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Zoroastrianism : Chinese origins ?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:09 pm
Author: Piling

Excavation ‘very likely’ to redefine the Zoroastrianism’s origin


Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the ancient Persian Empire. Its founder, Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, is thought to have been born in what is now Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan. A 2004 survey by the Zoroastrian Associations of North America put the estimated number of believers worldwide at between 124,000 and 190,000.

Now, archaeologists in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have discovered major Zoroastrian tombs, dated to over 2,500 years ago. This unravelling is leading to startling controversial speculation about the religion’s origin.

More : http://english.cntv.cn/2014/08/12/VIDE1 ... 6688.shtml


Re: Zoroastrianism : Chinese origins ?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:04 pm
Author: Anthea
Piling wrote:
Excavation ‘very likely’ to redefine the Zoroastrianism’s origin


Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the ancient Persian Empire. Its founder, Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, is thought to have been born in what is now Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan. A 2004 survey by the Zoroastrian Associations of North America put the estimated number of believers worldwide at between 124,000 and 190,000.

Now, archaeologists in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have discovered major Zoroastrian tombs, dated to over 2,500 years ago. This unravelling is leading to startling controversial speculation about the religion’s origin.

More : http://english.cntv.cn/2014/08/12/VIDE1 ... 6688.shtml




Zoroastrianism appears to have spread along the Silk Road - the question is in which direction?

I believe it could have started in Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan and spread into China, because Zoroastrianism is thought to have originated much earlier than the time the tombs were built

Re: Zoroastrianism : Chinese origins ?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:46 am
Author: RomaMater
The presence of the Zoroastrian tombs in Xinjiang indicates nothing except that there were Zoroastrians in China circa 500 B.C.; it doesn't indicate that Zoroastrianism came from China. What an odd hypothesis given that Zoroaster was said to have composed the Gathas in Old Avestan in unknown period anterior to 500 B.C. :-?