ALBORZ ii. In Myth and Legend The most ancient layer of belief about the mythical “high Harā” appears to be…

BARAŠNOM, the chief Zoroastrian purification rite, consisting of a triple cleansing, with gōmēz (cow’s urine), dust, and water, followed by…

BĀNŪ PARS, “Lady of Pārs,” the name of a Zoroastrian shrine in the mountains at the northern end of the…

ĀZŪITI-, an Avestan word (cf. Skt. āhuti-) meaning “oblation of fat.” It occurs twice in the Gāθās, once together with…

AYĀDGĀR Ī JĀMĀSPĪG “Memorial of Jāmāsp,” a short but important Zoroastrian work in Middle Persian, also known as the Jāmāspī…

AYĀDGĀR Ī ZARĒRĀN “Memorial of Zarēr,” a short Pahlavi text which is the only surviving specimen in that language of…

AVESTAN PEOPLE. The term Avestan people is used here to include both Zoroaster’s own tribe, with that of his patron,…

ĀΘRAVAN- (Avestan) “priest” (strong stem āθravan-, weak stem aθaurun-), Mid. Pers. āsrōn. Its Vedic counterpart is átharvan- (for the phonetic…

ĀTAŠKADA (New Persian) “house of fire,” Mid. Pers. ātaxš-kadag, kadag ī ātaxš, a Zoroastrian term for a consecrated building in…

ĀTAŠ-ZŌHR, or ātaš-zōr (Persian zōr-e ātaš, a Middle Persian term for the Zoroastrian ritual offering to fire of fat from…

ĀTAŠ NIYĀYIŠN, the fifth in a group of five Zoroastrian prayers (niyāyišn), which is addressed to fire and its divinity…

ĀTAŠDĀN (Zoroastrian Pahlavi) “place of fire, fire-holder,” designates the altar-like repository for a sacred wood-fire in a Zoroastrian place of…

ĀTAŠ (Book Pahlavi and New Persian) “fire,” Book Pahlavi also ātaxš, both from the Avestan nominative singular ātarš; the regular…

ASTVAṰ.ƎRƎTA, the Avestan name of the Saošyant, the future Savior of Zoroastrianism. Zoroaster, according to the tradition of his community,…

ARSACIDS iv. Arsacid religion Nothing is known of the religion of the Parni before they entered Parthia, but it seems…

ĀŠ i. Etymology. ii. In modern Iran. iii. Among Zoroastrians.   i. Etymology The word āš does not seem to…

ARMAITI (Spəntā Ārmaiti, Pahl. Spandārmad, Pers. Isfandārmad), one of the six great Aməša Spəntas who, with Ahura Mazdā and/or his Holy…

ARDWAHIŠT (ORDĪBEHEŠT) YAŠT, the third in the series of Avestan hymns addressed to individual divinities. It is devoted to one…

ARDWAHIŠT (Av. Aša Vahišta, Mid. Pers. Ardwahišt, Ašawahišt; NPers. Ardībehešt, Ordībehešt), one of the six great Aməša Spəntas who, with…

APOCALYPTIC (that which has been revealed): i. In Zoroastrianism. ii. In Muslim Iran.   i. In Zoroastrianism The use of…

APĄM NAPĀT (Son of the Waters), Zoroastrian divinity of mysterious character whose true identity, like that of his Vedic counterpart,…

ANTIA, EDULJI KERSASPJI (1842-1913/1212-83 yazdegerdi), Parsi scholar, born of priestly stock in Navsari in Gujarat, where he received his early…

ANKLESARIA, TAHMURAS DINSHAH (1842-1903), Parsi priest and scholar. Born at the little town of Anklesar, center of the Godavra priestly…

ANKLESARIA, BAHRAMGORE TAHMURAS (1873-1944), Parsi scholar, son of Tahmuras Dinshah Anklesaria, born and educated in Bombay. He was the first…

ANKLESARIA, PESHOTAN KAVASHAH (1928-69). Parsi priest and scholar born at Broach. A distant relative of Tahmuras Anklesaria, he was educated…

ANĀHĪD (Old Pers. Anāhitā, New Pers. Nāhīd, Armenian Anahit, Greek Anaitis), Mid. Pers. form of the name of the Iranian…

AMURDĀD (Pahl. form of Av. Amərətāt, NPers. Mordād, Amordād), one of the seven great Aməša Spəntas of Zoroastrianism, the hypostasis of…

AMƎŠA SPƎNTA, an Avestan term for beneficent divinity, meaning literally “Holy/Bounteous Immortal” (Pahl. Amešāspand, [A]mahraspand). Although the expression does not…

AMA, a minor Zoroastrian divinity, the hypostasis of strength, who appears in the Avestan hymn to Vərəθraγna (Yt. 14). In…

AIRYAMAN, an ancient Iranian divinity and a yazata of the Zoroastrian pantheon, known in Manichean Middle Persian as Aryaman, in…

AHURA.ṰKAĒŠA, an infrequent Avestan adjective meaning “following the Ahuric doctrine.” Its oldest occurrence is probably in the Fravarānē, the Zoroastrian…

AHURA MAZDĀ (Old Persian Ahuramazda, Parth. Aramazd, Pahl. Ohrmazd/Hormizd, NPers. Ormazd), the Avestan name with title of a great divinity…

ĀDUR GUŠNASP, an Ātaš Bahrām (see Ātaš), that is, a Zoroastrian sacred fire of the highest grade, held to be…

ĀDUR BURZĒN-MIHR, an Ātaš Bahrām (see Ātaš), i.e., a Zoroastrian sacred fire of the highest grade. The tradition of its…

ĀDUR FARNBĀG, an Ātaš Bahrām (see Ātaš), that is, a Zoroastrian sacred fire of the highest grade, held to be…

ĀDUR (and ādar) Middle Persian word for “fire;” the Avestan form is ātar (of unknown derivation), and the late form…

ACHAEMENID RELIGION. The sources are threefold: Greek writings, Achaemenid monuments and artifacts, and texts from Persia in Old Persian, Elamite,…

ĀBRĪZAGĀN “the pouring of water,” name for a Zoroastrian feast; the term could be used for Tīragān (q.v.) and probably…