Customer Reviews (6)

Iran
This book answered to some question as followed: The Zoroastrian faith established on pinciple of worshping one God, duality of evil v.s good.

The author of the book mentioned how today Zoroastrian people are living in Iran, India and broad. Still, they practice their faith. At the same time some ceremony; such as, death has and burial has changed theoughtout the time.

It was sad that Alexandra the Great burn Perspolise library and this faith could not be fully investigated.

educational
my daughter was writing a research paper on zoroastrianism and this book provided more than enough information to get a 100, thank you

Problem of Style but Worth the Price
Over all a fast easy read about the life & general teachings of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) & his religion's influence on today's monotheistic faiths. S.A. Nigosian goes to great length to get the exact information from many varied sources, which at times either reveals too much information in short paragraphs or causes certain vagueness. For example the dates of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) are from 6000 BC from some Greek sources to appox. 650-600 BC. Other problem is that I never saw such a fast rendering of the history of ancient Iran in so few pages. At times a short paragraph per King or Kingdom. Maybe a chart or map would of help to clarify this information. In another area S.A. Nigosian uses the baptism rites of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church as an example of the Zoroastrian rite without ever revealing the Zoroastrian rite itself.

Could it be that most other religious history books cut too many corners & round off the information? Maybe to write the whole truth will always reveal the imperfections of history. Other than that the book was a pure delight going through the general practices, festivals, & calendar events of ancient & modern Zoroastrianism.

There are no photographs or visual information in this book that could help reveal certain clothing or life styles of the Zoroastrian faith. In fact I did meet a Parsi (a modern Zoroastrian from Bombay India) at a Jews for Jesus table at Cal State Fullerton California around the mid 1980's & saw his shirt that contain the chords to store his good & evil deeds, but I still would like to see a photograph of a fire temple & the rites performed.

In other words I had a few problems with the style of the book, mostly due to lack of visual information, but its well worth the price if your looking for a grand overview of Zoroastrianism.

Excellent, fascinating summary of Zoroastrianism
This is an excellent description of the Zoroastrian faith.It begins with Zoroaster himself, dating his lifetime most probably and providing a compelling history of the man who ultimately had a tremendous influence on Western culture far greater than he could ever imagine.I believe it safe to say that he had more influence than Jesus himself, given the fact that the Zoroastrian world-view was subsequently adopted by a large contingent of ancient Jews, including Jesus, and ultimately spread around the world by Christianity and Islam.

The history of the faith itself is then presented, along with key scriptures, teachings, and rituals.This book is excellent and truly fascinating reading.The Zoroastrian faith was far ahead of its time and represented an incredible philosophical advance in the ancient world that would have been completely foreign to most of the world's inhabitants but very familiar to you and I.The attractiveness of its beliefs could not be opposed even by the strictness of the Judaic world-view.In a remarkable way, Christianity and Islam represent the triumph of Zoroastrian ideas, and I found myself strangely saddened that this religion is near extinction.There is an inspiring grandeur to this faith as presented here.

The book is well written, absolutely fascinating, balanced, and a quick read.I recommend it highly.

A Superb Overview
If you know nothing about Zoroastrianism and are looking for a basic understanding of this unique faith then start with this book. It is concise clear and covers all major points of the faith quickly and accurately.The five chapters cover Zoroaster, history, scripture, teachings and observances.The scripture section contains outtakes from not only the fragments that we have of the Avesta but also lesser known and extremely difficult to find religious texts such as the Denkard.If you want to know about Zoroastrianism this is the place to start. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From experience, with passion
An only child is burdened with an unfair amount of attention and expectation, and so it is with Farhang Mehr's ZOROASTRIAN TRADITION which is the only introduction in print, in English, by a native Zoroastrian, to contemporary Zoroastrian belief. Even without alternative perspectives Prof. Mehr's book is outstanding. It takes a moderate position between reactionary and revolutionary interpretations of Zoroastrianism at the same time as it presents its own vision of an ethical and mystical religion which is not only alive and well but growing in numbers and influence.

In a review of a previous edition of this book Zoroastrian scholar Pallan Ichaporia found Professor Mehr's English to be poor. I've read the book cover to cover three times and I found Mehr's command of English to be perfectly fine. Dr. Ichaporia also implies that Professor Mehr should stick to politics and leave religion to the scholars. All well and good except to date no scholar, Ichaporia included, has attempted a book of this scope, for the most part preferring to pick at each other's translations of Zarathustra's sacred songs (the Gathas) instead of sharing them with a general readership.

Prof. Mehr's life and career have been well-documented in TRIUMPH OVER DISCRIMINATION. His religion is hard-earned in the front lines and trenches of policy and diplomacy. I trust Mehr to know whence he speaks and I heartily recommend this book to those who wish to know what Zarathustra's vision looks like in real life rather than in academic monographs.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wonderful
Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY is the best dipiction of the Parsis...

Second book arrived damaged just like first one returned
The book is beautifully done, but to use it as a coffee table book I cannot display with broken corner.Advised them second time, but no reply.As I live in Mexico it is difficult getting mail in and out and also expensive.Very disappointed.

The Meaning Of The Term "PARSI"
I have not read the book, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of doubt and give it a rating of "5".

The purpose of my "review" is to put the term "Parsi" in its proper perspective. "Parsi" literally means "Persian", since "Pars" is the true name for Persia. If we are to follow this logic, then to all intents and purposes the Zoroastrians in Iran today are the true "Parsis". Therefore, only the second part of the title of this book "The Zoroastrians of India" is correct. The dichotomy can therefore be explained very simply - If you are Indian then you are not "Parsi" and vice versa. One cannot be Persian and Indian at the same time.

The Zoroastrians of India have adopted Indian customs and ceremonies, do not speak a word of Persian and therefore do not understand the content of one-third of the Avesta, which is written in Persian. This is tantamount to completely losing their original identity as a people. Blending in with the country of adoption to the point of adopting the language and customs of that country and willingly losing all trace of their origins, and practicing a brand new identity is fine, if they would prefer to do that. However, by labeling themselves as Parsis, they are committing a travesty of justice to the true Parsis in Iran who have practiced the faith against insurmountable odds.

And if the Zoroastrians of India are bent upon propagating and promoting their new identity, then they should not create their own sectarian institutions in India but should be willing to blend in with the rest of the Indian community. They cannot have it both ways. And as for not allowing intermarriages or conversions, well, study the Kalme-e-Din in the Avesta. It tells you that the Zoroastrian faith was "sent for the people" (baraye khalk ferestade). That perhaps is the single-most damning evidence against the proponents of non-conversion. But one needs to know the Persian language to understand that.

And one last word on this: The Kisse-E-Sanjaan never happened. There is no documented evidence of such an event in the annals of "Parsi" history. And even if it did occur, then it's an affront to scribe a monument in its memory, in Gujerati. That's how far the "Parsis" of India have strayed from their true beginnings. Naming their children with meaningless Persian-"sounding" names will not make them Persians or should I say "Parsis". And as for preventing intermarriages to save the purity of "race", they should take a look in their mirrors and be honest with themselves.

At home with the Zoroastrians
This is a big book of street and interior photography in Bombay, India.(The author spells the city thus, rather than the official Mumbai.)The focus is on the religious minority the Parsis, who honor the ancient prophet Zoroaster or Zarathustra.Zoroaster was from somewhere in eastern Iran, as best as anyone can tell, and the Parsis in this book indeed look more Persian than they do like their Aryan/Dravidian compatriots, to this admittedly untrained eye.The author approvingly includes a neat quote by Friedrich Nietzsche in the introduction:

"People have never asked me, as they should have done, what the name Zarathustra precisely means in my mouth, in the mouth of the first Immoralist; for what distinguishes that philosopher from all others in the past is the very fact that he was exactly the reverse of an immoralist. Zarathustra was the first to see in the struggle between good and evil the essential wheel in the working of things."

The story of the author's family, temple, and home life is interesting enough, but the book is rewarding on sheerly photographic merits alone.The familiar urban India of crumbling concrete, colorful shutters, thronging streets, and hole in the wall shops is vividly reproduced here.It is oddly refreshing to not have India's poverty on display--we know it exists, but that's not the point of this book.The people herein range from the wealthy to the shopkeeper class.It is not, as similar books by non-Indians are prone to be, a cavalcade of exotica.

Some of the uniformly excellent photos include these:

A deaf, wizened grandfather shouting at a fountain pen repairman.

An abandoned, one-room temple, still with its devotional portraits and wall clock, inhabited only by a crow on the ceiling fan.

Middle-aged businessmen, most half in the bag already, crowding the bar at a celebration

Young priests performing a rite over a ceremonial feast, on the floor in a daylight interior space.

A wealthy art patron and wife, in their sumptuous living room.

Several river scenes, with devotional activity such as reciting verses or praying in the water.

A Parsi and a Nepalese seated together on the train--a contrast of ethnic types.

A man with a distinctive face, such as Leonardo da Vinci collected in his sketchbooks, snapped with the telephoto lens while waiting for the bus.

And plenty of home scenes, like one of mother, friend, and tots, enjoying a play date on the English-looking lawn.Except that it isn't grass, but some other wide-bladed carpet plant, instead.

These scenes are all expertly and affectionately photographed, and presented with genuine warmth.

Moving!!!
I bought this book on a whim for a friend and it was one of the best decisions. Sooni's photos really capture a culture and moments in time and help narrate a wonderful experience of sorts. Having visited Bombay several times, I was very impressed by the manner in which she shows the Parsi culture through her simple yet poignant photos. I recommend this book highly!
ps- I ended up not only gifting the book to my friend but also bought a copy for myself!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One sided
Prof. Jean Kellens (who as pointed before, is certainly a man!) is a leading scholar of Zoroastrian/Mazdaian studies.However, he clearly belongs to one end of the scholary spectrum on the matters of Zoroastrian studies and has his own well-known opinions.He certainly believes that Zarathushtra did not exist, and he has other specific beliefs which need more space to discuss than a review.

The translator, probably the most well-known and respected English language scholar of Old Iranian studies, is also the major representative of the "Kellens" school in North America.The book in a way is a statement, one establishing the presence of the Kellens system in North America, where it usually is not taken seriously.

The essays are certainly very learned and have impeccable scholary weight, but their conclusions and statements should be taken with warning. The non-specialist reader should always notice that the opinions expressed are only one side of the coin.

Also, Prof. Skjaervo "goes" with his middle name, Oktor.

Four essays on Zarathushtrianism.
Dr. Prods Oktor Skjaervo deserves our deep thanks for taking the time to translate into English (and to elucidate further) four lectures on "Zarathustra and the Old Avesta" delivered at the College de France by a grand master on the lore of Avestan language and Zarathushtrianism, Dr. Jean Kellens.For me the greatest delight was to read pages 120-131, which highlights year by year, the magnificant output of Dr. Jean Kellens, displaying his depth and range of his "Avestic" erudition.

Though the book is intened for an advanced audience, the general outline and arguments can be followed even by a novice with appropriate reference guides.A novice may use this book as a model for scholarly publication in the difficult field of the Avestan language.I strongly recommend this book for review to every Parsee, Zarathushtrian and readers and admirers of Avestan lore.

Not for beginners
In the introduction, Prods Skjaervo says that he translated these essays to help his students at Harvard.So if you are attending Harvard and planning on studying Mazdaism this is a great book to read. It is filled with many of the brilliant insights of Jean Kellens and is a great read for serious students of religion.However, if you are not that familiar with Mazdaism I suggest you start with another work probably Nigosian.This book also talks considerable about the textual analysis of the Avesta from a linguistical perspective which makes it difficult to follow if you don't have some knowledge of linguistics. ... Read more

Book Description
This book, now re-issued with a new introduction by Mary Boyce, is the first attempt to trace the continuous history of the faith from the time it was preached by Zoroaster down to the present day-a span of about 3,500 years.First taught among nomads on the Asian steppes, Zoroastrianism became the state religion of the three great Iranian empires. With the conquest of Iran by the Muslim Arabs, Zoroastrianism lost its secular power but continues to survive as a minority faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Solid Historical Overview
Mary Boyce's Zoroastrians is an historical overview of the birth, development, and ultimate withering away of this ancient religious community.Laying the foundation of the religious culture of ancient Indo-Iranians out of which Zoroastrianism grew, she gives some basic but comprehensive details as to the Zoroastrian's religious beliefs (and some few facts about Zoroaster himself).A Monotheistic culture, with an angelic pantheon that in some respects seems polytheistic, Zoroastrians fight to maintain their belief in Ahura Mazda and the forces of good, which they believe is humankind's chief ally against the forces of evil, the Angra Mainyu.Although this book may be a bit in depth for introductory readers, to get beyond the basic facts of most world religion books, Boyce's book is a recommended read.Rich in historical detail, sometimes a bit thick and heavy, Boyce packs a lot into 230 pages.

Zoroastrianism, the relegion of great Persian Empires
This book is a detailed history of Zoroastrianism from its begining 3700 hundred years ago to 1970s.I found the narrative interesting and informative and Ms. Boyce's treatment of this great relegion objective and unprejudiced. She informs on the strength and weakneses of the theology and the practitioners of the relegion.I highly recommend the book for learning about Zoroasterianism.

This book impressed me with its excellence
This book is nothing short of a tour-de-force! In this fascinating book, Professor Emeriti of Iranian Studies (retired), Dr. Mary Boyce (b. 1920) looks at the beliefs and practices of the Zoroastrian faith, as it has evolved from its beginnings through to the late 1970s. Along the way, the reader is treated to an in-depth understanding of Persian and Iranian history, how it affected Zoroastrianism, and how Zoroastrianism affected Persian and Iranian history.

Now, after having poured out such praise on the book, I must admit to its one great weakness. The book was written in the late 1970s, but before the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and the rise to power of fundamentalist Islam. As such, the book sees the greatest threat to Zoroastrianism in Iran as being an "increase in secularism," rather than the rise of Muslim oppression that it has actually been subjected to.

But, that said, this is a great book on Zoroastrianism, one that really gives you a good understanding of its history (up to the late 1970s) and beliefs and practices. If you really want to understand Zoroastrianism, then I would say that this is the best book to get. This book impressed me with its excellence, and I am quite confidant that it will impress you in the same way. I give this book my highest recommendations!

Just Right!
Goldilocks would like this book.It is perfect for the average reader as far as length, depth, and width of coverage of this topic.Not too deep and not too shallow but just right!In addition to general features of Zoroastianism it also has a large amount of information on ancient Persia as well as particularly strong emphasis on the usually neglected Parthian and Sasanian cultures.The coverage of the Parsis in the Indian subcontinent is also very well done.Highly recommended for the general reader who wants an accessible overall view of Zoroastrianism.

Great Book but the Title is a bit of a misnomer
This is an increcdible book about the history and development of the Zoroastrian religion from ancient times to the present. However, it is not simply an explanation of Beliefs and Practices.If you are unfamiliar with Zoroastrianism I suggest you read Nigosian's book THe Zoroastrian Faith first and then read this one.Boyce's book is the clearest and most well researched work on Zoroastrian religion and is a must for all interested in the relative subject matter. ... Read more

Book Description
This book offers a new approach to the vexing question of how to write the early history of Islam. The first part discusses the nature of the Muslim and non-Muslim source material for the seventh- and eighth-century Middle East and argues that by lessening the divide between these two traditions, which has largely been erected by modern scholarship, we can come to a better appreciation of this crucial period. The second part gives a detailed survey of sources and an analysis of some 120 non-Muslim texts, all of which provide information about the first century and a half of Islam (roughly A.D. 620-780). The third part furnishes examples, according to the approach suggested in the first part and with the material presented in the second part, how one might write the history of this time. The fourth part takes the form of excurses on various topics, such as the process of Islamization, the phenomenon of conversion to Islam, the development of techniques for determining the direction of prayer, and the conquest of Egypt.

Because this work views Islamic history with the aid of non-Muslim texts and assesses the latter in the light of Muslim writings, it will be essential reading for historians of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or Zoroastrianism--indeed, for all those with an interest in cultures of the eastern Mediterranean in its traditional phase from Late Antiquity to medieval times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Read the book, please!
Two of the reviews posted here suggest that the we might title them "Seeing 'Seeing Islam. . .' as Others Saw it." The New York reader's propoganda for Hagarism and other far-fetched perspectives is explicitly taken on and refuted in Hoyland's Chapter 13.Chapter 14 begins, saying "... it is a strong argument in favor of [Muslim witnesses] that they do frequently coincide with what is said by [non-Muslim witnesses]."
This book is mostly a sober, almost 19th-century style translated collection of all the sources refering to Muslims and Islam in the first (roughly) two centuries of Islam. These sources are organized (a bit frustratingly for this reader) by the language of their origin (rather than chronologically). Execurses collect early Muslim sources, and various chapters meticulously discuss the sources, how they can be used, and other methodological issues. The author then carefully, soberly, and very persuasively draws conclusions about the original Muslim self-identity, the cultus, the nature of the early community's religiosity (or religiosities) etc. It is a tour de force work, invaluable for those interested in Early Islam and it puts paid to speculative, thinly evidenced, and frankly hostile works like that of Nevo and Koren. It's a pity that it is so difficultto find, however.

Truth is the first Victim
The book is quick on conclusions. It avoids any analysis of archeological finds that do not accord with such conclusions. The fact of the matter is that much evidence support the 'traditional' story of Islam, in particular in the Fertile Crescent where archeological finds have not contradicted the 'traditional' story.

The fact that no such digs where ever conducted in the birthplace of the entire movement is regrettable. Incidently, Mecca should prove a veritabley exciting site, given the fact that it had been on a trade route for probably hundred of years before Mohammed's time.

The search for answers to these questions, without theological or (much worse) political motives seems hard to expect in the present time. As usual, "Truth is the first victim" of the current tragic events.

Introduction to the "other" history!
When Patricia Crone wrote her outstanding book ( and sad enough itis out of print at present): "Hagarism", she was able to challenge the Islamic tradition'smonopoly on our understanding of Islam and its early history. She followed the path set by John Wansbrough whoconvincedus that the whole Islamic tradition ( the sira, the Hadith, the Maghazi etc..) was late and tendentious;it was nothing but salvation history and much of it is pious fiction;that Islam is a complex phenomenon; and that religions do not spring out of the heads of prophets just like that.

Crone did the unthinkable, she used the tetimony of,as the late Suliman Bashear called them: The others!, the Syriac sources, the Coptic sources etc...that have been long neglected by historians who felt more at ease by believing the Islamic tradition's view of its own history. Everyone rushed to check her references, including reading the writings available by "infidels", AKA non-Muslims that witnessed the invasion by al-Muhajirun, later to be known as, yes you guessed it: Arabs/Mulims,of their homelands in the Middle East. Some of these references are very hard to find. This book provides us with access to these writings, and this is indeed a great task. As much as Patricia Crone follows a long and distinguished line of scholars of Islam that radically changed our understanding of Islam and its history, and this list includes: Ignaz Goldziher, Joseph Schacht, Henri Lammens, the great John Wansbrough, Micheal Cook, Yehuda Nevo..I'm sure I missed a few names. One should not be naive enough, as John Wansbrough have noted in his review of her book, and blindely believe the sources of the "others",because they can be just as tainted as Muslim sources.Therefore,these sources can help us in understanding "what really happened" only to a certain degree.

The reader will be surprised that : 1. Those invaders called themselves: Al-Muhajirun, and not Arabs or Muslims for this matter, and continued to be called so until the first quarter of the 8th. century. 2. The name of Muhhamad does not appear until 72 A.H. 3. The Quran does not appear until appear until the turn of the 8th. century, and only as logia and pericopes, and not the whole text. Which makes one wonder that the whole story about the 'Uthmanic recension of the Quran is nothing but late pious fraud. 4. The "infidels"seemed to be aware that a significant event took place in 622 C.E, but no one seemed to be aware of what it was, and not even the early Muslim sources themselves. But wait a minute...do not assume that it is the year of Muhammad's so called hijra. So what is it?Well, read this book. This is the great fun about reading this book. It will shatter some of your believes.

If you like this book, I would urge you to read the late Suliman Bashear's book: " Introduction to the other history."

An Excellent Resource
Hoyland provides an invaluable resource for student of early islam.Cataloguing and summarising all the early non-Muslim sources referring to Islam, he has created a text that not only lists hard-to-find references,but lucidly summarises them as well. ... Read more

Book Description
THIS 62 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Studies New and Old of Ethical and Social Subjects, by Frances Power Cobbe. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417930675. ... Read more

Book Description
What is the distinctive Zoroastrian experience, and what is the common diasporic experience? The Zoroastrian Diaspora is the outcome of twenty years of research and of archival and fieldwork in eleven countries, involving approximately 250,000 miles of travel. It has also involved a survey questionnaire in eight countries, yielding over 1,840 responses.This is the first book to attempt a global comparison of Diaspora groups in six continents. Little has been written about Zoroastrian communities as far apart as China, East Africa, Europe, America, and Australia or on Parsis in Mumbai post-Independence. Each chapter is based on unused original sources ranging from nineteenth century archives to contemporary newsletters. The book also includes studies of Zoroastrians on the Internet, audio-visual resources, and the modern development of Parsi novels in English.As well as studying the Zoroastrians for their own inherent importance, this book contextualizes the Zoroastrian migrations within contemporary debates on Diaspora studies. John R. Hinnells examines what it is like to be a religious Asian in Los Angeles or London, Sydney or Hong Kong. Moreover, he explores not only how experience differs from one country to another, but also the differences between cities in the same country, for example, Chicago and Houston. The survey data is used firstly to consider the distinguishing demographic features of the Zoroastrian communities in various countries; and secondly to analyse different patterns of assimilation between different groups: men and women and according to the level and type of education. Comparisons are also drawn between people from rural and urban backgrounds; and between generations in religious beliefs and practices, including the preservation of secular culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A tough act to follow
This is a must have book for those who admire Zarthushties--as we say it in Iranian/Persian. It is also a tough act to follow for the future writers.
I was fortunate to attend the Firooz Bahram high school, a Zarthushti school in Tehran and learn how wonderful my Zarthushti friends are. I have since read a lot on their religion, history, culture and social habits and I must say this book is very faithful to the character of Zarthushties. I review only the works that are of highest quality and try not to say anything about a work if I can not say the nicest things about it. In that spirit, I give this book a 5 star.The book is a keeper in any good library and more addictive than food if left on a coffee table.

Coffee table book
I have been reading reviews by one Mr Noshir Khambata who rates every book he reviews as 5 stars and this raises the issue. His reviews do not help and it seems that he is out to please everyone and hence his reviews of all books are without any value

I have doubts about this book also and it looks like a coffee table book fit to be kept as a showpiece

A Zarathushtrian Labour of Love and Sacrifice.
The Editors of this magnificent and massive volume (762 folio pages) deserves the deepest thanks of the Parsee community of Bombay in particular, and Zarathushtrians in general on a global basis, for compiling for us, what is truly a "labour of love and stupendous sacrifice".The high quality of paper, printing, the selection of the articles, the magnificent coloured illustrations, the comprehensive glossary and chronological tables, truly makes this volume as one of a kind, that every Parsee household would do well to have on their prized book-shelf.The list of article contributors to this volume almost constitute a who's-who in the field of Iranian studies.Many of the reproduced photographs and illustrations are made available to the public for the first time.Every page delights a reader with uncanny information or stunning pictures or a fact of odd rarity.However the list of "Select Bibliography" at the end could undergo a substantial upgrading.

Very easily this work deserves a five star rating and beyond. But it breaks my heart that under the magnificence and glitter of this entire volume lies buried a grievous faux pas.This is not so much a judgement of error on the part of the very industrious Editors, but rather on the number of individuals who collaborated on this project and even contributed scholarly articles to it.The faux pas is the continued usage of the three most unfortunate words, i.e. Zoroaster, Zoroastrians and Zoroastrianism, when the correct designation Zarathushtra, Zarathushtrians and the Zarathushtrian Religion as dictated by the syntax of the English language have long been in existence and used by scholars of the highest intellectual calibre.Little, if any, is achieved in perpetuating an unfortunate error
steeped in ignorance and arrogance.

Congratulations to Mapin Publishers and Grantha Corporation and their massive editorial team for undertaking so massive a work and giving us a magnificent volume to treasure for years and beyond.It would be a great blessing if after some time the full volume can be accessed on the Internet with more stunning photographs and information. ... Read more

Book Description
This volume of studies represents researches spread over a period of many years. Part I: Iranian Religion: introduction; periods in the development of the religion of Iran; Zoroaster, prophet of ancient Iran; Zoroastrianism as a faith; host of heaven; legions of hell; universe and man; moral and ethical teachings of the ancient Zoroastrian religion; eschatology, the ancient Persian doctrine of a future life; religion of the Achaemenian kings; religion after Alexander's invasion, the Parthian dominion; worship, rites and ceremonies, religious observances; relation to other religions; Part II: Zoroastrian doctrine of the freedom of the will; Part III: miscellaneous Zoroastrian studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

In depth
This is a great book for someone researching the Zoroastrian faith and religion. It is not the most up to date work, but it contains far more in depth information than more modern works which have skipped some of the finer details.
I wouldn't recommend this for the beginner - they would be better served by such works as "Persian myths" by Curtis, "Persian Mythology" by Hinnells, or "Wise Lord of the sky" by Allan.
But for someone wishing to research the religion, this and R.C. Zaehner's books are truly excellent.

The First Monotheistic Religion Explored in Depth!
This is an excellent book.It has pulled together all the available literature on this very old religion and helped to make it understandable in modern times.One can see by reading this book where cross pollination between Judaism and Gnosticism exists...and to some extent, the Vedas from Hinduism.Very thoroughly researched. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

When Zarathustra Spoke
The idea proposed by Mary Settegast is bold and exciting.It remain to be seen, if other scholars support her findings or not.The book itself was very well organized.She developed her idea in a very deliberate and methodical fashion.Her maps and illustrations are outstanding.Overall, I recommend this book to all who are interested in mid-east ancient history.

Also sprach Settegast
The subject of Zoroastrianism tends to lead even reputable scholars to flights of fancy in order to fill in the blanks, of which there are many.Such speculation is perhaps permissable when one has a command of the languages, disciplines, original sources and critical materials.The author is clearly lacking in these prerequisites and has produced a work of fiction masquerading as scholarship.Are we truly to believe that Zarathushtra was an agricultural activist/potter/alchemist who transmitted his teachings by means of arcane designs on well-made ceramics in the second half of the seventh millennium B.C.?Some ceramic designs indicate lack of motion and therefore teach Zarathushtra's doctrine of the stasis of perfection.Other ceramic designs indicate motion and therefore teach his doctrine of progress toward perfection through the struggles in the time of themixture of good and evil.I am sure that the author could also find Zarathushtra's teachings in a ceramic bowl with no design at all.Faced with the author's assertion that one man could cause the spread of agriculture throughout the Near East, Southwest Asia, and Europe by making it a major feature of a religious revolution, which then failed, leaving only the tradition of settled farming communities as its legacy, one can only admire the scope of her imagination.For a more grounded view of Zarathushtra, read anything by Mary Boyce.

When Zarathustra Spoke
Clean, clear, and scrupulously documented, When Zarathustra Spoke is a must-read for anyone interested in the origins of civilization. Mary Settegast has found good and sufficient reason in the archaeology of the Neolithic Middle East for taking seriously the passages in ancient literature that place Zarathustra in the late-seventh millennium BC. I found her argument to be both intelligent and persuasive, offering a fresh approach to the question of why the agricultural way of life spread so quickly after 6500 BC. As a concerned environmentalist, I was particularly struck by the depiction of Zarathustra as not only the moving force behind this rapid diffusion of farming but also the first to designate man as steward of the earth.Fascinating.

New insights on the "Neolithic Revolution"
I loved it! What a treat to find a truly original - and radically controversial - idea backed up by solid scholarship. This elegantly written book owes its existence to the fact that the author refused to dismiss the accounts of ancient Greek and Roman historians (Pliny, Eudoxus, Xanthus, Plutarch) that mention Zarathustra and place his life thousands of years before conventional estimates. Armed with new information made possible by advanced archaeological techniques, Settegast makes a compelling case for linking one of the great puzzles of Neolithic archaeology - the "sudden and irrevocable diffusion of the agricultural way of life" - with the simultaneous spread of Zarathustra's religious imperative emphasizing the role of farming in the religious life. A fascinating read.

A Fresh Look at the Neolithic
Is it possible that Zarathustra, the famous founder of the Persian religion which bears his name, could have lived during the seventh millenium? The great German mystic Rudolf Steiner, for one, thought so. And so did the Greeks, for some of them regarded him as living at about 6500 b.c. Most modern scholars of the subject vacillate between the two dates of 500 b.c. and about 1500 b.c., and since the language of the Gathas bears many similarities with that of the Sanskrit Rig Veda, many favor this latter date.

But Mary Settegast has revived the tradition of dating him in the seventh millenium, for she believes that the archaeological evidence from this period most closely fits with the narrative schemas of Zoroastrianism. The middle of the seventh millenium was a time of great change in which the preceding period, known as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, with its skull cults and worship of male virility in the form of statues and bull's heads, was begining to fade away. The making of weapons, furthermore, in the form of arrowheads and speartips, simply vanishes during the new period, that known as the Pottery Neolithic, as farming communities in both Greece and Iran began to take up the practice of agriculture in earnest. This phenomenon is interesting, according to Settegast, in light of the fact that Zarathustra privileged the farmer over the warrior class. The newly dawning Pottery Neolithic also brought with it new culture forms, such as the making of the world's finest painted pottery on vessels which apparently had no practical use, copper and lead metallurgy, irrigation and generally smaller settlements.

The iconography of the pottery from this period is elaborate and amazing. Far from being--as some scholars think--mere decoration, the motifs articulated on these vessels have a definite cosmological and mythological significance. Whatever such significance was, it is now lost to us since no writings--or even oral traditions--have survived from this period, but Ms. Settegast believes that its iconography becomes intelligible in the light of Zoroastrian mythology. The emphasis on dark and light contrasts, checkerboard patterns, double axes, all are motifs based on the principle of cosmic polarity, which is, of course, the whole basis of Zoroastrian cosmic dualism. Other phenomena from this period may also fit well with the Zoroastrian ethos. Irrigation, for example, which appears during this phase for the first time, was known in later Zoroastrian texts such as the Vendidad as a sacred duty. We also find miniature mortars and pestles from this period, which is interesting in light of the later Zoroastrian ritual of the yasna ceremony, in which the cosmic mortar and pestle were used to grind the sacred haoma plant.

Ms. Settegast's book is full of such wonderful speculations--such as the totally fresh idea of Catal Huyuk as a possible early stronghold of Indo-European traditions, which turns its conventional associations upside down--and if the book has a major flaw, it is that it is too short. At only 154 pages it is only a fraction of the length of her earlier masterpiece Plato Prehistorian, and one can only wish that this book had been longer, so full of fresh ideas does it seem. Ms. Settegast is able to look at the Neolithic with a gaze undiminished by the bland writings of the Levantine specialists in this field, and one can only hope that she will write another book soon. ... Read more

Book Description
THIS 11 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Theosophist Magazine July 1924-September 1924, by Theosophical Publishing . To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 076615176X. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on January 1, 1999. The length of the article is 527 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Zoroastrians in Britain.(Review)
Author: W.W. Malandra
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1999
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: 119Issue: 1Page: 190(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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