. “Vostochnyi Iran do Kira.” In the collection Istoriia Iranskogo gosudarstva i kul’tury. Moscow, 1971.
Henning, W. E.Zoroaster. London, 1951.
Duchesne-Guillemin, LZoroastre. Paris [1948].
Gershevitch, I. “Zoroaster’s Own Contribution.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 1964, no. 1, pp. 12–38.

Zoroaster

?628--?551 bc, Persian prophet; founder of Zoroastrianism

Zoroaster

Zo·ro·as·ter

Zoroaster

Zo•ro•as•ter

Zoroaster

Zoroaster

Bibliography

Zoroaster

REFERENCES

Zoroaster

Zoroaster

Synonyms for Zoroaster

noun Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism (circa 628-551 BC)

Synonyms