Religious Research

Religious Research

Examination and Critique of Gathic Evidence on the Prohibition of Sacrifice

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
sayyed saeid reza montazeri 1
ali mosleh 2
ALI MOHAMAD Tarafdary 3
1 Associate Professor, Department of Religions and Mysticism, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD student, Iranian Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, History, National Library and Archive of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2024.444481.2166
Abstract
With the expansion of Avestan studies and the translations of the Gathas by Orientalists, the belief gained prominence that Zoroaster opposed all forms of animal sacrifice. If references to sacrifices appear in post-Gathic texts, they are seen as a reversion to the beliefs of the pre-Zoroastrian era of disbelief. Influenced by this interpretation, Zoroastrians rejected the long-standing tradition of sacrifice. However, some scholars dispute this reading of the Gathas, pointing out the problematic nature of the circumstantial evidence used to argue Zoroaster’s opposition to sacrifice. Despite this, the Gathic evidence itself has not received the attention it deserves from researchers. This study aims to clarify whether sacrificial offerings were permitted or prohibited in the Zoroastrian tradition by examining the Gathic evidence. It seeks to answer the question: What was Zoroaster’s stance on animal sacrifice, and were temporal and spatial factors influential in his ruling on this practice? Conducted through linguistic analysis and library research, this study finds that the interpretation of the relevant Gathic passages is fraught with serious challenges due to grammatical and lexical ambiguities, as reflected in the diverse translations and interpretations by Avestan scholars. Furthermore, the possibility remains that the prohibition of sacrifice was context-dependent, influenced by the temporal and geographical circumstances of Zoroaster’s era, rather than a universal ruling applicable to all times and places.
Keywords
prohibition of sacrifice
Gathic evidence
Zoroastrian rituals
Gathas
Subjects
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