Happy Khordad Sal! Birthday Day of Zoroaster!

Wednesday, March 27th was known as Khordad Sal, the Birthday of Zoroaster!
Zoroaster (English pronunciation: /ˌzɒroʊˈæstər/ ZOHR-oh-as-tər), also known as Zarathustra (Avestan: Zaraϑuštra), who was the founder of Zoroastrianism, was either born in North Western or Eastern Iran. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism. There is no consensus among scholars about the period of life, with the estimated dates of his birth range from 6000 BC to 100 BC. The majority of his life is known through the Avestan texts.

It is also possible that Zoroaster was a purely mythological person or that the writings attributed to him are actually the work of multiple authors who wrote under the same name. All of the details have been lost in antiquity.



Etymology

Zoroaster's name in his native language, Avestan, was probably Zaraϑuštra. His English name, "Zoroaster", and the derivatives from a later (5th-century BCE) Greek transcription, Zōroastrēs (Ζωροάστρης),[1] as used in Xanthus's Lydiaca (Fragment 32) and in Plato's First Alcibiades (122a1). This form appears subsequently in the Latin Zōroastrēs and, in later Greek orthographies, as Zōroastris. The Greek form of the name appears to be based on a phonetic transliteration or semantic substitution of the Avestan zaraϑ- with the Greek zōros (literally "undiluted") and the Avestan -uštra with astron ("star").

In Avestan, Zaraϑuštra is generally accepted to derive from an Old Iranian *Zaratuštra-. While zarat- is strongly referenced to mean "golden"[who?] (from the old Eastern-Iranian zar- [-زر], meaning "gold")[2] it does not itself appear in Avestan.[citation needed] The second half of the name (-uštra-) is universally accepted to mean "camel".[3][a] These factors combined open the door for reconstructing the name's meaning, though there have been other alternative etymologies proposed.

Reconstructions from later Iranian languages—particularly from the Middle Persian (300 BCE) Zardusht, which is the form that the name took in the 9th- to 12th-century Zoroastrian texts—suggest that *Zaratuštra- might be a zero-grade form of *Zarantuštra-.[3]

Subject then to whether Zaraϑuštra derives from *Zarantuštra- or from *Zaratuštra-, several interpretations have been proposed.[b]

Following *Zarantuštra- are:

"with old/aging camels":[3] related to Avestic zarant-.[1] (cf. Pashto zorr and Ossetic zœrond, "old"; Old Persian zāl, "old")[4]
"with angry/furious camels": from Avestan *zarant-, "angry, furious".[5]

Following *Zaratuštra- are:

"[owner of the] golden camel": this is derived from old Eastern Iranian word *zar- for gold and ushtra for camel, further corresponding to an Eastern Iranian origin (the Old Persian word dar as a Western-Iranian dialect would be the equal term of Eastern Iranian zar; Modern Persian uses the Eastern Iranian word for gold).
"who is driving camels" or "who is fostering/cherishing camels": related to Avestan zarš-, "to drag".[6]
Mayrhofer (1977) proposed an etymology of "who is desiring camels" or "longing for camels" and related to Vedic har-, "to like", and perhaps (though ambiguous) also to Avestan zara-.[5]
"with yellow camels": parallel to younger Avestan zairi-.[7]

A folk etymology of the name is from zaraϑa, "golden", and the *uštra, "light" (from the root uš, "to shine").[citation needed] In yet another etymological variation, Zaraϑuštra is split into two words: zara, "gold", and ϑuštra, "friend".[citation needed] Several more etymologies have been proposed, some quite fanciful, but none is factually based.[3]

The interpretation of the -ϑ- (/θ/) in Avestan zaraϑuštra was for a time itself subjected to heated debate because the -ϑ- is an irregular development: As a rule, *zarat- (a first element that ends in a dental consonant) should have Avestan zarat- or zarat̰- as a development from it. Why this is not so for zaraϑuštra has not yet been determined. Notwithstanding the phonetic irregularity, that Avestan zaraϑuštra with its -ϑ- was linguistically an actual form is shown by later attestations reflecting the same basis.[3] All present-day, Iranian-language variants of his name derive from the Middle Iranian variants of Zarϑošt, which, in turn, all reflect Avestan's fricative -ϑ-.[citation needed]

Date

The date of Zoroaster, i.e., the date of composition of the Old Avestan gathas, is unknown. Classical writers such as Plutarch proposed dates prior to 6000 BC.[8] Dates proposed in scholarly literature diverge widely, between the 18th and the 6th centuries BC.[9]

Until the late 17th century, Zoroaster was generally dated to about the 6th century BC, which coincided with both the "Traditional date" (see details below) and historiographic accounts (Ammianus Marcellinus xxiii.6.32, 4th century AD). However, already at the time (late 19th century), the issue was far from settled, with James Darmesteter pleading for a later date (c. 100 BCE).

The "Traditional date" originates in the period immediately following Alexander the Great's conquest of the Achaemenid Empire in 330 BC. The Seleucid kings who gained power following Alexander's death instituted an "Age of Alexander" as the new calendrical epoch. This did not appeal to the Zoroastrian priesthood who then attempted to establish an "Age of Zoroaster." To do so, they needed to establish when Zoroaster had lived, which they accomplished by counting back the length of successive generations[10] until they concluded that Zoroaster must have lived "258 years before Alexander." This estimate then re-appeared in the 9th- to 12th-century texts of Zoroastrian tradition,[c] which in turn gave the date doctrinal legitimacy, especially since it was made ​​plausible also by the observational history of the Pleiades in the Geoponica that indicates Zoroaster as a principal source of some observations. In the early part of the 20th century, this remained the accepted date (subject to the uncertainties of the 'Age of Alexander'[d]) for a number of reputable scholars, among them Hasan Taqizadeh, a recognized authority on the various Iranian calendars, and hence became the date cited by Henning and others.

By the late 19th century, scholars such as Bartholomea and Christensen noted problems with the "Traditional date," namely in the linguistic difficulties that it presented. The Old Avestan language of the Gathas (which are attributed to the prophet himself) is still very close to the Sanskrit of the Rigveda. Therefore, it seemed implausible that the Gathas and Rigveda could be more than a few centuries apart, suggesting a date for the oldest surviving portions of the Avesta of roughly the 2nd millennium BCE.

This 11th/10th century BC date is now widely accepted among Iranists, who in recent decades found that the social customs described in the Gathas roughly coincide with what is known of other pre-historical peoples of that period. Supported by this historical evidence, the "Traditional date" can be conclusively ruled out, and the discreditation can to some extent be supported by the texts themselves: The Gathas describe a society of bipartite (priests and herdsmen/farmers) nomadic pastoralists with tribal structures organized at most as small kingdoms. This contrasts sharply with the view of Zoroaster having lived in an empire, at which time society is attested to have had a tripartite structure (nobility/soldiers, priests, and farmers). Although a slightly earlier date (by a century or two) has been proposed on the grounds that the texts do not reflect the migration onto the Iranian Plateau, it is also possible that Zoroaster lived in one of the rural societies that remained in Central Asia.

Place

Yasna 9 & 17 cite the Ditya River in Airyanem Vaējah (Middle Persian Ērān Wēj) as Zoroaster's home and the scene of his first appearance. The Avesta (both Old and Younger portions) does not mention the Achaemenids or of any West Iranian tribes such as the Medes, Persians, or even Parthians.

However, in Yasna 59.18, the zaraϑuštrotema, or supreme head of the Zoroastrian priesthood, is said to reside in 'Ragha'. In the 9th- to 12th-century Middle Persian texts of Zoroastrian tradition, this 'Ragha'—along with many other places—appear as locations in Western Iran. While the land of Media does not figure at all in the Avesta (the westernmost location noted in scripture is Arachosia), the Būndahišn, or "Primordial Creation," (20.32 and 24.15) puts Ragha in Media (medieval Rai). However, in Avestan, Ragha is simply a toponym meaning "plain, hillside."[11]

Apart from these indications in Middle Persian sources which are open to interpretations, there are a number of other sources. The Greek and Latin sources are divided on the birth place of Zarathustra. There are many Greek accounts of Zarathustra, referred usually as Persian or Perso-Median Zoroaster. Moreover they have the suggestion that there has been more than one Zoroaster.[12] On the other hand, in post-Islamic sources Shahrastani (1086–1153) an Iranian writer originally from Shahristān, present-day Turkmenistan, proposed that Zoroaster's father was from Atropatene (also in Medea) and his mother was from Rey. Coming from a reputed scholar of religions, this was a serious blow for the various regions who all claimed that Zoroaster originated from their homelands, some of which then decided that Zoroaster must then have then been buried in their regions or composed his Gathas there or preached there.[13][14] Also Arabic sources of the same period and the same region of historical Persia consider Azerbaijan as the birth place of Zarathustra.[15]

By the late 20th century, most scholars had settled on an origin in Eastern Iran and/or Afghanistan. Gnoli proposed Sistan (though in a much wider scope than the present-day province) as the homeland of Zoroastrianism; Frye voted for Bactria and Chorasmia;[16] Khlopin suggests the Tedzen Delta in present-day Turkmenistan.[17] Sarianidi considered the BMAC region as "the native land of the Zoroastrians and, probably, of Zoroaster himself."[18] Boyce includes the steppes to the west from the Volga.[19] The medieval "from Media" hypothesis is no longer taken seriously, and Zaehner has even suggested that this was a Magi-mediated issue to garner legitimacy, but this has been likewise rejected by Gershevitch and others.

The 2005 Encyclopedia Iranica article on the history of Zoroastrianism summarizes the issue with "while there is general agreement that he did not live in western Iran, attempts to locate him in specific regions of eastern Iran, including Central Asia, remain tentative."[20]

Life

The Gathas contain allusions to personal events, such as Zoroaster's triumph over obstacles imposed by competing priests and the ruling class. They also indicate he had difficulty spreading his teachings, and was even treated with ill-will in his mother's hometown. They also describe familial events such as the marriage of his daughter, at which Zoroaster presided. In the texts of the Younger Avesta (composed many centuries after the Gathas), Zoroaster is depicted wrestling with the daevas and is tempted by Angra Mainyu to renounce his faith (Yasht 17.19; Vendidad 19). The Spend Nask, the 13th section of the Avesta, is said to have a description of the prophet's life. [21] However, this text has been lost over the centuries, and it survives only as a summary in the seventh book of the 9th century Dēnkard. Other 9th- to 12th-century stories of Zoroaster, as in the Shāhnāmeh, are also assumed to be based on earlier texts, but must be considered as primarily a collection of legends. The historical Zoroaster, however, eludes categorization as a legendary character.

Zoroaster was born into the priestly family of the Spitamids and his ancestor Spitāma is mentioned several times in the Gathas. His father's name was Pourušaspa, his mother's was Dughdova (Duγδōuuā). With his wife, Huvovi (Hvōvi), Zoroaster had three sons, Isat Vastar, Uruvat-Nara and Hvare Ciϑra three daughters, Freni, Pourucista and Triti. His wife, children and a cousin named Maidhyoimangha, were his first converts after his illumination from Ahura Mazda at age 30. According to Yasnas 5 & 105, Zoroaster prayed to Anahita for the conversion of King Vištaspa,[22] who appears in the Gathas as a historical personage. In legends, Vištaspa is said to have had two brothers as courtiers, Frašaōštra and Jamaspa, and to whom Zoroaster was closely related: his wife, Hvōvi, was the daughter of Frashaōštra, while Jamaspa was the husband of his daughter Pourucista. The actual role of intermediary was played by the pious queen Hutaōsa. Apart from this connection, the new prophet relied especially upon his own kindred (hvaētuš).

Zoroaster's death is not mentioned in the Avesta. In Shahnameh 5.92,[23] he is said to have been murdered at the altar by the Turanians in the storming of Balkh.

Philosophy

In the Gathas, Zoroaster sees the human condition as the mental struggle between aša (truth) and druj (lie). The cardinal concept of aša—which is highly nuanced and only vaguely translatable—is at the foundation of all Zoroastrian doctrine, including that of Ahura Mazda (who is aša), creation (that is aša), existence (that is aša) and as the condition for Free Will, which is arguably Zoroaster's greatest contribution to religious philosophy.

The purpose of humankind, like that of all other creation, is to sustain aša. For humankind, this occurs through active participation in life and the exercise of constructive thoughts, words and deeds.

Elements of Zoroastrian philosophy entered the West through their influence on Judaism and Middle Platonism and have been identified as one of the key early events in the development of philosophy.[24] Among the classic Greek philosophers, Heraclitus is often referred to as inspired by Zoroaster's thinking.[25]

Iconography

Although a few recent depictions of Zoroaster show the prophet performing some deed of legend, in general the portrayals merely present him in white vestments (which are also worn by present-day Zoroastrian priests). He often is seen holding a baresman (Avestan; Middle Persian barsom), which is generally considered to be another symbol of priesthood, or with a book in hand, which may be interpreted to be the Avesta. Alternatively, he appears with a mace, the varza—usually stylized as a steel rod crowned by a bull's head—that priests carry in their installation ceremony. In other depictions he appears with a raised hand and thoughtfully lifted finger, as if to make a point. Zoroaster is rarely depicted as looking directly at the viewer; instead, he appears to be looking slightly upwards, as if beseeching. Zoroaster is almost always depicted with a beard, this along with other factors bear similarities to 19th century portraits of Jesus.[26]

A common variant of the Zoroaster images derives from a Sassanid-era rock-face carving. In this depiction at Taq-e Bostan, a figure is seen to preside over the coronation of Ardashir I or II. The figure is standing on a lotus, with a baresman in hand and with a gloriole around his head. Until the 1920s, this figure was commonly supposed to be a depiction of Zoroaster, but in recent years is more commonly interpreted to be a depiction of Mithra. Among the most famous of the European depictions of Zoroaster is that of the figure in Raphael's 1509 The School of Athens. In it, Zoroaster and Ptolemy are having a discussion in the lower right corner. The prophet is holding a star-studded globe.




Western perceptions

In classical antiquity

Although, at the core, the Greeks (in the Hellenistic sense of the term) understood Zoroaster to be the "prophet and founder of the religion of the Iranian peoples" (e.g. Plutarch Isis and Osiris 46-7, Diogenes Laertius 1.6-9 and Agathias 2.23-5), "the rest was mostly fantasy."[27] He was set in the impossibly ancient past, six to seven millennia before the Common Era, and was variously a king of Bactria, or a Babylonian (or teacher of Babylonians), and with a biography typical for every Neopythagorean sage, i.e. a mission preceded by ascetic withdrawal and enlightenment.[27]

Most importantly however, was their picture of Zoroaster as the sorcerer-astrologer non-plus-ultra, and indeed as the "inventor" of both magic and astrology. Deriving from that image, and reinforcing it, was a "mass of literature"[28] attributed to him and that circulated the Mediterranean world from the 3rd century BCE to the end of antiquity and beyond. "The Greeks considered the best wisdom to be exotic wisdom" and "what better and more convenient authority than the distant—temporally and geographically—Zoroaster?"[29]

The language of that literature was predominantly Greek, though at one stage or another various parts of it passed through Aramaic, Syriac, Coptic or Latin. Its ethos and cultural matrix was likewise Hellenistic, and "the ascription of literature to sources beyond that political, cultural and temporal framework represents a bid for authority and a fount of legitimizing "alien wisdom". Zoroaster and the magi did not compose it, but their names sanctioned it."[28] The attributions to "exotic" names (not restricted to magians) conferred an "authority of a remote and revelation wisdom."[30]

Once the magi were associated with magic in Greek imagination, Zoroaster was bound to metamorphose into a magician too. The 1st century Pliny the elder names Zoroaster as the inventor of magic (Natural History 30.2.3). "However, a principle of the division of labor appears to have spared Zoroaster most of the responsibility for introducing the dark arts to the Greek and Roman worlds." That "dubious honor" went to the "fabulous magus, Ostanes, to whom most of the pseudepigraphic magical literature was attributed."[31] Although Pliny calls him the inventor of magic, the Roman does not provide a "magician's persona" for him.[31] Moreover, the little "magical" teaching that is ascribed to Zoroaster is actually very late, with the very earliest example being from the 14th century.[32]

One factor for the association with astrology was Zoroaster's name, or rather, what the Greeks made of it. Within the scheme of Greek thinking (which was always on the lookout for hidden significances and "real" meanings of words) his name was identified at first with star-worshiping (astrothytes "star sacrificer") and, with the Zo-, even as the living star. Later, an even more elaborate mythoetymology evolved: Zoroaster died by the living (zo-) flux (-ro-) of fire from the star (-astr-) which he himself had invoked, and even, that the stars killed him in revenge for having been restrained by him.

Similar ideas about Zoroaster also appear in early Christian literature, beginning with the Clementine Homilies 9.4-5, which identifies him with a parallel series of traditions about Nimrod having been the founder of astrology. In this account, Nimrod is killed by lightning and posthumously deified by the Persians as "Zoroaster, on account of the living (zosan) stream of the star (asteros) being poured upon him."[33]

The second, and "more serious"[34] factor for the association with astrology was the notion that Zoroaster was a Babylonian. The alternate Greek name for Zoroaster was Zaratas/Zaradas/Zaratos (cf. Agathias 2.23-5, Clement Stromata I.15), which—so Cumont and Bidez—derived from a Semitic form of his name. The Pythagorean tradition considered the mathematician to have studied with Zoroaster in Babylonia (Porphyry Life of Pythagoras 12, Alexander Polyhistor apud Clement's Stromata I.15, Diodorus of Eritrea, Aristoxenus apud Hippolitus VI32.2). Lydus (On the Months II.4) attributes the creation of the seven-day week to "the Babylonians in the circle of Zoroaster and Hystaspes," and who did so because there were seven planets. The Suda's chapter on astronomia notes that the Babylonians learned their astrology from Zoroaster. Lucian of Samosata (Mennipus 6) decides to journey to Babylon "to ask one of the magi, Zoroaster's disciples and successors," for their opinion.

While the division along the lines of Zoroaster/astrology and Ostanes/magic is an "oversimplification, the descriptions do at least indicate what the works are not." They were not expressions of Zoroastrian doctrine, they were not even expressions of what the Greeks and Romans "imagined the doctrines of Zoroastrianism to have been."[30] The assembled fragments do not even show noticeable commonality of outlook and teaching among the several authors who wrote under each name.

Almost all Zoroastrian pseudepigrapha is now lost, and of the attested texts—with only one exception—only fragments have survived. Pliny's 2nd or 3rd century attribution of "two million lines" to Zoroaster suggest that (even if exaggeration and duplicates are taken into consideration) a formidable pseudepigraphic corpus once existed at the Library of Alexandria. This corpus can safely be assumed to be pseudepigrapha because no one before Pliny refers to literature by "Zoroaster,"[35] and on the authority of the 2nd century Galen of Pergamon and from a 6th century commentator on Aristotle it is known that the acquisition policies of well-endowed royal libraries created a market for fabricating manuscripts of famous and ancient authors.[35]

The exception to the fragmentary evidence (i.e. reiteration of passages in works of other authors) is a complete Coptic tractate titled Zostrianos (after the first-person narrator) discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. A three-line cryptogram in the colophones following the 131-page treatise identify the work as "words of truth of Zostrianos. God of Truth [logos]. Words of Zoroaster."[36] Invoking a "God of Truth" might seem Zoroastrian, but there is otherwise "nothing noticeably Zoroastrian" about the text and "in content, style, ethos and intention, its affinities are entirely with the congeners among the Gnostic tractates."[37]

Among the named works attributed to "Zoroaster" is a treatise On Nature (Peri physeos), which appears to have originally constituted four volumes (i.e. papyrus rolls). The framework is a retelling of Plato's Myth of Er, with Zoroaster taking the place of the original hero. While Porphyry imagined Pythagoras listening to Zoroaster's discourse, On Nature has the sun in middle position, which was how it was understood in the 3rd century. In contrast, Plato's 4th century BCE version had the sun in second place above the moon. Ironically, Colotes accused Plato of plagiarizing Zoroaster,[38][39] and Heraclides Ponticus wrote a text titled Zoroaster based on (what the author considered) "Zoroastrian" philosophy in order to express his disagreement with Plato on natural philosophy.[40] With respect to substance and content in On Nature only two facts are known: that it was crammed with astrological speculations, and that Necessity (Ananké) was mentioned by name and that she was in the air.

Another work circulating under the name of "Zoroaster" was the Asteroskopita (or Apotelesmatika), and which ran to five volumes (i.e. papyrus rolls). The title and fragments suggest that it was an astrological handbook, "albeit a very varied one, for the making of predictions."[30] A third text attributed to Zoroaster is On Virtue of Stones (Peri lithon timion), of which nothing is known other than its extent (one volume) and that pseudo-Zoroaster sang it (from which Cumont and Bidez conclude that it was in verse). Numerous other fragments (preserved in the works of other authors) are attributed to "Zoroaster," but the titles of whose books are not mentioned.

These pseudepigraphic texts aside, some authors did draw on a few genuinely Zoroastrian ideas. The Oracles of Hystaspes, by "Hystaspes", another prominent magian pseudo-author, is a set of prophecies distinguished from other Zoroastrian pseudepigrapha in that it draws on real Zoroastrian sources.[30] Some allusions are more difficult to assess: in the same text that attributes the invention of magic to Zoroaster, Pliny states that Zoroaster laughed on the day of his birth, although in an earlier place (VII, I), Pliny had sworn in the name of Hercules that no child had ever done so before the 40th day from his birth. This notion of Zoroaster's laughter (like that of "two million verses") also appears in the 9th-11th century texts of genuine Zoroastrian tradition, and for a time it was assumed that the origin of those myths lay with indigenous sources. Pliny also records (VII, XV) that Zoroaster's head had pulsated so strongly that it repelled the hand when laid upon it, a presage of his future wisdom. The Iranians were however just as familiar with the Greek writers. The provenance of other descriptions are clear, so for instance, Plutarch's description of its dualistic theologies: "Others call the better of these a god and his rival a daemon, as, for example, Zoroaster the Magus, who lived, so they record, five thousand years before the siege of Troy. He used to call the one Horomazes and the other Areimanius" (Isis and Osiris 46-7).

In the post-classical era

Zoroaster was known as a sage, magician, and miracle-worker in post-Classical Western culture. Although almost nothing was known of his ideas until the late 18th century, his name was already associated with lost ancient wisdom. However as early as 1643 Sir Thomas Browne in his Religio Medici wrote-

I beleeve, besides Zoroaster, there were divers that writ before Moses (R.M.Part 1:23)

whilst in The Garden of Cyrus of 1658 he speculated-

And if Zoroaster were either Cham, Chus, or Mizraim, they were early proficients there of...

These statements by Sir Thomas Browne are the earliest recorded references to Zoroaster in the English language.

Zoroaster appears as "Sarastro" in Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte, which has been noted for its Masonic elements, where he represents moral order (cf. Asha) in opposition to the "Queen of the Night."

He is also the subject of the 1749 opera Zoroastre, by Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Enlightenment writers such as Voltaire promoted research into Zoroastrianism in the belief that it was a form of rational Deism, preferable to Christianity. With the translation of the Avesta by Abraham Anquetil-Duperron, Western scholarship of Zoroastrianism began.

In his seminal work Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) (1885) the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uses the native Iranian name Zarathustra (i.e. the Persian Zarathustra, as opposed to the Greek-Latin name Zoroaster) which has a significant meaning[s] as he had used the familiar Greek-Latin name in his earlier works.[41] In particular that Nietzsche states explicitly, "I must pay tribute to Zarathustra, a Persian (German: einem Perser): Persians were the first who thought of history in its full entirety." It is believed that Nietzsche creates a characterization of Zarathustra as the mouthpiece for Nietzsche's own ideas against morality. Nietzsche did so because—so says Nietzsche in his autobiographical Ecce Homo (IV/Schicksal.3)—Zarathustra was a moralist ("was the exact reverse of an immoralist") and because "in his teachings alone is truthfulness upheld as the highest virtue." Zarathustra "created" morality in being the first to reveal it, "first to see in the struggle between good and evil the essential wheel in the working of things." Nietzsche sought to overcome the morality of Zarathustra by using the Zarathustrian virtue of truthfulness; thus Nietzsche found it piquant to have his Zarathustra character voice the arguments against morality.[f]

Richard Strauss's Opus 30, inspired by Nietzsche's book, is also called Also sprach Zarathustra. Its opening theme, which corresponds to the book's prologue, was used to score the opening sequence of Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Zoroaster was mentioned by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats. His wife and he were said to have claimed to have contacted Zoroaster through "automatic writing".[42]

The protagonist and narrator of Gore Vidal's 1981 novel Creation is described to be the grandson of Zoroaster, with whom the narrator has several philosophical discussions and whose death he is a witness of.

Zoroaster is mentioned in Don Quixote [1605]: "...in spite of all the black magic possessed by the first inventor Zoroaster..." (p. 398...?)

In chapter CX of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick [1851], the sickly Queequeg is briefly compared to Zoroaster. "An awe that cannot be named would steal over you as you sat by the side of this waning savage, and saw as strange things in his face, as any beheld who were bystanders when Zoroaster died."

In 1973 Roxy Music released their "Stranded" album with the song "Mother of Pearl" which has lyrical reference to Zarathustra at approximately 3:09 seconds into the song.

For the modern age, the first Zoroaster featured Android Application "101 Names of Dadar Hormazd" was created on January 2012. This application was created by Android Developer Sunil Jain and is totally free and gives a listing of the 101 Holy Names of Dadar Hormuzd (the Creator Ahura Mazda). Pictures of the Prophet are prominently featured. 101 Names of Dadar Hormazd Android Application

In other religious systems

In Islam

Citing the authority of the 8th century al-Kalbi, the 9th/10th century historian al-Tabari (i.648)[43] reports that Zaradusht bin Isfiman (an Arabic adaptation of "Zarathustra Spitama") was an inhabitant of Palestine, and a servant of one of the disciples of the prophet Jeremiah. According to this tale, Zaradusht defrauded his master, who cursed him, causing him to become leprous (cf. Elisha's servant Gehazi in Jewish Scripture). The apostate Zaradusht then eventually made his way to Balkh where he converted Bishtasb (i.e. Vishtaspa), who in turn compelled his subjects to adopt the religion of the Magians. Recalling other tradition, al-Tabari (i.681-683[43]) recounts that Zaradusht accompanied a Jewish prophet to Bishtasb/Vishtaspa. Upon their arrival, Zaradusht translated the sage's Hebrew teachings for the king and so convinced him to convert (Tabari also notes that they had previously been Sabis) to the Magian religion.[43]

The 10th/11th century heresiographer al-Shahrastani describes the Majusiya into three sects, the Kayumarthiya, the Zurwaniya and the Zaradushtiya, among which Al-Shahrastani asserts that only the last of the three were properly followers of Zoroaster. As regards the recognition of a prophet, the Zoroaster has said: "They ask you as to how should they recognize a prophet and believe him to be true in what he says; tell them what he knows the others do not, and he shall tell you even what lies hidden in your nature; he shall be able to tell you whatever you ask him and he shall perform such things which others cannot perform." (Namah Shat Vakhshur Zartust, .5-7. 50–54) Shortly before the advent of the prophet of Islam, [Muhammad], Persia was under the sovereignty of Sasan V. When the companions of the Prophet, on invading Persia, came in contact with the Zoroastrian people and learned these teachings, they at once came to the conclusion that Zoroaster was really a Divinely inspired prophet. Thus they accorded the same treatment to the Zoroastrian people which they did to other "People of the Book." Though the name of Zoroaster is not mentioned in the Qur'an, still he was regarded as one of those prophets whose names have not been mentioned in the Qur'an, for there is a verse in the Qur'an: "And We did send apostles before thee: there are some of them that We have mentioned to thee and there are others whom We have not mentioned to Thee." (40 : 78). Accordingly the Muslims treated the founder of Zoroastrianism as a true prophet and believed in his religion as they did in other inspired creeds, and thus according to the prophecy, protected the Zoroastrian religion. James Darmestar has truly remarked in the translation of Zend Avesta: "When Islam assimilated the Zoroastrians to the People of the Book, it evinced a rare historical sense and solved the problem of the origin of the Avesta." (Introduction to Vendiad. p. 69.)

Ahmadiyya view

Ahmadi Muslims view Zoroaster as a Prophet of God and describe the expressions of Ahura Mazda, the God of goodness and Ahraman, the God of evil as merely referring to the coexistence of forces of good and evil enabling humans to exercise free will. Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in his book Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth views Zoroaster as Prophet of God and describes such the expressions to be a concept which is similar to the concepts in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.[44]

In Manichaeism

Manichaeism considered Zoroaster to be a figure (along with Jesus and the Buddha) in a line of prophets of which Mani (216–276) was the culmination.[45] Zoroaster's ethical dualism is—to an extent—incorporated in Mani's doctrine, which viewed the world as being locked in an epic battle between opposing forces of good and evil.[46] Manicheanism also incorporated other elements of Zoroastrian tradition, particularly the names of supernatural beings; however, many of these other Zoroastrian elements are either not part of Zoroaster's own teachings or are used quite differently from how they are used in Zoroastrianism.[46][47]

In the Bahá'í Faith

Zoroaster appears in the Bahá'í Faith as a "Manifestation of God", one of a line of prophets who have progressively revealed the Word of God to a gradually maturing humanity. Zoroaster thus shares an exalted station with Abraham, Moses, Gautama Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh.[48] Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, saw Bahá'u'lláh as the fulfillment of a post-Sassanid Zoroastrian prophecy that saw a return of Sassanid emperor Bahram:[49] Shoghi Effendi also stated that Zoroaster lived roughly 1000 years before Jesus[z] or 3500 years before the present time.

See also
Portal icon Poetry portal
Portal icon Zoroastrianism portal

List of founders of major religions
Zartosht Bahram e Pazhdo (author of a Persian epic biography on Zoroaster)

Notes
a:^ Originally proposed by Burnouf[50]
b:^ For refutation of these and other proposals, see Humbach, 1991.[51]
c:^ The Bundahishn computes "200 and some years" (GBd xxxvi.9) or "284 years" (IBd xxxiv.9). That '258 years' was the generally accepted figure is however noted by al-Biruni and al-Masudi, with the latter specifically stating (in 943/944 AD) that "the Magians count a period of two hundred and fifty-eight years between their prophet and Alexander."[52][53]
d:^ "258 years before Alexander," is only superficially precise, and thus debated.[53] What in Zoroaster's life happened 258 before Alexander? His birth? His enlightenment? His conversion of Vistaspa? His death? Similarly, before Alexander's what? His accession to the Macedonian throne? His invasion? His death? The beginning of the "Era of Alexander" (which began 10 years after his death)?

It has been suggested that this "traditional date" is an adoption of some date from foreign sources, from the Greeks[54] or the Babylonians[55] for example, which the priesthood then reinterpreted. A simpler explanation is that the priests subtracted 42 (the age at which Zoroaster is said to have converted Vistaspa) from the round figure of 300.
e:^ The "extravagant,"[56] "fantastic"[56] and "extraordinary"[57] 6000 BCE date (or thereabouts) appears in several classical sources: Pliny the Elder (1st c.), Plutarch (1st c.), a Scholion to the (Pseudo-)Platonic Alcibiades Major, Diogenes Laertius (3rd c.), Lactantius (3rd c.) and Syncellus (8th c.). The date is typically described as "5,000 years before the Trojan war" or "6,000 years before Plato" (or "before Xerxes"). "Their chief claim to any consideration"[57] is that these sources cite the authority of (variously) Hermippus (5th c. BCE), Xanthus of Lydia (5th c. BCE), Eudoxus of Cnidus (5th/4th c. BCE), Aristotle (4th c. BCE) and Hermodorus (4th c. BCE, a student of Plato's). In general, the 6000 BCE date is assumed to be based on a Greek misunderstanding of the (Zoroastrian) "great-year" cycles, which foresees recurring 12,000-year periods of three 3,000-year segments each.

Other classical sources—again on the authority of Xanthus of Lydia—consider "600 years before Xerxes" (i.e. before his invasion of Greece), i.e. 1080 BCE, which would then coincide with the linguistic dating of the Gathas. Similarly, the tenth c. Suda, which cites no one but provides a date of "500 years before Plato" for one of its two Zoroasters.
f:^ Ecce Homo quotations are per the Ludovici translation.[58] Paraphrases follow the original passage (Warum ich ein Schicksal bin 3), available in the public domain on page 45 of the Project Gutenberg EBook.
s:^ By choosing the name of 'Zarathustra' as prophet of his philosophy, as he has expressed clearly, he followed the paradoxical aim of paying homage to the original Aryan prophet and reversing his teachings at the same time. The original Zoroastrian world view interprets being essentially on a moralistic basis and depicts the world as an arena for the struggle of the two fundamentals of being, Good and Evil, represented in two antagonistic divine figures.[41]
z:^ From a letter of the Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat, May 13, 1979 to Mrs. Gayle Woolson published in

Hornby, Helen, ed. (1983), Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, New Delhi: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, ISBN 81-85091-46-3. p. 501.

References

^ a b Schlerath 1977, pp. 133–135
^ For example zairi- (golden/yellow), zairitem (golden/green), zaranaênem (golden, of gold). Old Iranian/Avestan:Base Form Dictionary and Dictionary of most common AVESTA words.
^ a b c d e Schmitt 2003
^ Paul Horn, Grundriß der neupersischen Etymologie, Strassburg 1893
^ a b Mayrhofer 1977, pp. 43–53.
^ Bailey 1953, pp. 40–42.
^ Markwart 1930, pp. 7ff.
^ Nigosian, Solomon (1993). The Zoroastrian faith: tradition and modern research. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7735-1144-6.
^ "Controversy over Zaraϑuštra's date has been an embarrassment of long standing to Zoroastrian studies. If anything approaching a consensus exists, it is that he lived no later than 1000 BC, give or take a century or so, though reputable scholars have proposed dates as widely apart as 1750 BCE and '258 years before Alexander.'" (Encyclopedia Iranica)
^ Shahbazi 1977, pp. 25–26.
^ Gershevitch 1964, pp. 36–37.
^ William Enfield, Johann Jakob Brucker, Knud Haakonssen, The History of Philosophy from the Earliest Periods: Drawn Up from Brucker's Historia Critica Philosophia, Published by Thoemmes, 2001, ISBN 1-85506-828-1, pages: 18, 22. Note: Cephalion and Justin suggest east of greater Iran whereas Pliny and Origen suggest west of Iran as his birthplace.
^ cf. Boyce 1975, pp. 2–26.
^ cf. Gronke 1993, pp. 59–60.
^ Solomon Alexander Nigosian, The Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research, Published by McGill-Queen's University Press – MQUP, 1993, ISBN 0-7735-1144-X, p. 17.
^ Frye 1992, p. 8.
^ Khlopin 1992, pp. 107–110.
^ Sarianidi 1987, p. 54.
^ Boyce 1975, p. 1.
^ Malandra 2005
^ Boyce 1989, p. 189.
^ Appleton 2005, p. 179.
^ Jackson 1899, pp. 130–131.
^ Blackburn, Simon (1994), "Philosophy", The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 405
^ August Gladisch, (1859), "Herakleitos Und Zoroaster: Eine Historische Untersuchung", ISBN 978-1-160-10327-5, Kessinger Pub Co (Februar 2010), p. IV
^ Stausberg 2002, p. I.58
^ a b Beck 1991, p. 525.
^ a b Beck 1991, p. 491.
^ Beck 2003, para. 4.
^ a b c d Beck 1991, p. 493.
^ a b Beck 2003, para. 7.
^ Beck 1991, p. 522.
^ Clementine Homilies, Book 9, Compassionatespirit.com
^ Beck 1991, p. 523.
^ a b Beck 1991, p. 526.
^ Sieber 1973, p. 234.
^ Beck 1991, p. 495.
^ Nock 1929, p. 111.
^ Livingston 2002, pp. 144–145.
^ Livingston 2002, p. 147.
^ a b Ashouri 2003.
^ Watkins 2006, p. ??.
^ a b c Qtd. in Büchner 1936, p. 105.
^ Revelation, Rationality Khowledge & Truth
^ Widengren 1961, p. 76.
^ a b Widengren 1961, pp. 43–45.
^ Zaehner 1972, p. 21.
^ Taherzadeh 1976, p. 3.
^ Buck 1998.
^ Burnouf 1833, p. 13.
^ Humbach 1991, p. I.18.
^ Jackson 1899, p. 162.
^ a b Shahbazi 1977, p. 26.
^ Kingsley 1990, pp. 245–265.
^ Shahbazi 1977, pp. 32–33.
^ a b Jackson 1896, p. 2.
^ a b Jackson 1896, p. 3.
^ Nietzsche/Ludovici 1911, p. 133

[edit] Bibliography
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Zoroaster

Ashouri, Daryoush (2003), "Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, and Persia", Encyclopaedia Iranica, New York: iranica.com
Bailey, Harold Walter (1953), "Indo-Iranian Studies", Transactions of the Philological Society 52: 21–42, doi:10.1111/j.1467-968X.1953.tb00268.x
Beck, Roger (1991), "Thus Spake Not Zarathushtra: Zoroastrian Pseudepigrapha of the Greco-Roman World", in Boyce, Mary; Grenet, Frantz, A History of Zoroastrianism, 3, Leiden: Brill Publishers, pp. 491–565.
Beck, Roger (2003), "Zoroaster, as perceived by the Greeks", Encyclopaedia Iranica, New York: iranica.com
Blackburn, Simon, ed. (2005), The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2nd ed.), London: OUP
Boyce, Mary (1975), History of Zoroastrianism, Vol. I, Leiden: Brill Publishers
Buck, Christopher (1998), "Bahá'u'lláh as Zoroastrian saviour", Baha'i Studies Review 8
Burnouf, M. Eugène (1833), Commentaire sur le Yaçna, Vol. I, Paris: Imprimatur Royale
Effendi, Shoghi (1991), "Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster", The Compilation of Compilations, Volume I, Baha'i Publications Australia
Effendi, Shoghi (1944), God Passes By, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, ISBN 0-87743-020-9
Foltz, Richard (2004), Spirituality in the Land of the Noble: How Iran Shaped the World's Religions, Oxford: Oneworld publications, ISBN 1-85168-336-4
Frye, Richard N. (1992), "Zoroastrians in Central Asia in Ancient Times", Journal of the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute 58: 6–10
Gershevitch, Ilya (1964), "Zoroaster's Own Contribution", Journal of Near Eastern Studies 23 (1): 12–38, doi:10.1086/371754
Gnoli, Gherado (2000), "Zoroaster in History", Biennial Yarshater Lecture Series, Vol. 2, New York: Bibliotheca Persica
Gnoli, Gherardo (2003), "Agathias and the Date of Zoroaster", Eran ud Aneran, Festschrift Marshak, Venice: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina
Gronke, Monika (1993), "Derwische im Vorhof der Macht. Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte Nordwestirans im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert", Freiburger Islamstudien 15, Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag
Humbach, Helmut (1991), The Gathas of Zarathushtra and the other Old Avestan texts, Heidelberg: Winter
Jackson, A. V. Williams (1896), "On the Date of Zoroaster", Journal of the American Oriental Society (Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 17) 17: 1–22, doi:10.2307/592499, JSTOR 592499
Jackson, A. V. Williams (1899), Zoroaster, the prophet of ancient Iran, New York: Columbia University Press
Kingsley, Peter (1990), "The Greek Origin of the Sixth-Century Dating of Zoroaster", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 53 (2): 245–265, doi:10.1017/S0041977X00026069
Khlopin, I.N. (1992), "Zoroastrianism – Location and Time of its Origin", Iranica Antiqua 27: 96–116, doi:10.2143/IA.27.0.2002124
Kriwaczek, Paul (2002), In Search of Zarathustra – Across Iran and Central Asia to Find the World's First Prophet, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Livingstone, David N. (2002), The Dying God: The Hidden History of Western Civilization, Writers Club Press, ISBN 0-595-23199-3
Malandra, William W. (2005), "Zoroastrianism: Historical Review", Encyclopaedia Iranica, New York: iranica.com
Markwart, Joseph (1930), Das erste Kapitel der Gatha Uštavati (Orientalia 50), Rome: Pontificio Instituto Biblico
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1977), Zum Namengut des Avesta, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Moulton, James Hope (1917), The Treasure of the Magi, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Moulton, James Hope (1913), Early Zoroastrianism, London: Williams and Norgate
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm; Ludovici, Anthony Mario, trans.; Levy, Oscar, ed. (1911), Ecco Homo, The Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Edinburgh: T. N. Foulis
Nock, A. D.; Stuart, Duane Reed; Reitzenstein, R.; Schaeder, H. H.; Saxl, Fr. (1929), "(Book Review) Studien zum antiken Synkretismus aus Iran und Griechenland by R. Reitzenstein & H. H. Schaeder", The Journal of Hellenic Studies (The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 49) 49 (1): 111–116, doi:10.2307/625011, JSTOR 625011
Sarianidi, V. (1987), "South-West Asia: Migrations, the Aryans and Zoroastrians", International Association for the Study of Cultures of Central Asia Information Bulletin 13: 44–56
Shahbazi, A. Shapur (1977), "The 'Traditional Date of Zoroaster' Explained", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 40 (1): 25–35, doi:10.1017/S0041977X00040386
Schlerath, Bernfried (1977), "Noch Einmal Zarathustra", Die Sprache 23 (2): 127–135
Schmitt, Rüdiger (2003), "Zoroaster, the name", Encyclopaedia Iranica, New York: iranica.com
Sieber, John (1973), "An Introduction to the Tractate Zostrianos from Nag Hammadi", Novum Testamentum 15 (3): 233–240, doi:10.1163/156853673X00079.
Stausberg, Michael (2002), Die Religion Zarathushtras, Vol. I & II, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer
Stausberg, Michael (2005), "Zoroaster, as perceived in Western Europe after antiquity", Encyclopaedia Iranica, OT9, New York: iranica.com[dead link]
Taherzadeh, Adib (1976), The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 1: Baghdad 1853–63, Oxford: George Ronald, ISBN 0-85398-270-8
Watkins, Alison (2006), "Where Got I that Truth? Psychic Junk in a Modernist Landscape", Writing Junk: Culture, Landscape, Body (Conference Proceedings), Worcester: University College, pp. 3–4
Werba, Chlodwig (1982), Die arischen Personennamen und ihre Träger bei den Alexanderhistorikern (Studien zur iranischen Anthroponomastik), Vienna: n.p. (Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde der Universität Wien)
Widenren, Geo (1961), Mani and Manichaeism, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Zaehner, Robert Charles (1972), Zurvan: A Zoroastrian Dilemma, New York: Biblo and Tannen, ISBN 978-0-8196-0280-0
Zaehner, Robert Charles (1958), A Comparison of Religions, London: Faber and Faber. Cf. especially Chapter IV: Prophets Outside Israel
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Zartusht Bahram (2010), The Book of Zoroaster, or The Zartusht-Nāmah, London: Lulu
Boyce, Mary (1989), A History of Zoroastrianism: The Early Period, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-08847-4 PS. To learn how to make up to $1,000/day or more with a blog just like this one, Click Here and watch this FREE Video!

The Annunciation of Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ/Yahushua Christos

The Annunciation (anglicised from the Latin Vulgate Luke 1:36-39 section title: Annuntiatio nativitatis Christi), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her son Jesus, meaning "Savior". Many Christians observe this event with the Feast of the Annunciation on 25 March, nine full months before Christmas. According to Luke 1:26, the Annunciation to Mary occurred "in the sixth month" of Elisabeth's pregnancy with the child later called John the Baptist.[3]



Approximating the northern vernal equinox, the date of the Annunciation also marked the New Year in many places, including England, where it is called Lady Day. Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches hold that the Annunciation took place at Nazareth, but differ as to the precise location. The Basilica of the Annunciation marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation marks that preferred by the latter.

The Annunciation has been a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Contents

1 The Annunciation in the Bible
2 Eastern traditions
3 Feast day
4 The Annunciation in the Qur'an
5 Annunciation in Christian art
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

The Annunciation in the Bible
A series of articles on
Mary

mother of Jesus

Chronology
Presentation of Mary
Annunciation · Visitation · Virgin Birth · Nativity · Presentation of Jesus · Flight into Egypt · Finding in the Temple · Cana · Crucifixion · Resurrection · Pentecost

Marian Perspectives
Roman Catholic
Eastern Orthodox • Anglican • Lutheran • Protestant • Muslim •

Catholic Mariology
Mariology • History of Mariology • Papal teachings • Mariology of the saints

Dogmas and Doctrines
Mother of God • Assumption • Immaculate Conception • Perpetual Virginity

Mary in Culture

• Feasts • Art • Music

In the Bible, the Annunciation is narrated in the book of Luke, Luke 1:26-38:

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

A separate annunciation, which is more brief but in the same vein as the one in Luke, is given to Joseph in Matthew 1:18-21:

Matthew 1:18 ¶ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Eastern traditions

In Eastern Christianity Mary is referred to as Theotokos (Θεοτόκος="God-bearer"). The traditional Troparion (hymn for the day) of the Annunciation which goes back to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria is:[4]

Today is the beginning of our salvation,
And the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
"Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!"

The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve Great Feasts of the church year. As the action initiating the Incarnation of Christ, Annunciation has such an important place in Eastern theology that the Festal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is always celebrated on March 25, regardless of what day it falls on—even if it falls on Pascha (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called Kyriopascha. The only time the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated on Great and Holy Friday is if it falls on March 25. Due to this, the rubrics regarding the celebration of the feast are the most complicated of all in Eastern liturgics. The Annunciation is called Euangelismos (Evangelism) in Greek, literally meaning "spreading the Good News".



St. Ephraim the Syrian taught that the date of the conception of Jesus Christ fell on 10 Nisan on the Hebrew Calendar, the day in which the passover lamb was selected according to Exodus 12. Some years 10 Nisan falls on March 25, which is the traditional date for the Feast of the Annunciation and is an official holiday in Lebanon.
Feast day

In the Catholic Church, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgical calendars, the feast is moved if necessary to prevent it from falling during Holy Week or Easter Week or on a Sunday. To avoid a Sunday before Holy Week, the next day (March 26) would be observed instead. In years such as 2008 when March 25 falls during Holy Week or Easter Week, the Annunciation is moved to the Monday after Octave of Easter, which is the Sunday after Easter.[5]

It might be thought that with a very early Easter, the feast of St Joseph would be displaced from 19 March to the Monday after Easter week, thus displacing the Annunciation to the Tuesday. However, in the Roman Catholic calendar, if the Feast of St Joseph, normally falling on March 19, must also be moved as a consequence of Easter falling on one of its earliest possible dates, it is moved to an earlier rather than a later date. This will normally be the Saturday before Holy Week. (This change was announced by the Congregation for Divine Worship in Notitiae March–April, 2006 (475-476, page 96).) In the Church of England, it is moved to the Tuesday after Easter Week, following the Annunciation on the Monday, which is of higher rank and takes precedence.

The Eastern churches (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental and Eastern Catholic) do not move the feast of the Annunciation under any circumstance. They have special combined liturgies for those years when the Annunciation coincides with another feast. In these churches, even on Good Friday a Divine Liturgy is celebrated when it coincides with the Annunciation. One of the most frequent accusations brought against New Calendarism is the fact that in the New Calendar churches (which celebrate the Annunciation according to the New Calendar, but Easter according to the Old Calendar), these special Liturgies can never be celebrated any more, since the Annunciation is always long before Holy Week on the New Calendar. The Old Calendarists believe that this impoverishes the liturgical and spiritual life of the Church.

The date is close to the vernal equinox, as Christmas is to the winter solstice; because of this the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four "Quarter days" in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were Midsummer Day, or the Nativity of St. John the Baptist—June 24—and Michaelmas, the feast day of St. Michael, on September 29).

When the calendar system of Anno Domini was first introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to March 25, since according to Catholic theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ.

The first certain mentions of the feast are in a canon, of the Council of Toledo (656), where it is described as celebrated throughout the church, and another of the Council of Constantinople "in Trullo" (692), forbidding the celebration of any festivals during Lent, excepting the Lord's Day (Sunday) and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the ground that it is mentioned in various works of which the earliest surviving manuscripts are later and may have been added to.[6] A Synod of Worcester, England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day. See further Lady Day.

The Annunciation in the Qur'an
Main articles: Islamic views of Mary and Islamic view of Jesus

The Annunciation is also described in the Qur'an, in Sura 3 (Al-i-Imran - The Family of Imran) verses 45-51 (archaic translation):

45Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.

And Sura 19 (Maryam - Mary) verses 16-26 also refers to it. Muslim tradition holds that the Annunciation took place during the month of Ramadan.[7]

Annunciation in Christian art
Main article: Annunciation in Christian art
See also: Marian art in the Catholic Church
This painting by Carlo Crivelli (1430-1495) called "Annunciation". Found in the National Gallery in London

The Annunciation is one of the most frequent subjects of artistic representation in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art. Works on the subject have been created by artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Duccio and Murillo among others. The mosaics of Pietro Cavallini in Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome (1291), the frescos of Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (1303), Domenico Ghirlandaio's fresco at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1486), and Donatello's gilded sculpture at the church of Santa Croce, Florence (1435) are famous examples.

See also

Angelus
Chronology of Jesus
Gabriel
Fleur de lys
Incarnation (Christianity)
Annunciade, orders instituted with a view of the Annunciation
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Maryland Day
Church of the Annunciation, in Nazareth
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, in Nazareth
Annunciation of Ustyug
Roman Catholic Marian art
Seven Joys of Mary
Seven Sorrows of Mary

References

^ Purity is a wider concept than Virginity, which is comprised within it, but which relates to a physical aspect only of purity
^ Medieval art: a topical dictionary by Leslie Ross 1996 ISBN 0313293295 page 16
^ The Gospel according to Luke by Michael Patella 2005 ISBN 0814628621 page 14 [1]
^ Speaking the Truth in Love: Theological and Spiritual Exhortations by John Chryssavgis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomu 2010 ISBN 9780823233373 page 85
^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01542a.htm
^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Feast of the Annunciation"
^ Quran 2:185

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Annunciation

Further reading on the annunciation in art
Entheomedia.org
'The Annunciation' by Edward Burne-Jones at the Lady Lever Art Gallery
Read the account (Luke Ch.1 26-55) at Bible Gateway (various versions)
The Annunciation Icons (mostly Russian)

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Happy Spring, Ostara, Easter, St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's Day!

Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth. The energies of Nature burst forth, leaving behind Winter death to replace it with the new light and life of Spring.

It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time. It is the time when the World is awakening, trees budding, flowers stretching their leaves out to the sun. It is a rebirth of the world after the cold Winter months. The Vernal Equinox is also a festival of Fertility of the Earth, the crops, the plants and trees.

In 2012 Ostara occurs on March 20th at 1:14AM Eastern. This lesser Sabbat is celebrated on the Vernal or spring equinox on or around March 21st.

Ostara signifies the time when the Great Goddess, who was a virgin at Imbolc, is now joining with the Sun God, she conceives a child which will be born at Yule.

In keeping with the Wheel of the Year Ostara is a time to celebrate new beginnings and opportunities. Ostara is seen as a time of renewal so it is also an excellent time for “Spring Cleaning” not only to clean the physical realm but also to clear away negative influences as well. One way of clearing unpleasant energies from the home might be to hand wash all the floors while rubbing in a “clockwise” direction as this is thought to bring in positive energies and encourages growth.

This is a time of beginnings, action, planting spells, and of tending the gardens. This is the start in the Pagan year of spring, at least among Wiccans and Celtics. The first flowers are praised and the God and Goddess thanked for the true return to happier times for all. Feasting and socializing are the important factors in this holiday as well as the celebration of the return of color to the natural world. In the Christian calendar, again to draw early worshipers, they marked this as the final days and rebirth of Jesus (when according to history he died in June!)


Saint Patrick's Day March 17th
Saint Joseph's Day March 19th
Spring Equinox March 20th
Easter April 8th

Ostara Symbolizes the New Spring Season of Rebirth and Transformation




Jesus Christ Easter Resurrection Symbolizes Rebirth of Spring


The History of St. Patrick


The Life of St. Joseph
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Sometimes we make Love so Complicated, its really quite Simple

I Love Anuhea~ Aloha Princess!





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Hawaii's Jah-waiian Music! Sunshine Island Music!

The music coming out of Hawaii has such a special energy and vibration. It is truly Sunshine Music, Rainbow Music, Island Music, Roots Music, Love Music, Jah Music!
Here are some of my favorite artists:















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White, Black and Green Sand Beaches, Big Island, Hawaii

The Amazing White, Black, and Green Sand beaches of the Big Island, Hawaii




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How to deepen our relationship to Love, Light and Nature

Aloha~ If you know me, you know that I love Hawaii and the spirit of Aloha! It is such a deep part of me and it carries me through out all my days. I recently found this video about deepening your relationship to nature and the vibratory nature of Love and Light. Vortexes in nature can be found around the planet and one of the most very powerful places is the islands of Hawaii. This Diamond Man has such deep wisdom to share, so I recommend watching this video and feel it for yourself. Very uplifting~



And this video has become like a musical mantra for me, as I am manifesting all my dreams and heading back home to Hawaii in the very near future! So enjoy these talented Hawaiian boys "Kolohe Kai" as they remind us about what Aloha truly means and the blessed Jah-waiian music of Hawaii! "This is the Life"

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