Philosophy of Religion Research
Zoroastrian Messianism in Gathas of Zoroaster: the everyone-saviourship of asha-believers
Editorial
Author
Assistant Professor of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
Understanding of Zoroastrian messianism and sotarology, especially in the Gathas of Zoroaster, keep still Avesta experts occupied. The current view is that although the idea of apocalyptic saviour is something made up in the young Avesta and pahlavi literatures, in the Gathas itself we can find apocalyptic meaning of the «saoshyant».
Hee I like to show that «saoshyant» has in Gathas no apocalyptic or eschatological meaning, though some yasnas of the Gathas may likely refer to the idea of the coming of a person like Zoroaster in the future. Likewise, the idea of frasha-making (= renovation) of the world (or existence) is not equal to eschatology, which has its evidence in the Gathas too. Therefore, as the doctrine of «frasha»-making turned in young Avesta to eschatology and frashkard, also the early meaning of saoshyant, namely the beneficent asha-believer (who benefits the world every times), changed to the eschatological saviour.
Saoshyants in Gathas are typical Mazda-worshipers, who try together with AhuraMazda to benefit always the world and make it «frasha». This beneficence to the world can culminate at the end of the time by the triumph of the Mazda-worshiper over the wicked. Although this doctrine, may overlap eschatology and even the belief in the coming of a feature like Zoroaster, but it is not equal to them.
Keywords
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