Zoroaster. Zoroaster (/ˌzɒroʊˈæstər/ or /ˈzɒroʊˌæstər/, from Greek Ζωροάστρης Zōroastrēs), also known as Zarathustra (/ˌzɑrəˈθuːstrə/; Avestan: 𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬚𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 Zaraθuštra; Persian: زرتشت Zartosht, زردشت Zardosht), was the founder of Zoroastrianism.
Though he was a native speaker of Old Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the Iranian Plateau, his birthplace is uncertain. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrian faith. Most of his life is known through the Zoroastrian texts. Avestan, the language spoken by Zoroaster and used for composing the Yasna Haptanghaiti and the Gathas, on archaeological and linguistic grounds, is dated to have been spoken probably in the first half of the 2nd millennium BCE.[1] Etymology[edit] Zoroaster. From New World Encyclopedia Detail of The School of Athens by Raphael, 1509, showing Zoroaster (left, with star-studded globe).
Zoroaster (Greek Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs) or Zarathushtra (Avestan: Zaraθuštra), also referred to as Zartosht (Persian: زرتشت), was an ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism, a religion that was the national religion of the Sassanid Empire of Persia; it is predominantly practiced today by the Parsi community of India. Zoroaster is generally accepted as an authentic historical figure, but the period in which he lived remains unclear. Many scholarly estimates place him circa 1200 B.C.E., making him a candidate to be the founder of the earliest religion based on a revealed scripture, the Yasna, while others place him anywhere between the eighteenth and the sixth centuries B.C.E. Zoroaster taught that a the universe is pervaded by a Cosmic Battle between the uncreated creator, Ahura Mazda and the principle of darkness and evil, Angra Mainyu. Zoroaster - Zarathushtra - The Origins of Zoroastrianism.
Zarathushtra Spitama, who became known in the West as Zoroaster, is one of the earliest known prophets in world history.
His teachings are now commonly known as Zoroastrianism, which is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in existence. The origins of Zoroastrianism lie somewhere between myth and history, which begs the question: who was Zoroaster? Time Period In the 4th century BCE, Zoroaster’s lifetime was calculated to be 258 years before Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which had embraced Zoroastrianism as the state religion and spread the faith throughout the Middle East.