Avesta

The Avesta ( Pahlavi: ʾ p ( y) st ʾ k / abestāg, probably from altiranisch * upa - stāvaka, " praise ") is the holy book of going back to the Iranian religious founder Zoroaster religion Zoroastrianism dar. It consists of a collection of different texts in different linguistic and stylistic nature and temporal origin and contains, among other things, the Prophet himself ascribed Gathas.

The work is formulated exclusively in an old Iranian, specifically in a most northeastern Iranian language, Avestan. Younger parts show stylistic uncertainties and irregularities, which can be partly suspect that the authors of non-native speakers with regard to the Avestan language more 've been and this was already in a significant change process. This is the basis to conclude that the younger writer already formulated in a dead sacred language. Since the Avestan already in the Sassanid Empire and thus before the Islamic conquest of Persia must have been incomprehensible to the Zend literature made ​​it to the translation and commentary of the Avestan texts on the Middle Persian language. This literature has not survived today to a large extent. During the Middle Persian font for phonetic reproduction was very ambiguous, was probably in this period, ie the Avestan script developed between the third and the seventh centuries CE, for clear reproduction of the already dead language of the Avesta, which is used to this day.

There is some debate in the research, when the first sections of the Avesta are incurred. The various information usually extend to the period between the 8th century CE, and - according to the "Year of religion" in Pahlavi writings - 1737 CE

The Book Ardaviraf - Namak, a Middle Persian works from the 3rd - 4th Century after Christ, a report of an Achaemenid kept in archives and burned by " Alexander the Romans " transcript of the Avesta is apparent. According Denkard, a later Middle Persian works from the 8th - 9th Century, prompted the Iranian Great King Valkhas, which is most likely identified with the Parthian ruler Vologaeses I, the re- collection and compilation of the texts of the Avesta. In the 3rd century AD is issued on behalf Ardaschirs I. under the leadership of the High Priest Tansar a new compilation and editing, which under Shapur I and the Mobedan - Mobed Kartir another followed. Part of today's text, here in particular the Khordeh Avesta is the Mobedan - Mobed Azarpad Mehrespandan attributed. Religious work was preserved by oral tradition already in prehistoric times.

The oldest discovered transcript originates with the " Ashem - Vohu manuscript ," purchased in 1907 by Sir Aurel Stein, Dunhuang, and is currently located in the British Library, dating from the 9th century CE, and contains a Middle Iranian, Sogdian text. Apart from this comes the oldest currently present manuscript from the late 13th century CE, and is dated 1288.

Overview

Although one of the oldest and most important religious deeds of mankind, the Avesta of European science was made accessible only through the efforts of Abraham Anquetil - Duperron, who traveled to India in 1755, to obtain from the Parsenpriestern a copy of the Avesta. After a seven -year stay in India, he brought not only the Avesta, but also a full Persian translation, giving it a Parsenpriester had dictated in the spring, with. He gave a French translation thereof in 1771 out, but - especially in English scholar - met strong doubts as to the authenticity and age of the original.

Only through the writing of the Danish philologist Rasmus Christian Rask The age and the authenticity of the Zend language ( 1826), these doubts were by means of a close examination of the language of the original even eliminated. Since then, the study of the Avesta has made rapid progress in language and content.

As a result, it can be stated that the Avesta is the last remnant of the very extensive canon of scripture that had arisen in the east of Iran, probably in Bactria, before the foundation of the Persian Empire. These writings have been well accepted among the Persians and the Greeks made ​​famous by this very early. Their information about the content are in line with those of the original.

According to several Iranian sources and a legend of parsing the Avesta was burned by " Alexander the Macedonian " in Ecbatana or in Persis. Some other authors consider it more likely that it came during the foreign rule of the Greeks and the age of the Parthians into oblivion. At the time of the restoration of the old Zoroastrian religion under the dynasty of the Sassanids (since 226 CE), only parts of the entire religious and secular teachings of Zoroaster and his disciples found containing books ( nask ) of the old plant. These had been in common at that time, the Pahlavischrift similar font, called Zendschrift, rewritten and accompanied by a translation into the Pahlavi or Middle Persian. The then collected Avesta also contained numerous zurvanistische myths. These were excluded I. in the time between Yazdegerd II and Khosrau, but are partly in other Pahlavischriften ( Bundahischn, Denkard ) included.

Probably stem from this rewriting ago, most of the errors and Textverderbnisse which complicate interpretation of the Avesta. As a result of the conquest of Iran by the Arabs and the concomitant fight against the old religion of the country, a greater number of Parsees fled to India and took the remaining fragments of the Avesta with.

Term

The term Avesta ( " Avista " Pahlavi: Abestâg ) not met us before the time of the Sassanids. There are various information on the significance of the word. Here, by various authors is the meaning of " basic text " is assumed. Be based on the term among other things, the terms Abastâ to visit the Old Persian cuneiform inscriptions, and Upastâk to find in the book Denkard. Part is the meaning of " knowledge" or "Customer" and postulated on the root " vid " ("knowledge " ) in Avestan and pointed in Sanskrit.

The term Zend (or Zand ), however, refers to Middle Persian translations and comments, which the priests had created because of the lost knowledge of the ancient language of the Avesta ( Avestan ).

Parts of the Avesta

The individual parts of the Avesta are:

The Yasna

The Yasna ( " worship" ), disintegrating into 72 chapters, " Hâ " (section ) are called, and the most important part of the Holy Book Avesta, which consists of 5 books in our time. Part of the Yasna are the " Gathas " ( songs ), which are the words of the Prophet ( Yasna 28-34. 43-51 and 53). The earliest chapters of the Yasna and the later have been created only after Zarathustra of clergy, which initially tune the faithful to prayer, and eventually lead to the true songs of the prophets. The Gathas or hymns, which come from Zoroaster himself, provide the foundation for the later dogma and morality in the other, created later parts of the Avesta.

The Vendidad

The Vendidad or Vidêvdâd ( Avestan: VI daêvô -Data, " given against the Devs " and " Law against the Devs " dev: " demon " ) in its 22 " Fargards " fragments very diverse contents that differ only in the everywhere continuous investiture in dialogues between Ormuzd - written partly also Ormudz - or match Ahura Mazda and his prophet Zoroaster together. The first Fargard contains the Zoroastrian creation saga, the second the legend of Yima and the golden age, the following largely rules on fines and atonement, through which one could ward off the effects of the various sins or impurities that have been loaded on to.

The term dev ( Pahlavi language, Avestan: Daevas, Modern Persian: div) originally referred to old Iranian deities which one, though in the review found very different match in the Indian pantheon. Already found in the oldest sections of the Gathas " DEVS " as " false gods " mention. In the course of further Iranian history, a further shift in meaning is clear towards equipped with superhuman powers personifications of evil, which are usually rendered as "demons".

The Visparad

The Visparad (of Vispe ratavo, " All Upper " ) in depending on count 22 to 27 Kardas ( sections ) prayers of a similar nature as those in the younger part of the Yasna, but much smaller scale. Form the three books mentioned together, compiled in a peculiar arrangement for worship purposes much-used collection Vendidad Sade.

The Yashts

The Yashts ( worship by praise ), the fourth book of the Avesta, are adorations, according to divine creations, like archangels, elements, and the good, which are also the namesake of the Zoroastrian days. The Zoroastrian calendar has 30 days, and each day has the name of a divine creature (eg Mah: the moon, more: the light, the Fravashi: partly compared with the Archangels ), whose properties are listed and described in detail. They are therefore an important source of the Zoroastrian and Iranian mythology.

The Khordeh Avesta

Under Khordeh Avesta ( " Little Avesta " ), the five Niyâyishs that Afringâns that Gahs as well as some other, mostly smaller pieces and fragments together.