Zoroastrism: The first monotheistic religion and its influences

For centuries, an ancient religion influenced empires, molded concepts of good and bad and left invisible traces in The great monotheistic religions that Today they dominate the world. However, its name has been forgotten by many. That happened with Masdeism also known as Zoroastrism? Why did a faith that arrived to be official in the largest empire of ancient world almost disappeared from the history? This is the story of a Vision of the universe where light and darkness fight for the human soul. A faith that inspired kings, philosophers and even Prophets a religion born in the Lands of Persia that even today in silence continues to illuminate world.

Maszdeism, also called Zoroastrism, by the name of its Founder, was born in the old lands of Iran, between the centuries and sixth before of Christ. Although its exact date remains the subject of debate among the scholars, its creator, Sarathustra, known in Greek as Soroastro, was a spiritual reformer who broke with the polytheistic practices of his time and He proclaimed the existence of a unique God, Aurada, the wise Lord.

Saratustra was not simply a preacher, but a revolutionary thinker. According to the tradition, he received a divine revelation near a river where Ajura Mazda showed him the truth about creation, free will and the eternal struggle between good and evil. From then on, he dedicated His life to spread his message, facing resistance from priests traditional and local gentlemen. Over time, his message managed to penetrate the Cut of powerful kings, becoming the spiritual basis of the Empire.

The core of soroastrismo is based on a deeply moral vision of the universe, a constant battle between two cosmic forces. On the one hand, Ajura Mazda, the source of truth, the light and creation. On the other, Angraminu, also known as Ariman, The evil spirit of darkness, the deception and destruction. This duality It is not symbolic. For Soroastians It is a real fight that crosses the cosmos and also the human heart. Each human being, according to Sarathustra, is free to choose between the Good and evil. This choice is not only affects his present life, but also his destination eternal. The doctrine of masdeism thus introduce ethical concepts. advanced to their time, the personal responsibility, the trial After death, heaven and hell. To achieve salvation, the believer had to practice the three pillars fundamental: good thoughts, Good words and good Actions. This individual ethic raised to the human being to an active collaborator of the order cosmic. The thought of Saratustra and The central teachings of Masdeism were collected in the Abesta, the Sacred book of this religion. Although much of its original texts are lost over time, what has survived reveals a structure complex and deep. Abesta is not a unique work, but a collection of hymns, liturgies, ritual laws and moral teachings that oriented so much spiritual life as organization social. The oldest part of the Abesta is the Gatas, attributed directly to Saratustra. In these verses are expressed strongly in Agura Mazda along the rejection of ancient gods. Other texts such as Yasna or blessings address purity norms, ethical ceremonies and rules. Its transmission was oral for centuries, which caused the loss of many sections after the foreign conquests. Even so, the Abesta is today one of the oldest sources of monotheistic religious thought in the History of humanity.

Soroastrismo reached its apogee, The Aquemenida Empire founded by Siro “The Great One” in the seventh century before Christ. Although the details about the Siro's personal religiosity still in debate, their respect for Sarathustra and the adoption of Soroastian’s principles marked a deep change in the vision of the imperial power. Aura Mazda was proclaimed as the God King's protector and values of the Mazdeism served as a moral base and policy to govern a vast and diverse empire. Dario I, one of the great Monarchs of Queemenidas, left inscriptions like Beistun, where invokes Aura Mazda as a source of his authority. They highlight the ideal of just elected king chosen to combat the lie and establish the truth. This Ideal impregnated Persian administration from religious tolerance to the promotion of justice. Soroastrism was not only a faith, but an ethical column that unified a multicultural empire. His influence persisted even after during Parto and Sasánida dynasties. Despite being little known today, Soroastrism left a deep footprint in the big monotheistic religions later. During babylonian exile, the Jews entered in Contact with the Soroastian Persians. Influences were born from that meeting notable in Judaism, like Concept of final judgment, existence of angels and demons, the Messiah Redeemer and the resurrection of the dead. These absent ideas in early stages from Judaism became central after their contact with Persia. Christianity and Islam in turn inherited many of those theological notions. The struggle between good and evil, Satan's figure as the enemy of God and the universal judgement shares echoes from Soroastrian dualism. Even the eschatological structure of many westerners beliefs has parallels in the most deism. Although these similarities do not imply a direct copy, they do reveal a shared legacy. Soroastrism served as a bridge between old Indo-Iranian beliefs and visions of the world that today dominate global religious thought. Soroastrism lost its dominant position with the fall of the Sasanida empire in the sixth century after Arab invasion and the expansion of Islam. Until that moment it was the official  State religion with temples of sacred fire throughout the empire and a priestly caste well organized. However, with the arrival of Islam, the new religious and political power promoted the gradual conversion of the population and Soroastrism went from being a Imperial  faith to a persecuted religion. Many temples were destroyed or converted into mosques and the sorastrians were forced to pay special taxes to maintain their faith. Over time, great part of the population abandoned the beliefs of their forefathers. Only small communities resisted clinging to their rites and texts. The decline was not immediate but irreversible. Masdeism became a marginalized religion within its own land, displaced by a new faith that reinterpreted and absorbed many of his fundamental ideas. In top of the persecution, many Soroastians sought refuge beyond of the borders of the old Persian empire. Towards the seventh century, a significant group emigrated the west of India, where they formed a community known as the parsis. In Indian soil they found tolerance and the possibility of practicing their faith freely There soroastrism not only survived, but adapted and organized preserving old rituals and protecting with care the Besta. During the modern era, the Parsis prospered in commerce, the education and public life in India, especially in cities like Bombai. Their influence was key in the industrial development of the country. However, both in Iran and diaspora, the number of faithful has diminished considerably. Today the Zoroastians fight to keep their traditions against time and Globalization. Despite being one of the most Old world religions, his survival depends on small communities, but determined not to let his legacy die. Although the number of practitioners has reduced, the cultural and intellectual influence of Masdeism endures in the history of the West. In the nineteenth century, thinkers like Nietzsche recovered the Sarathustra figure, interpreting it as a symbol of ancient wisdom and spiritual renewal. His work, so he spoke Sarathustra, does not reflect original theology, but reveals symbolic power that this figure still projects in the Modern philosophy.

Beyond literature, Soroastrismo helped form the bases of dualistic ethical thinking that influenced Judeo -Christian theology. His emphasis on moral choice, the free will and individual responsibility in fron of good and evil resonated in subsequentl egal and philosophical systems. Even today, notions such as final judgment or fighting between light and darkness evoke echoes of this ancient religion. Although sometimes forgotten, masdeism left an indelible footprint in the way West conceives spirituality, ethics and human destiny. The story of masdeism is, at the same time, a testimony of glory and resistance.

Born in the vast plains of Persia, shaped empires, inspired moral systems and sowed ideas that would bloom In future religions. However, its silent fall perhaps reminds us how even more influential beliefs can fade in the face of changes in power, politics and history. Today, when we talk about good and evil, of the final judgment, of the immortal soul or of the role of the human being as an moral agent, we are repeating echoes of a millenary vision. Understand soroastrism is not just to study an ancient religion, but to recognize a deep root of our spiritual culture. In times where the past seems blur, remember Sarathustra and his message is a way to think what we are, what we believe and the world we want to build.