Zoroastrianism

Question 1

Zoroaster

Answer 1

The central figure of Zoroastrianism; A real person, Zoroaster, though the evidence about him is very scanty- he lived around 1700s-500s BCE and the key source about him and his beliefs, was not written down until the 5th century CE/AD, so it is nearly impossible to be certain about most aspects of his life or original message

Question 2

Avesta

Answer 2

The primary collection of religious literature of Zoroastrianism

Question 3

Ahura Mazda

Answer 3

The overseer of all goodness in the universe

Question 3

Dualistic Universe


Answer 3

Existence of, yet complete separation of, good and evil and the two supreme forces govern the universe

Question 4

Ahriman

Answer 4

The lord of lies, a force of evil (the first ‘truly’ evil god )

Question 5

Chinvat Bridge

Answer 5

The bridge one must go to face judgement, determined by an ‘accountant’s spreadsheet,‘ where good deeds and the bad deeds are carefully recorded in a great ledger.
If the total is positive, the bridge is wide and study, and one is met by a beautiful maiden, who escorts the soul across the bridge to the house of song. If the total is negative, even if the difference is small, the bridge becomes increasingly narrow, and falling from it becomes inevitable. If one falls off Chinvat bridge, one falls down into the house of lies- Druj Demana- a place of eternal suffering

Question 6

Druj Demana

Answer 6

The Zoroastrian ‘hell’- those being punished are kept in complete isolation from one another in ‘boxes’. The punishments are not eternal: Zoroastrians believe that there will eventually be a final, apocalyptic cosmic battle between good and evil

Question 7

Yima

Answer 7

The ruler of Druj Demana; sometimes referred to as Yama

Question 8

4 sections of Druj Demana

Answer 8

1. Evil thoughts
2. Evil words
3. Evil deeds
4. Endless darkness (the worst of all)

Question 9

Soshyans

Answer 9

born a virgin, Soshyans will lead the fight to conquer evil forever; the savior figure will harrow hell and forgive penitent sinners, and
all souls, not just penitent sinners, will be reunited with their physical bodies, and then there will be one last final test of judgment.
All will have to wade across a river of molten metal-
For the righteous, the molten river will feel like a pleasing bath in warm milk however the wicked, it will burn and scald them until they melt away
Ahriman and Druj Demana will also get destroyed by the molten metal river and all evil in the universe will be destroyed forever