#ahuramazda

[along-the-silkroad]

Shahanshah Ardashir I (r. 224–242) receiving the Ring of Power from Ahura Mazda, Naqsh-e Rustam, Sasanian, 3rd century CE.

[whencyclopedia]

Monotheism in the Ancient World

Monotheism is simply defined as the belief in one god and is usually positioned as the polar opposite of polytheism, the belief in many gods. However, the word monotheism is a relatively modern one that was coined in the mid-17th century CE by the British philosopher Henry More (1614-1687 CE). It comes from the Greek words, monos (single) and theos (god). In the Western tradition, this 'belief in one god' specifically refers to the God of the Bible; the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (and always written with a capital G). However, in the ancient world, the concept of monotheism as we understand it today did not exist; all ancient people were polytheists. They may have elevated one god as higher than the others (henotheism) but nevertheless recognized the existence of divine multiplicity.

The concept of the universe for the ancients consisted of three realms: the sky (the heavens); earth (humans); and the underworld (sometimes known as the netherworld or simply 'the land of the dead'). The sky was the domain of the gods and was crowded with a host of divinities understood in a gradient of powers. Many ancient civilizations had a dominant god, or a king of the gods, with other divinities being in charge of various aspects of life, serving as a court of advisers, or simply as messengers to humans below. Many of these powers could transcend (cross over) to the earth below in various manifestations. They could also travel to the underworld, and in those manifestations were known as chthonic (underworld powers). Some of the lesser deities, known as daemons, came to be perceived as evil over time (demons). These powers were believed to be able to possess people and functioned as an explanation for diseases and mental disorders.

Belief, Faith, & Creed

The modern concept of monotheism also assumes two other concepts, that of 'belief' and 'faith.' The problem in understanding religions in antiquity is not that they did not believe in things or that they lacked faith in the gods and goddesses. However, this was not often articulated or manifest in the same way that we now assume in our religious systems. Unlike the later creeds of Christianity, there was no comparable creed in the various ethnic cults in the Mediterranean basin.

The closest equivalent of shared knowledge was found in the works of Homer (Iliad; Odyssey) Hesiod (Theogony; Works and Days) and the myths of the bards as the basis of stories of creation and the gods and heroes. There was no central authority (like the Vatican) to dictate conformity of beliefs and practices. Each ethnic group developed rituals and practices necessary for worship (consisting of sacrifices) that was passed down to their ancestors from the gods. It was crucially important to carry out these rituals without mistakes.

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[whencyclopedes]

Antigua religión persa

La antigua religión persa era una fe politeísta que corresponde aproximadamente a lo que hoy se conoce como mitología persa antigua. Se desarrolló primero en la región conocida como el Gran Irán (el Cáucaso, Asia Central, Asia Meridional y Asia Occidental), pero se concentró en la zona ahora conocida como Irán en algún momento alrededor del tercer milenio antes de Cristo.

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[koubu6841]

Duplicity

(9/88)

There is cuneiform in here. It is said that some people will speak in ancient languages just to vent their hatred.

[whencyclopedfr]

Faravahar

Le faravahar (ou fravahar) est le symbole le plus connu de l'ancienne Perse. Il s'agit d'un disque solaire ailé au centre duquel se trouve un homme assis. On pense qu'il représente Ahura Mazda, le dieu du zoroastrisme, mais il a également été interprété comme signifiant d'autres concepts, notamment:

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[soinzzz]

[pierrebarrauddelagerie]

Three drawings from 2019 Three deities _____________________________ Scratchboard made with chalk ink 70x50cm _____________________________ . #sorvan #ahuramazda #persian #achemenideempire #scratchboard #monochromedrawing #punic #carthage #contemporaryartist #contemporarydrawing #frenchartist #ancient #ancientcivilization #ancientstructure #ancientworld #scratchboardart #monochromeart #pierrebarrauddelagerie #labodesarts #labodesartscaen (à Caen (14)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSJk4tIAgH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[felsefebilim]

Zerdüştlerin Bilge Tanrısı Ahuramazda

En eski tek tanrılı din olan Pers İmparatorluğu’nun düalist dini Zerdüştçülüğün yüce, bilge tanrısının adı Ahuramazda’dır. Ahuramazda, kötülüğün temeli/tanrısı olarak bilinen Ehriman’la sürekli savaş halindedir. Zerdüştçülüğün inancına göre bu savaştan mutlak bir zaferle ayrılacak olan iyilik ve iyiliğin temsilcisi baştanrı Ahuramazda’dır.

Ahuramazda, bütün düzeni, canlıları, yeryüzünü ve iyi olan her şeyi meydana getirir; tanrısal düzenin bekçisidir. Dolayısıyla insanların davranışlarını, eylemlerindeki amacı da denetleyendir. Bedeni öldükten sonra canlılar Ahuramazda’nın karşısına çıkarak hesap verirler.