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There are at least three schools of thought for dating the birth of Zoroaster: |
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The perspective of linguistics and comparative literature places the origin of the Avesta in the Bronze Age and ascribes a very early, but unspecified, date for Zoroaster. In this view, the later dates are rationalization and backfilling. In this account, the priests of Pars (Persia proper) became concerned to establish a historical date for Zoroaster, perhaps stimulated by the example of the establishment of the Seleucid era. Lacking their own sources for calculations, they turned to the Babylonians, from whom they learned that a great event in Persian history had occurred 228 years before the era of Alexander (311 B.C.). This event was the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C., but the Persian priests reinterpreted the event as the date of the revelation received by Zoroaster in his 30th year. Thus, the birth date of Zoroaster was fixed in 569 B.C. This date was accepted by learned Zoroastrians but is far too recent a date, in this view. |
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According to sources which depend more strictly upon historical texts, Zoroaster's year of birth can be calculated from a date given in Middle Persian commentary as 630, 628, or 618 B.C. The Gathas do not mention a single place or person that can be established in a historical context. This view gives credence to the post-Avestan commentaries as historical sources. |
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Still other texts place the birth of Zoroaster even later. In this view, both the evidence from the Avesta and from the commentaries is ignored, and only later dates which demonstrate an established Zoroastrian church may be used to secure Zoroaster in the historical context. The Parise text (p. 96), for example, gives the date of birth as 3 March 389 B.C. and claims that this date is the epoch of the calendar. |
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9.8.1.1.2.5
The Sasanid Calendar Reform |
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Around A.D. 200, a member of the Sasanid family, Papak, seized power from the local prince-governor, and his son Ardashir succeeded to the usurped position. Ardashir killed the Arsacid king Ardaban IV in battle, probably in A.D. 224, and established his own Persian empire, the Sasanid. |
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With the advent of the Sasanid dynasty in 226 A.D., Zoroastrianism was established as the official religion of the Persian Empire. Ardashir was a hereditary priest of Staxr, and his position in the religious community, as well as his religious zeal, apparently aided his attacks against the Arsacid ruler. |
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Two major figures emerge at this point. One is Tansar, an ehrpat or theologian, who undertook the collection of sacred texts. Tansar apparently induced Ardashir to implement a reign of terror in the course of establishing an official and centralized Zoroastrian church. A single canon of Avestan texts was created, approved, and authorized by Tansar himself. |
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The second, Karter, had a highly successful career as the chief priest of Zoroastrianism under a series of monarchs. He was active in the reign of Ardashir I and was still ehrpat under Shapur I. Under Hormizd, he was created magupat of Ormazd, the chief of the Magians. |
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