Table of Contents
Preface x
Acknowledgements xi
Editorial note xii
Introduction
1 Zoroastrian Literature 1
Background 1
The Avesta and other Zoroastrian literature 2
2 Creation and the Divine World 8
Cosmic contrasts and the two Spirits 8
Order and chaos 10
Creation 11
Gods 12
Demons 20
The creation of living beings 21
3 Mythical History and the Zarathustra Myth 22
Hero-sacrificers of the first ages 22
4 Eschatology and the End of the World 29
5 Body and Soul 30
6 Death, Rewards, and Punishment 32
7 Ethics 33
8 Rituals 34
The Yasna, a ritual re-creation of the world 34
The Videvdad, a ritual purification of the world 36
Other rituals 37
9 On Kingship 37
10 Doctrinal Issues 38
Translations
1 Texts on the History of the Sacred Tradition 39
From the Pahlavi texts 39
2 Texts on Creation and the Divine World 44
From the Old Persian inscriptions 44
From the Old Avesta 44
From the Young Avesta 50
From the Pahlavi texts 75
3 Texts on Mythical History 113
Hero-sacrificers of the first ages in the Young Avesta 113
Hero-sacrificers of the first ages in the Pahlavi texts 116
Zarathustra and the Gathic characters in the Gathas 122
Zarathustra and the Gathic characters in the Young Avesta 130
Zarathustra in the Pahlavi texts 138
4 Texts on Eschatology and the End of the World 157
On the actors of the final battles 157
On the evils that are befalling and will befall Iran 160
On the resurrection and the Final Body 166
5 Texts on Body and Soul 175
From the Young Avesta 175
From the Old Persian inscriptions 176
From the Pahlavi texts 177
6 Texts on Death, Rewards, and Punishment 180
From the Young Avesta 180
From the Old Persian inscriptions 181
From the Middle Persian inscriptions 181
From the Pahlavi texts 185
7 Texts on Ethics 191
From the Young Avesta 191
From the Old Persian inscriptions 191
From the Pahlavi texts 192
8 Ritual Texts 214
From the Old Avesta 214
From the Young Avesta 215
From the Pahlavi texts 221
From the Avesta and Zand 221
9 Texts on Kingship 228
From the Old Persian inscriptions 228
From the Middle Persian inscriptions 233
From the Pahlavi texts 233
10 Texts on Doctrinal Issues 235
Diverging practices in the Yasna 235
On right practices and foreign worship 236
From the Pahlavi books 239
Select bibliography 259
List of texts translated 261
Glossarial index 263
