A predominantly bibliographic blog for Iranian Studies
Kellens, Jean. 2025. Le Yasna Haptaŋhāiti (Publications d’Etudes Indo-Iraniennes 2). Strasbourg: Université de Strasbourg.
Inséré entre la première la deuxième Gâthâ, le Yasna Haptaŋhāiti, rédigé en vieil-avestique, occupe les chapitres 35 à 41 du Yasna. Ce texte fait l’objet d’une traduction commentée dans le présent ouvrage.
Résumé
Three lectures as part of the World Zoroastrian Organisation’s annual seminar.
Andrés-Toledo, Miguel Ángel (ed.). 2025. The Zoroastrian manuscripts of the Matenadaran. Facsimile edition (Corpus Avesticum / Handbuch der Orientalistik 32/6). Leiden: Brill.
Armenia was a stronghold of the Zoroastrian religion in antiquity and late antiquity. Of the rich Zoroastrian literature that was composed and transmitted in the region, no single text was extant there after long periods of cultural, political and religious changes.
The three Zoroastrian manuscripts of this facsimile edition, containing precious copies of texts in the Avestan, Pahlavi and Zoroastrian New Persian languages, are the only exception. Stemming from Iran and now preserved at the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran), they are heirs of an ancient Iranian faith that once flourished also in Armenia.
In a series of workshops, Dr Mehrbod Khanizadeh (SOAS, University of London) will explore the history of Zoroastrianism from its roots in the second millennium BCE through to the present day. He will discuss religious, historical as well as social aspects of the religion’s development.
Dr. Mehrbod Khanizadeh currently teaches courses on Avestan, Middle Persian (Pahlavi), and Zoroastrianism at SOAS, University of London. He specialises in Zoroastrianism and ancient Iranian languages. His recent peer-reviewed publications include an article on the genealogy of the Iranian bilingual Avestan Pahlavi Yasna manuscripts, published in the Bulletin of SOAS in 2021, and a study of the etymology of the Avestan personal name pourušaspa- published in the journal of Iran and the Caucasus in 2024. His edition of the Avestan text of chapters 9-11 of the Yasna will be published as a monograph in 2025.
Six sessions from 25 May to 30 November 2025.
For more information and to register, see the document below:
Prof. Yuhan S.–D. Vevaina will open the first episode of the second season of ‘Zoroastrian Conversations’ with Prof. Almut Hintze, Zartoshty Brothers Professor of Zoroastrianism at SOAS, University of London, Co-Chair of the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute, and Fellow of the British Academy.
Date:
Saturday, 26 April 2025
Time:
9 AM Pacific | 12 Noon Eastern | 5 PM London | 9:30 PM Mumbai
Zoom meeting ID: 863 7776 2243 Passcode: FEZANA.
Zoom and other information: https://fezana.org/conversations/
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 4:00pm Pacific
Royce Hall 306
Hybrid Zoom option available
Registration required
Speaker: Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw Vevaina
The Sūdgar Nask of Dēnkard Book 9 is a commentary on the ‘Old Avesta’ of the 2nd millennium BCE produced in Pahlavi (Zoroastrian Middle Persian) in the Sasanian (224–651 CE) and early Islamic centuries. This commentary is a value-laden, ideologically motivated discourse that displays a rich panoply of tradition-constituted forms of allegoresis. It mobilizes complex forms of citation, allusion, and intertextuality from the inherited Avestan world of myth and ritual in order to engage with and react to the profound changes occurring in Iranian society. Despite its value and importance for developing our nascent understanding of Zoroastrian hermeneutics and the self-conception of the Zoroastrian priesthood in Late Antiquity, this primary source has attracted scant scholarly attention due to the extreme difficulty of its subject matter and the lack of a reliable translation. This 2-volume work represents the first critical edition, translation, and commentary of this formidable text which will contribute to the philological, theological, and historiographical study of Zoroastrianism in a pivotal moment in its rich and illustrious history. Reading the Sūdgar Nask is a hermeneutic process of traversing texts, genres, and rituals in both the Avestan and Pahlavi corpora, thus activating nodes in a web or network of textual and meta-textual relations that establish new forms of allegoreses or meaning making. It is argued that this entire hermeneutical complex of weaving a ‘new’ text composed of implicit proof text and explicit commentary renews, extends, and, ultimately, makes tradition.
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mobed Mehraban Firozgary, a distinguished Zoroastrian priest, on 7 March 2025. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and community.
FEZANA‘s announcement is here. Amordad‘s announcement, in Persian, is here.
From FEZANA’s announcement:
Mobed Mehraban Firozgary was a distinguished Zoroastrian priest, deeply revered for his unwavering dedication to the spiritual and cultural preservation of the Zoroastrian community in Iran. For over four decades, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Tehran Anjuman e Mobedan (Council of Mobeds), playing a pivotal role in guiding religious practices and upholding traditions.
FEZANA
Renowned for his profound knowledge of the Avesta and Yasna prayers, Mobed Firozgary was instrumental in the ordination of new priests through the Nowe Zooty (Navar) ceremony, ensuring the continuity of priesthood in Iran. His commitment to religious education inspired many young Zoroastrians to embrace and perpetuate their ancestral faith.
Beyond his religious duties, he was appointed by the Iranian Justice Ministry as the Chief Registrar for Zoroastrian marriages in Tehran, reflecting the trust and respect he garnered within both the religious and broader communities.
His lifelong dedication to the Zoroastrian faith and his community has left an indelible mark, ensuring that the rich traditions and teachings of Zoroastrianism continue to flourish.
SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies
and
Department of Religions and Philosophies (SOAS)
in collaboration with the
World Zoroastrian Organisation
St Petersburg
Thursday, 1 May 2025, 6pm
Location:
Khalili Lecture Theatre
SOAS Main Building
Russell Square
London, WC1H 0XG
This is a public lecture. However, registration is essential for both in-person and online attendance. Please visit this link to register.
In this lecture, Prof. Lurje will attempt to summarise what we know of fire worship in Sogdiana (the land in present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) which was inhabited by eastern Iranian people. These groups, being active traders on the Eurasian tracks, developed a sophisticated culture in the pre-Islamic period. The images on mural paintings and other media, archaeological discoveries, and the few references in the written texts show that worship in front of a fire was a significant part of the ritual practices of Sogdians. However, some ritual features that relate to the kindling of fire can be questioned. In some cases, the fire rituals depicted or described have a direct link to Zoroastrian practices spanning from Sasanian Iran to the present day. In many other cases, however, they have an unmistakable relation to the Buddhist incense burning known in Gandharan, Serindian and Chinese contexts of the first millennium CE. These later instances, however, could be a heritage of the worship practices of the pre-Buddhist population of the Indo-Iranian frontier region.
Vassalli, Massimiliano. 2024. Zarathustra nella letteratura pahlavi: Il libro VII del Denkard (Testi del Vicino Oriente antico/Letteratura iranica, 3.1). Torino: Paideia.
In this work, readers are introduced to the first Italian translation of the main Pahlavi source of the legend of Zarathustra, Chapter VII of the Dēnkard. This fundamental text of Zoroastrian literature, dating back to the early Islamic period (7th–10th century CE), narrates the biography of the Iranian “prophet” within the framework of the universal history of creation. The guiding thread of this account is the miracles performed by the divine word throughout the centuries, up until the end of time. The work, edited by Massimiliano Vassalli, contextualizes the Iranian text and its protagonist within the historical and cultural background of the period in which it was written and provides an Italian version accompanied by philological, historical, and literary explanatory notes.
The 5ᵗʰ Zoroastrianism Summer School Zoroastrianism in a Global World offers a unique opportunity to explore one of the world’s oldest religions as it continues to shape lives in India, Iran and the U.K. Over the course of this programme, you will explore the rich traditions, rituals and contemporary dynamics of Zoroastrian communities, gaining valuable insights into their culture and heritage.
Spaces are limited, so don’t miss this opportunity to broaden your horizons and gain a deeper understanding of a living tradition. To find out how to apply, please visit our website.
Co-organised by the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies and the Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture of the University of Irvine, California, this summer school is a great opportunity for those students who take an interest in anthropology, art history, archaeology, philosophy, religions, language, cultures and history. It provides an opportunity to meet other students passionate about Zoroastrianism and to network with leading academics in the field.