Published by Worldview Publications September/October 2003 Origins of Human Destiny1 IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE the determined efforts of both Jews and Greeks to define a way for mankind to escape this world and achieve the ethereal realm of heaven, it is essential to explore the historical background to their thinking. During the reign of Artaxerxes I (464-424 BCE), the royal dynasty of the Achaemenids was the strongest power on earth. With the conclusion of the Peace of Callius (ca. 449 BCE) between Persia and Athens, the vast Persian Empire exercised a profound cultural influence on all the nations over which it had suzerainty. Persia became the meeting place of Greek scholars like Herodotus and Xenophon. Persia also had become the home of numerous postexilic Jews such as Nehemiah, Ezra and Hanani, who achieved prominence in government, in economics and/or in religious scholarship. These foreign visitors and guests not only were enthralled with the glory and splendor of the world’s greatest empire, but they also were deeply moved by the beliefs and writings of the ancient Persian prophet, Zarathustra, who founded what has been regarded as the first great monotheistic religion, known as Zoroastrianism. The Prophet Zarathustra According to the “Greek author . Diogenes Laertius, . Zoroaster [Greek version of Zarathustra] lived six hundred Zarathustra ... founded years before Xerxes’ invasion of Greece, what has been regarded as 2 that is 1080 BCE.” Zarathustra was an the first great monotheistic Indo-Iranian who was born in Bactria (or religion, known as Aria), a district of northern Afghanistan now known as Balkh. Zarathustra was the Zoroastrianism. third of five brothers born to their mother, Dughdhova, and their father, Pourushaspa, who belonged to the Spitama (Spitaman) family. When he was seven years old, Zarathustra began his education for the priesthood in an Origins of Human Destiny Page 1 of 9 ancient Indo-Iranian cult devoted to the nature gods. His training was entirely oral, for his people had no knowledge of writing. The courses for the priesthood included rituals, doctrines and mantras — sacred formulas believed to embody the divinities invoked and to possess magical power. In addition, Zarathustra was taught to compose poetry in praise of the gods. Later, his poems and hymns became known as the Gathas. For the ancient Iranians the age of fifteen was recognized as maturity, and it was then that Zarathustra must have been inducted into the priesthood. But he was not satisfied with what he had learned or already accomplished. Thus, for years he continued his search for truth and justice. In the face of continuing tribal violence, war and bloodshed, he longed for a sacred moral law to be established for all mankind — rich and poor, men and women, young and old, strong and weak, so that all might enjoy life in peace, order and tranquility. For years Zarathustra wandered through the Iranian deserts and mountains. Tradition records that Angra Mainyu, the evil god, tempted Zarathustra in the desert and promised to give him earthly power if he would forsake the Supreme God, Ahura Mazda! It is recorded that the revelation of truth finally came to Zarathustra when he was thirty. At dawn one morning he waded into the middle of the Daiti River to secure water for a ritual ceremony. When he returned to the bank of the river, he had a vision of a shining being who led him to the Supreme Creator God. God commanded Zarathustra to oppose the sacrificial offerings as well as the intoxicating and orgiastic rites that were traditional to his Iranian cult. God also told him to aid the poor, give the divine message to all mankind, and warn the people that there would be a final judgment. Not surprisingly, the traditional cultic priests did not accept Zarathustra’s vision and new beliefs. For years he preached among his own people but only succeeded in winning a single convert — his cousin, Maidhyoimanha. Finally, Zarathustra’s conflict with the traditional priests became so intense that he was compelled to leave his own country. Fortunately, when he arrived at another tribe, the tribal queen, Hutasoa, and the king, Vishtaspa, gave him asylum. Soon thereafter the royal family arranged a debate between Zarathustra and the traditional priests. The debate Not surprisingly, the involved thirty-three questions that he traditional cultic priests appropriately answered. The result was did not accept that many noblemen converted to Zarathustra’s new religion. This angered Zarathustra’s vision and the neighboring tribal princes, who new beliefs. demanded a return to the old religious faith. A battle ensued, but Vishtaspa was victorious, and the new religion was established and secured. Zarathustra remained at the court of Vishtaspa until he died at the age of seventy-seven. There are conflicting accounts about the cause of his death — Origins of Human Destiny Page 2 of 9 either from the dagger of a pagan priest or from the weapons of invading nomads. Some locate his death near his birthplace at Bactra (Balkh), near modern Mazar-I-Sharif in Afghanistan.3 Many questions remain unanswered regarding this strange and virtually unknown person who was contemporary with the Israelite King David at the dawn of human self-consciousness (ca. 1000 BCE). What was the nature of Zarathustra’s vision? What led to his development of the first creedal and allegedly monotheistic religion? What was the impact of his teachings on the later emergence of Greek philosophy and on the religious development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam? The Good God and His First Creation As already noted, it was at the age of thirty that Zarathustra had a vision in which he saw a shining heavenly being who led him to the supreme and uncreated God, Ahura Mazda (Lord Wisdom), who had existed from all eternity. Zarathustra learned that Ahura Mazda’s first act was to “create” six lesser ethereal divinities, known as the Amesha Spentas (Holy Immortals), by means of his Holy Spirit (Spenta Mainyu).4 These immortal figures were later regarded as archangels. The six radiant figures surrounded Ahura Mazda, and together they formed the heptad (seven), representing all the qualities and attributes of lofty, good and beneficent divinity: Khshthra Vairya (Desirable Dominion) Spenta Armaiti (Holy Devotion) Haurvatat (Health) Asha Vahishta (Best Righteousness) Ameretat (Long Life) Vohu Manah (Good Purpose) Ahura Mazda (Wisdom) Ahura Mazda then proceeded to “create” numerous ethereal yazatas (“worthy of worship”). These also were The outcome of divine beings like angels who helped Zarathustra’s vision was Ahura Mazda mediate his good thoughts, that he had become not words and deeds to subsequent creations. only a priest but also a The Evil God and His prophet for God. Counter-Creation In his vision Zarathustra also was shown that Ahura Mazda (Lord Wisdom) had a “twin god,” Angra Mainyu (Hostile Spirit), who was equally uncreated yet was not only ignorant but also totally evil and who lived in hell. Just as Ahura Mazda had brought forth the Amesha Spentas to represent the attributes of all divine holiness, so Angra Mainyu brought forth six counterparts, who represented the attributes of all wickedness: Origins of Human Destiny Page 3 of 9 Dush-Kshathra (Cowardice) Merethyn (Annihilation) Taromaiti (False Pretense) Druj (Falsehood) Avetat (Misery) Akem (Evil Mind) Angra Mainyu (Prince of Darkness)5 Angra Mainyu further acted to counter-create numerous daevas (demons) to mediate his evil thoughts, words and deeds to all subsequent counter-creations. In his vision Zarathustra learned that the God of good and the god of evil had been locked in a dualistic cosmic, physical and ethical conflict from the beginning of time. This combat between good and evil would extend to the ultimate end of history at the eschaton. The outcome of Zarathustra’s vision was that he had become not only a priest but also a prophet for God. Through his sacred hymns (Gathas) and his later sacred, creedal and liturgical writings (Avesta = Authoritative Utterance), Zarathustra was commissioned to bring the entire world to acknowledge the truth. The Second Creation and the Menog State Soon after Ahura Mazda (Lord Wisdom) with his Holy Spirit (Spenta Mainyu) brought forth his six divine Ahura Mazda’s assistants (Amesha Spentas = Holy fundamental purpose was Immortals) and the yazatas, God decided for all mankind to achieve to create the universe. Together, Ahura Mazda with the Spenta Mainyu and each good thoughts, good words Amesha Spenta acted to create single and good deeds. entities of sky, earth, water, fire, plant, animal and man. Furthermore, they decided to fashion this initial Creation in a disembodied menog state (celestial, invisible, immaterial, spiritual). Ahura Mazda and the Spentas remained individually with each of the seven creations as an immaterial, hidden presence. In this situation Creation was wholly invulnerable to attack by Angra Mainyu (Prince of Darkness) and by his six attendant evil gods. The Third Creation and the Getik State In the next creative step Ahura Mazda with his Spenta Mainyu and the Amesha Spentas determined to grant the added goodness of a getik existence — terrestrial, embodied, visible, sentient, material — to the singularities of sky, earth, water, fire, plant, animal and man. “The achievement of the getik state Origins of Human Destiny Page 4 of 9 set the field for the battle with evil, for unlike the menog one it was vulnerable to assault; and Angra Mainyu straightway attacked [with his own counter-creation].”6 The Fourth Creation and the “Mixture” In their attack Angra Mainyu and his attendant evil ones crushed and shattered the seven creations of Ahura Mazda — his unique sky, earth, water, fire, plant, animal and man. In response Ahura Mazda and his attendant good ones (Spentas) ground the remains of each creation to pieces and scattered the pieces abroad.