Zend Avesta

The Zend Avesta is the holy scripture of Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions. Although it has relatively few adherents today, Zoroastrianism has greatly influenced Western religious thought, shaping the major Abrahamic religions—including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—through the powerful Sasanian Persian Empire. The Zend Avesta contains the teachings and hymns of the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), who is thought to have lived around 1500–1000 BCE. Written in Avestan, an ancient Iranian language, the text is divided into several parts, with the Gathas being the most important, as they are believed to have been composed by Zoroaster himself. This sacred text outlines the core beliefs of Zoroastrianism, including the dualism of good and evil, the importance of individual choice, and the concept of a final judgment.