Bibliographia Iranica

A predominantly bibliographic blog for Iranian Studies

Category: Articles

  • Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II

    Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II

    Baca-Winters, Keenan. 2025. A most vicious game: Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II. Hunara: Journal of Ancient Iranian Arts and History 3(2). 25–53.

    This paper examines the complex relationship between Xusrō II and the Christians of Ērānšahr (the Sāsānian Kingdom). By the time he assumed power, Ērānšahr had a significant population of Christians who belonged to distinct churches. Despite Xusrō II’s efforts to position himself as a patron of Christianity and his engagement with its practices, he faced hostility from certain Christian writers. This tension stemmed from the inherent challenges of balancing the interests and doctrinal differences of various Christian sects within the kingdom. The Church of the East in particular perceived Xusrō II’s decisions, while often pragmatic, as threats to its power and influence. The historical memory of past persecutions and the martyrdom tradition within Ērānšahr further fueled negative portrayals of Xusrō II in Christian texts. Ultimately, the interplay of religious rivalries, political maneuvering, and the weight of historical memory shaped the complicated and often contentious relationship between Xusrō II and the Christians he ruled.

    Abstract
  • The lives and legacies of Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt

    The lives and legacies of Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt

    Baca-Winters, Keenan. 2025. To walk in royal ways: The lives and legacies of Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt. Old World: Journal of Ancient Africa and Eurasia. Brill 5(2). 1–33.

    Amid the political turmoil and external threats that marked the final years of Ērānšahr, also known as the Sāsānian Empire, two sisters, Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt, ascended the throne. While previous scholars have briefly touched upon these women, this paper examines the entire zeitgeist of their reigns, shedding light on their personalities, decisions, and the challenges they faced in a politically crumbling empire. By analyzing their responses to the broader political landscape of an Ērānšahr beset by civil war, a recent defeat by the Romans in the war of the seventh century CE, and the Islamic invasion, this paper reveals the complexities of Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt’s leadership and their unwavering determination to navigate the tumultuous currents of their time. Through an exploration of primary sources, this paper offers a richer, more personal understanding of Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt and their resilience in the fall of an empire established by their forefathers.

    Abstract

  • On the Teispid-Achaemenid Dynastic Divide

    Zarghamee, Reza. 2025. A contribution to the discourse regarding a Teispid-Achaemenid dynastic divide. The Ancient History Bulletin 39(3/4). 86–124.

    Editorial remark: Unfortunately, we are unable link to the individual articles, published by the bulletin. which seems to be due to the green open access policy the journal follows.

    This paper evaluates the recent scholarly trend of characterizing Cyrus II and Darius I as belonging to two distinct dynasties: the former being a Teispid and the latter an Achaemenid. In the process, it seeks to address important methodological questions pertaining to the use of primary source material, such as the Cyrus Cylinder, Bisutun Inscription, and Herodotus. The ideologically charged Bisutun Inscription is of particular relevance, and comparative data is marshaled to show that, despite the obvious advantages to Darius of linking himself to Cyrus, neither the text itself nor the alleged circumstances of Darius’ accession compel a conclusion that he lied on the point of his claimed dynastic connection to Cyrus. In addressing the inconsistencies and difficulties in the arguments for a dynastic divide, the paper also addresses related theories that portray Cyrus II as an Elamite (as opposed to a Persian or Iranian) ruler or, alternatively, as a Persian or Iranian ruler with strong Elamite affinities. As part of its overall argumentation, the paper evaluates overlooked aspects of the terminology used in the Cyrus Cylinder, the limitations of David Stronach’s foundational arguments for Darius’ single authorship of the Pasargadae inscriptions, and onomastic evidence regarding members of the Achaemenid family mentioned by Herodotus. Without denying the hazards of accepting the Bisutun narrative uncritically or that much about the early history of the Persians (including the subject of this article) cannot be proved, this paper strives to show that the two-dynasty theory seems less likely when one takes a holistic view of the evidence and, as such, should not constitute the presumptive model for characterizing the history of the first Persian Empire.

    Abstract

  • The Late Babylonian worship scene at Persepolis

    Garrison, Mark B. 2025. The Late Babylonian worship scene at Persepolis. In: Benjamin Sass & Laura Battini (eds.), Mortals, Deities and Divine Symbols: Rethinking Ancient Images from the Levant to Mesopotamia. Studies Offered to Tallay Ornan (Archaeopress Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology 12), 477-536. Bicester: Archaeopress.

    This analysis concerns several types of worship scenes found in the glyptic imagery preserved as impressions on clay administrative tablets from Persepolis. This important body of data is known today as the Persepolis Fortification Archive, dating to the middle-late years of the reign of Darius I (ruled 522/521–486 BCE). The principal scene, a worshipper who stands before divine symbols that rest on pillared pedestals, here called the Late Babylonian worship scene, is well-known, often characterized as the most distinctive of the glyptic landscape in the Late Babylonian period. At Persepolis, the Late Babylonian worship scene occurs on a large number of seals and exhibits a rich iconographic repertoire; indeed, the evidence from Persepolis is as numerous and varied as from any Babylonian archive. The seals from Persepolis raise numerous issues regarding the chronology and iconographic and stylistic development of the scene in the Late Babylonian archives. These Persepolitan seals present a particularly interesting case study in the complexities of cultural interaction between Iran and Babylonia in the middle of the 1st millennium BCE.


  • Reaching the Persian Gulf from the Kur River Basin

    Matin, Emad. 2025. Reaching the Persian Gulf from the Kur River Basin: Patterns of an Intermittent Connectivity. East and West 65 (1).

    The paper at hand explores the connectivity between Central Fars and the Persian Gulf over a long period of time from protohistory to the Early Islamic era. In doing so, it focuses on the three areas of the Kur River Basin, Dashtestan and the Bushehr Peninsula and reviews the rise and fall of settlements in these areas—within the limits of the existing bibliography. The paper thus demonstrates that these areas, i.e. the Highland, the Hinterland and the Coastline, had played a significant role in the aforesaid communication network for centuries. Furthermore, the pattern of this connectivity is reconstructed using archaeological and historical sources. The most innovative conclusion put forth is that for the first time it is possible to confirm the existence of intermittent connectivity with a very similar pattern among these areas, especially in the Elamite, Achaemenid and Sasanian eras.

  • The Achaemenid-Zoroastrian Background of the Burning Bush Pericope

    Barena, Gad. 2025. ʾAhyh ʾAšr ʾAhyh: The Achaemenid-Zoroastrian Background of the Burning Bush Pericope. Revista Pistis & Praxis 17(3), 384–402.

    Various types of impact, assimilation, and engagement of certain redactional layers of the Hebrew Bible with Achaemenid-era Zoroastrianism have long been noted by biblical scholars and by researchers of ancient Iranian cultic practices. Both disciplines, however, are facing similar challenges regarding the problem of the transmission history of their sacred texts, which is complex, perplexing, and vigorously debated. Thus, due caution must be taken when considering latent echoes of one tradition within the corpus of the other. The following article focuses on one particular, intricate, and very well-known biblical story often associated to various degrees with the so-called “P(riestly) source”—namely, the “Call of Moses” (CoM) in the initial portions of the famous scene at the “Burning Bush” on Mt. Horeb (here defined as Exod 2:23–3:15)—examined in relation to Achaemenid-era Zoroastrianism. I begin with an assessment of the relevant cultic elements that can be securely dated to that timeframe or to its later evolution—especially those that can be shown to have impacted Yahwists at the time. This preliminary study then serves as a foundation to examine the passage in question in a more systematic manner. The conclusion points to a deep familiarity and assimilation of Zoroastrian fire veneration practices by the Priestly author/redactor.

  • Indo-Iranian Journal 68, 3

    Indo-Iranian Journal 68, 3

    Indo-Iranian Journal volume 68, issue 3 (November 2025) has been published (as always h/t @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social‬). Sims-Williams has an open access article on Bactrian:

    Sims-Williams, Nicholas. 2025. Bactrian in two scripts: Greek and Kushan. Indo-Iranian Journal. Brill 68(3). 185–214.

  • The Unfinished Story of the Babylonian Version of the Bīsotūn (Behistun) Inscription (DB Bab.)

    Hackl, Johannes. 2025. The Unfinished Story of the Babylonian Version of the Bīsotūn (Behistun) Inscription (DB Bab.). Iraq. Published online 2025:1-20. doi:10.1017/irq.2025.10033

    This article revisits the editorial history of the Babylonian (Akkadian) version of the Bīsotūn (Behistun) Inscription (DB) to establish the extent of the surviving text in light of a re-examination of the inscription at Mount Bīsotūn (Behistun). Questions arising about the reliability of the standard edition presented in Von Voigtlander (1978) prompted a critical review of her new readings, which significantly expand the text by approximately two-thirds compared to what previous commentators recorded and what is visible on the rock face today. The article focuses on the results of this scrutiny, supported by information from Von Voigtlander’s correspondence with George G. Cameron and Matthew W. Stolper, highlighting the implications of their discussions.

  • The Zoroastrian funeral ritual for living souls

    Nayebossadrian, Zhaleh. 2025. The Zoroastrian funeral ritual for living souls. Culture and Religion. 1-14.

    This study presents a comprehensive investigation into a Zoroastrian funerary rite, ‘Zīnda-ruwān-yaštan’, performed during their lifetime for the well-being of their living soul. The research draws on Zoroastrian scriptures and ethnographic sources to trace the origins and eventual decline of the ‘Zīnda-ruwāni’ ritual through a combination of historical, textual, and epigraphic analysis. The finding emphasises the ritual’s adaptability in response to evolving socio-political circumstances. Concentrating on ‘Srōš Yazata’, the divine entity believed to guide souls following death, the ceremonial practice underscores its profound spiritual import in assuaging death anxieties. The study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the evolution of Zoroastrian funerary customs within various historical contexts. It demonstrates how Zīnda-ruwāni functioned to alleviate death-related anxieties within a dynamic socio-religious milieu, providing reassurance amid political and economic instability.

  • Achaemenid court logistics between royal capitals of Susa and Persepolis

    Achaemenid court logistics between royal capitals of Susa and Persepolis

    Salaris, Davide. 2025. ‘Royal’ road, ‘royal’ needs: a GIS-based approach to Achaemenid court logistics between royal capitals of Susa and Persepolis. Antiquity. Published online 2025:1-8.

    This article redefines the concept of the Achaemenid ‘Royal’ Road using GIS-based route modelling to reconstruct possible roads between Susa and Persepolis. By integrating logistical and environmental parameters, it shows how royal mobility required a specialised infrastructure—distinct from ancillary roads—tailored to the operational scale of the Achaemenid court.