Ancient Iranian religion

{{Original research|date=February 2025}}

{{Original research|date=February 2025}}

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'''Ancient Iranian religion''' was a set of ancient beliefs and practices of the [[Iranian peoples]] before the rise of [[monotheistic]]{{cite journal |last1=Boyd |first1=James W. |first2=Donald A. |last2=Crosby |title=Is Zoroastrianism Dualistic or Monotheistic? |journal=Journal of the American Academy of Religion |volume=47 |number=4 |date=1979 |pages=557–88 |doi=10.1093/jaarel/XLVII.4.557 |jstor=1462275 |quote=In brief, the interpretation we favor is that Zoroastrianism combines cosmogonic dualism and eschatological monotheism in a manner unique to itself among the major religions of the world. This combination results in a religious outlook which cannot be categorized as either straightforward dualism or straightforward monotheism, meaning that the question in the title of this paper poses a false dichotomy. The dichotomy arises, we contend, from a failure to take seriously enough the central role played by time in Zoroastrian theology. Zoroastrianism proclaims a movement through time from dualism toward monotheism, i.e., a dualism which is being made false by the dynamics of time, and a monotheism which is being made true by those same dynamics of time. The meaning of the [[eschaton]] in Zoroastrianism is thus the triumph of monotheism, the good God Ahura Mazdä having at last won his way through to complete and final ascendancy. But in the meantime there is vital truth to dualism, the neglect of which can only lead to a distortion of the religion's essential teachings.|issn=0002-7189 }} religion [[Zoroastrianism]]. The religion closest to it was the [[historical Vedic religion]] that was practiced during the [[Outline_of_South_Asian_history#Iron_Age_and_Vedic_period|Vedic period]]. The major deities worshipped were [[Ahura Mazda]] and [[Mithra]] from [[Iran]] to [[Rome]], but [[Atar]] was also worshipped, as names of kings and common public showing devotion to these three exist in most cases.{{cite book | last=Boyce | first=M. | title=A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under the Achaemenians | publisher=Brill | series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East | year=2015 | isbn=978-90-04-29390-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOh5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=17}} Some sects, the precursors of the [[Magi]], also worshipped Ahura Mazda, the chief of the [[Ahura]]s.{{cite book | title=A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under the Achaemenians | chapter=The Pre-Zoroastrian Religion of the Medes and Persians | publisher=Brill | date=1 Jan 1982 | doi=10.1163/9789004293908_003 | pages=14–39 | last1=Boyce | first1=Mary | isbn=978-90-04-29390-8 }} With the rise of [[Zoroaster]] and his new, reformatory religion, Ahura Mazda became the principal deity, while the [[Daeva]]s were relegated to the background. Many of the attributes and commandments of [[Varuna]], called [[Khvarenah|Fahrana]] in [[Media (region)|Media]]n times, were later attributed to Ahura Mazda by Zoroaster.{{cite book | last=De Witt Griswold | first=H. | title=The Religion of the Rigveda | publisher=H. Milford, Oxford University Press | series=Religious quest of India | year=1923 | isbn=978-0-89684-305-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-2gNAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA127 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=127}}{{cite book | last1=Lenormant | first1=F. | last2=Chevallier | first2=E. | title=Medes and Persians, Phoenicians, and Arabians | publisher=J. B. Lippincott | series=A Manual of the Ancient History of the East: To the Commencement of the Median Wars | year=1871 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA12 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=12}}

'''Ancient Iranian religion''' was a set of ancient beliefs and practices of the [[Iranian peoples]] before the rise of [[Zoroastrianism]]. The religion closest to it was the [[historical Vedic religion]] that was practiced during the [[Outline_of_South_Asian_history#Iron_Age_and_Vedic_period|Vedic period]]. The major deities worshipped were [[Ahura Mazda]] and [[Mithra]] from [[Iran]] to [[Rome]], but [[Atar]] was also worshipped, as names of kings and common public showing devotion to these three exist in most cases.{{cite book | last=Boyce | first=M. | title=A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under the Achaemenians | publisher=Brill | series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East | year=2015 | isbn=978-90-04-29390-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOh5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=17}} Some sects, the precursors of the [[Magi]], also worshipped Ahura Mazda, the chief of the [[Ahura]]s.{{cite book | title=A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under the Achaemenians | chapter=The Pre-Zoroastrian Religion of the Medes and Persians | publisher=Brill | date=1 Jan 1982 | doi=10.1163/9789004293908_003 | pages=14–39 | last1=Boyce | first1=Mary | isbn=978-90-04-29390-8 }} With the rise of [[Zoroaster]] and his new, reformatory religion, Ahura Mazda became the principal deity, while the [[Daeva]]s were relegated to the background. Many of the attributes and commandments of [[Varuna]], called [[Khvarenah|Fahrana]] in [[Media (region)|Media]]n times, were later attributed to Ahura Mazda by Zoroaster.{{cite book | last=De Witt Griswold | first=H. | title=The Religion of the Rigveda | publisher=H. Milford, Oxford University Press | series=Religious quest of India | year=1923 | isbn=978-0-89684-305-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-2gNAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA127 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=127}}{{cite book | last1=Lenormant | first1=F. | last2=Chevallier | first2=E. | title=Medes and Persians, Phoenicians, and Arabians | publisher=J. B. Lippincott | series=A Manual of the Ancient History of the East: To the Commencement of the Median Wars | year=1871 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA12 | access-date=15 Feb 2022 | page=12}}

The Iranian peoples emerged as a separate branch of the [[Indo-Iranians]] in the 2nd millennium BC, during which they came to dominate the [[Eurasian Steppe]] and the [[Persian Plateau]]. Their religion is derived from [[Iranian religions]], and therefore shares many similarities with the [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic religion]] of [[India]]. Although the Persian peoples left little written or material evidence of their religious practices, their religion is possible to reconstruct from scant Iranian, [[Babylonia]]n and [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] accounts, similarities with Vedic and other [[Proto-Indo-European religion|Indo-European religions]], and material evidence.

The Iranian peoples emerged as a separate branch of the [[Indo-Iranians]] in the 2nd millennium BC, during which they came to dominate the [[Eurasian Steppe]] and the [[Persian Plateau]]. Their religion is derived from [[Iranian religions]], and therefore shares many similarities with the [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic religion]] of [[India]]. Although the Persian peoples left little written or material evidence of their religious practices, their religion is possible to reconstruct from scant Iranian, [[Babylonia]]n and [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] accounts, similarities with Vedic and other [[Proto-Indo-European religion|Indo-European religions]], and material evidence.