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An Introduction to Ancient Iranian Religion: Readings from the Avesta and the Achaemenid Inscriptions
An Introduction to Ancient Iranian Religion was first published in 1983. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.
When Persia fell to Islam in the mid-seventh century, the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism all but disappeared (although it is still practiced by small groups in India and Iran). As one of the dominant religions of antiquity, it influenced the Judeo- Christian tradition as well as some forms of gnosticism. Despite its age and venerable place in the history of world religions, Zoroastrianism remains little known outside of a few philologists and historians of religion. Because of the difficulty of translation, there is little primary textual material available for nonspecialists; the few translations that do exist are quite old.
In An Introduction to Ancient Iranian Religion, William Malandra provides not only modern English translations of the sacred texts but also a comprehensive introduction to the subject of Zoroastrianism itself. In an introductory essay Malandra outlines the main features of Zoroastrianism in its historical, cultural, and spiritual setting. His new translations of readings from the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism, and selections from the Achaemenid inscriptions of the great kings Darius and Xerxes are accompanied by interpretive notes that allow students to make their way through this difficult material. This book is, therefore, not just a collection of texts but a selfcontained introduction to Zoroastrianism that can be used by the nonspecialist without recourse to additional interpretive works.
When Persia fell to Islam in the mid-seventh century, the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism all but disappeared (although it is still practiced by small groups in India and Iran). As one of the dominant religions of antiquity, it influenced the Judeo- Christian tradition as well as some forms of gnosticism. Despite its age and venerable place in the history of world religions, Zoroastrianism remains little known outside of a few philologists and historians of religion. Because of the difficulty of translation, there is little primary textual material available for nonspecialists; the few translations that do exist are quite old.
In An Introduction to Ancient Iranian Religion, William Malandra provides not only modern English translations of the sacred texts but also a comprehensive introduction to the subject of Zoroastrianism itself. In an introductory essay Malandra outlines the main features of Zoroastrianism in its historical, cultural, and spiritual setting. His new translations of readings from the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism, and selections from the Achaemenid inscriptions of the great kings Darius and Xerxes are accompanied by interpretive notes that allow students to make their way through this difficult material. This book is, therefore, not just a collection of texts but a selfcontained introduction to Zoroastrianism that can be used by the nonspecialist without recourse to additional interpretive works.
- GenresReligion
195 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 14, 2026
پاینده باد ایران
بهمن ۱۴۰۴
بهمن ۱۴۰۴
October 13, 2016
This was fun to flip through. Religious texts from 2-3 thousand years before Buddha, Christ and Mohammad? Neat. Here's a couple of my favorite passages.
Mithra as a sexy poetry slam rapper (Yasht 10 II.7):
We worship Mithra of wide pastures, whose speech is correct, who is eloquent (in verbal contests), who has a thousand ears, is well built, has ten thousand eyes, is tall, has a wide outlook, is strong, is sleepless, (ever)walking.
Mithra as terrifying war robot (Yasht XVIII.70):
We worship Mithra of wide pastures, ....with sharp tusks, a boar that kills at one blow, unapproachable (when) angered, whose face (bristles) are speckled, swift, having metal hind feet, metal forefeet, metal tendons, a metal tail and metal jaws.
^^ Definitely from when the aliens came to check in on us.
Mithra as a sexy poetry slam rapper (Yasht 10 II.7):
We worship Mithra of wide pastures, whose speech is correct, who is eloquent (in verbal contests), who has a thousand ears, is well built, has ten thousand eyes, is tall, has a wide outlook, is strong, is sleepless, (ever)walking.
Mithra as terrifying war robot (Yasht XVIII.70):
We worship Mithra of wide pastures, ....with sharp tusks, a boar that kills at one blow, unapproachable (when) angered, whose face (bristles) are speckled, swift, having metal hind feet, metal forefeet, metal tendons, a metal tail and metal jaws.
^^ Definitely from when the aliens came to check in on us.
January 9, 2012
It's an interesting book yet it doesn't show much detail about each belief.
November 28, 2016
زروانیسم، مانی که ایسم و کاتارسیسم بخش اول
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews