Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #zoroastrianism

Most recents (4)

1/ Religion was another important link between #China and #Iran in both ancient and medieval times. This thread will briefly explore the Sino-#Iranian connection in the spread of three religions in China: #Buddhism, #Zoroastrianism, and #Islam.

#iranchina by @IranChinaGuy - B.F
2/ (Disclaimer: Each of these could be an entire topic, but as I am do this in my limited free time, I simply can't cover all three as well as I'd like. Please forgive anything left out, simplified, or overlooked. Follow me @IranChinaGuy and I will post more on each next week!)
3/ We have already discussed the Parthian origins of Buddhism in China via An Shigao. In general, Buddhism entered China via Central Asian contacts with Parthia, Kushan, and other Indian and Iranian cultures. Many of the early translators came from these areas, although...
Read 15 tweets
On the #Zoroastrian origins of a weekly #Catholic Ritual

پندار نیک، گفتار نیک، کردار نیک

Most people who are Catholic, or were raised in the Roman Catholic rite, will be familiar with the triple crossing ritual during the Mass.

#Iranian #زرتشت #CatholicTwitter ImageImage
In the moment before the Gospel reading, the priest says “a reading from the Gospel according to (X)”, and the congregation replies “glory to you, o Lord”, before performing this gesture.

Using their thumb, they cross their forehead, then their lips, then their heart.
Few if any Catholic knows that this gesture is a modern representation of an ancient philosophy inherited from #Zoroastrianism:

- Blessing the forehead signifies “good thoughts”
- Blessing the lips signifies “good words”
- Blessing the heart signifies “good deeds”
Read 8 tweets
1/10-To research and learn about Zoroastrianism:
1-Be wary of online/offline/oral sources given that it is a very old (one of the oldest) religion and most people deform it and interpret it in their own way.
2- Not many credible sources but I will list the ones that are
2/10-Prods Oktor Skjaervo is a professor of Iranian studies at department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in Harvard University. I will begin by listing some of his work relating to Zoroastrianism.
3/10-This is an introduction to Young Avestan by Skjaervo. It is an amazing tool to study with and educate others as well. It is concise and can be a good start to dip your toes in Zoroastrianism. Plus he shares it for free with and for Humanity💕
sites.fas.harvard.edu/~iranian/Avest…
Read 10 tweets
1/ Here’s a unique coin I love to show my students @UniofOxford. A fascinating window into the early history of #Islam in #Iran. Minted in Sistan, ca. 691-2. One side portrays the #Sasanian king of kings; the other has the Islamic profession of faith (the shahada) but in Pahlavi!
2/ Pahlavi (otherwise known as #Zoroastrian Middle #Persian) was the language of the #Sassanian kings and the #Zoroastrian clergy. It remained a prestige language in #Iran even after the Islamic conquest
3/ What makes the coin so unique is that it translates the shahada into an essentially #Zoroastrian idiom: “yazd-ēw bē ōy any yazd nēst mahmat paygāmbar ī yazd” (There is one God, without any other, #Muhammad is the #Prophet of God)
Read 15 tweets

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