Some Zoroastrian history
History of Zoroastrianism.
“There is a controversy regarding the date of Zarathustra’s birth, however I agree with those who believe that Zorastrianism originated around 7,000 B.C. There were two main Zoroastrian empires; the first lasted from around 549 B.C. to 349 B.C. and the second lasted from A.D. 225 to A.D. 637. The fall of the first empire was brought about by Alexander “the Great” (referred to as Alexander “the Accursed” by Zoroastrians). In 330 B.C. he burned down all the libraries containing sacred Zoroastrian scriptures in Persepolis, Persia (what is today known as Iran). Priests were forced to quickly record the prayers they already knew by heart, along with many of the traditions. In spite of their valiant efforts, most of the Zoroastrian scriptures were lost. Even so, there is a vast amount of Zoroastrian scripture that remains intact, much of it in the form of prayers.
Long after Alexander’s attack, the Persian Empire once again thrived—but not for long! Around A.D. 637, the Moslems conquered Persia and exercised religious intolerance against the Zoroastrians. They persecuted the Zoroastrians cruelly, trying to force them to give up their own religion and practice Islam instead. Some Zoroastrians fled to India so they could practice their faith in peace. Other smaller groups of Zoroastrians fled to China, Germany, and Armenia, but many of these Zoroastrians intermarried with the others around them, and eventually the religion was virtually lost in those regions. However, the Zoroastrians in India prospered and preserved their faith well, building many fire temples and passing on their religion to future generations. Many of the Zoroastrians who stayed in Persia ended up being more or less forcibly converted to Islam. Although some Zoroastrians continued to practice their religion in hiding, as time passed, many of the rich traditions were lost to them.
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