The Ancients – Zoroastrianism

Host: Tristan Hughes
Guest: Professor Almut Hintze (SOAS, University of London)
Date: November 20, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose of the Episode

This episode delves deeply into the origins, core beliefs, and enduring legacy of Zoroastrianism—one of the world’s oldest living religions. Guided by host Tristan Hughes and expert guest Professor Almut Hintze, listeners are taken on an exploration of Zoroastrianism’s linguistic, theological, and ritualistic foundations, with a special focus on its influence in both ancient and modern contexts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Antiquity of Zoroastrianism

• Ancient Roots

  • Zoroastrianism is among the oldest living religions, with roots possibly stretching back to the second or third millennium BCE.
  • Many texts and rituals in use today are composed in Avestan, an archaic Iranian language:
    • “Its roots reach back into the second third millennium BCE and even earlier. And many of the rituals and words which they recite in their ritual performances actually date from that time.” (Hintze, 03:02)

• Continuity and Language

  • The oldest Zoroastrian texts are the Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti, composed in ancient Avestan.
    • “The language... which the Zoroastrians recite in ritual and in prayer, very archaic. And in fact, it's the oldest witness of any Iranian language, and it belongs to the oldest attested Indo European languages.” (Hintze, 03:43)

2. Zoroastrianism and Indo-Iranian Context

• Linguistic Kinship

  • Old Iranian language Avestan is closely related to Vedic Sanskrit; both stem from a common Indo-Iranian ancestor.
    • “The language of the Vedas, especially of the Rig Veda, and the language of the Avesta are so similar... they are like two different dialects of the same language.” (Hintze, 10:18)

• Shared and Divergent Religious Heritage

  • Both Indian and Iranian branches share ancient linguistic and ritualistic roots, but Zoroastrianism's rejection of the 'daivas' (gods) marks a distinguished shift.
    • “The demonization of the old Indo European gods is a feature which we find in the Iranian tradition only, nowhere else.” (Hintze, 14:42)

3. Central Figures and Texts

• Zarathustra (Zoroaster)

  • Considered the prophet and main innovator; his Gathas are fundamental Zoroastrian hymns.
    • “The only individual who is linked to this is the figure of Zarathustra. Zarathustra and the Gathas are the oldest texts which we have, and they talk exactly about this.” (Hintze, 17:28)

• Ahura Mazda

  • The one supreme god, creator and source of all that is good.
    • “Ahura Mazda is seen as the creator of the cosmos, but also as the one who tells people how they should lead their lives.” (Hintze, 19:22)
  • Zoroastrianism is fundamentally monotheistic.
    • “There's one God, only one God, which is Ahura Mazda.” (Hintze, 20:14)

4. Cosmic Dualism: Good, Evil, and Human Choice

• Dualistic Worldview
  • Good (Spenta Mainyu) and evil (Angra Mainyu) are coeternal spiritual forces.
    • “Ahura Mazda is the father... he is creative ... This creative life bearing force... has a negative opposite. And that's called Angra Mainyu.” (Hintze, 21:14)
    • “This is what we call dualism in Zoroastrianism. This diametrical opposition between the life bearing force and the destructive one.” (Hintze, 23:36)
• Human Agency
  • Each person chooses between these forces through thought, word, and deed.
    • “People have to associate themselves with Ahura Mazda and not [with] Angra Mainyu ... and human beings have a choice, which of the two to choose and they should of course choose the creative one and follow Ahura Mazda.” (Hintze, 24:36)

5. Fire, Ritual, and Purity

• Fire as Divine Presence

  • Sacred fire plays a central role as both symbol and medium between humans and the divine.
    • “Fire plays an important role already in Indo Iranian culture. We have it in the Vedic culture as well. Agni the fire, who is presented as a messenger between the human beings and the gods... fire is regarded as [Ahura Mazda's] body, his visible form.” (Hintze, 26:03; 29:35)

• Ritual Banquet and Recitation

  • Rituals are acts of hospitality for the divine, with precise recitations in Avestan.
    • “The fire ... is the most beautiful visible form of Ahura Mazda ... the fire is then addressed as the most beautiful visible form ... the worshippers, they affirm their purity with which they approach the fire.” (Hintze, 29:35)

6. Cosmology, Creation, and Afterlife

• Creation Myth

  • Ahura Mazda creates both the spiritual and material worlds to overcome evil. Evil cannot create but seeks to pollute and destroy.
    • “Ahura Mazda is seen as the creator of the world. But before he makes the material world, first he multiplies himself in the form of his spiritual beings, spiritual creations which embody qualities such as truth, good thought...” (Hintze, 31:59)

• Eschatology (End Times) and Judgment

  • At the end of time, evil is incapacitated, the dead resurrected, and all are judged for their deeds.
    • “Zoroastrians have a whole cosmology... The Avesta calls on men and women alike to fight evil and reduce the power of evil in the world ... at the end of time ... evil is going to be removed from this world.” (Hintze, 31:38; 41:08)
    • “All the dead are going to resurrect ... death is seen as a victory of evil. And when evil is going to be defeated, the dead automatically are going to be resurrected because death has been defeated.” (Hintze, 43:00)

• Two Judgments

  • Individual judgment at death (soul crosses a bridge, goes to paradise or realm of evil).
  • Universal judgment after bodily resurrection at world’s end.
    • “After death, these good thoughts and words and good deeds are going to be weighed on scales ... the soul then has to cross a bridge ... And at that point there is going to be a judgment of the body.” (Hintze, 44:31; 47:36)

7. Death Rites and Burial Practices

• Disposition of the Dead
  • Death is considered intensely polluting; earth, water, and fire must not be contaminated.
    • “Anything that is detached from a living being ... is considered to be extremely polluting and it needs to be removed from the living world as quickly as possible.” (Hintze, 49:05)
  • Bodies are exposed for excarnation (eaten by vultures), then bones collected and secondary burial performed.
    • “The best way to dispose of a dead body is to expose it to vultures ... they do it very quickly. And they don't fly ... And they are almost like a hygiene police.” (Hintze, 50:14)

8. Historical Spread and Cultural Impact

• Early Adoption and Expansion

  • Zoroastrian beliefs likely pre-date the dispersion of Iranian peoples; it became central to Medians, Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sasanians.
    • “It started in proto Iranian times ... before they dispersed and split ... they already had the religion with them, they carried it with them, the Zoroastrian religion.” (Hintze, 54:07)

• Interaction with Other Religions

  • Zoroastrianism influenced neighboring communities, including Jews in exile.
    • “Exchanges, intellectual, religious exchanges must have taken place ... We can see ... how [the Israelites] slowly, very slowly develop an eschatology ... death all of a sudden becomes something bad.” (Hintze, 56:14)
  • The ‘Magi’ (“wise men”) of the Christian nativity story were likely Zoroastrian priests.
    • “It's very likely, yes. And the strongest indicator for that is not only that they came from the east ... but that they are called Magoi ... nobody else is called Magos except a Zoroastrian priest.” (Hintze, 58:22)

9. Modern Endurance and Legacy

• Survival and Continuity
  • Despite remaining largely an Iranian religion, the ethical motto endures:
    • “For the Zoroastrians up to the present day, the motto is good thoughts, good words, good deeds, and not bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds, bad. And that is linked to their concept of evil as a separate force which needs to be fought against and that lives on up to the present day.” (Hintze, 61:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Origins and Ritual Continuity:

  • “A feature of Zoroastrianism is that the past lives on in the present. Very much so.” (Hintze, 03:00)

• Linguistic Kinship:

  • “A Vedic and an Avestan speaker, they would have probably been able to understand each other. The grammar is identical.” (Hintze, 10:18)

• Defining Innovation:

  • “The demonization of the old Indo European gods is a feature which we find in the Iranian tradition only, nowhere else.” (Hintze, 14:42)

• On Zarathustra and Ahura Mazda:

  • “Zarathustra figures prominently in the Gathas. His name occurs 16 times in those hymns... And the other name which occurs most prominently is that of Ahura Mazda.” (Hintze, 17:28)

• Monotheism and Dualism:

  • “There's one God, only one God, which is Ahura Mazda.” (Hintze, 20:14)
  • “This is what we call dualism in Zoroastrianism.” (Hintze, 23:36)

• On Fire Ritual:

  • “Ahura Mazda himself is thought to be present in the form of the fire.” (Hintze, 29:35)

• Afterlife and Judgment:

  • “The soul is immortal. So when a person dies, the soul of the person moves on and it faces individual judgment after death.” (Hintze, 43:40)
  • “After death, these good thoughts and words and good deeds are going to be weighed on scales.” (Hintze, 44:31)

• Death Rites:

  • “You should certainly not throw a dead body into fire, because fire is the son of Ahura Mazda ... The best way to dispose of a dead body is to expose it to vultures.” (Hintze, 50:14)

• Zoroastrian Influence:

  • “The wise men in the nativity story, is it very likely that they were Zoroastrians?”
    “It's very likely, yes ... they are called Magoi ... except a Zoroastrian priest.” (58:22)

• Enduring Motto:

  • “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds...that is linked to their concept of evil as a separate force which needs to be fought against and that lives on up to the present day.” (Hintze, 61:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00]—Antiquity and Ritual Continuity in Zoroastrianism
• [07:55]—Proto-Indo-Iranian Roots and Language
• [12:30]—Zarathustra's Role and Religious Innovation
• [16:06]—Rejection of the 'Daivas' and Social Consequences
• [18:42]—Ahura Mazda: Nature of the Supreme God
• [20:14]—Monotheism and Dualism Explained
• [26:03]—Fire: Role, Ritual, and Symbolism
• [31:38]—Cosmology, Afterlife, and Judgment Narratives
• [43:35]—Resurrection and Judgment Detailed
• [49:05]—Death Rites: Burial and Purity Laws
• [54:07]—Spread among Ancient Iranian Peoples
• [56:14]—Zoroastrian Influence on Babylon and Judaism
• [58:22]—The Magi: Zoroastrians in the Nativity Story
• [61:18]—The Ethical Legacy: Good Thoughts, Words, Deeds

Episode Flow & Tone

• The episode is scholarly but warmly conversational, reflective of Professor Hintze’s passion and clarity and Tristan Hughes's enthusiastic, accessible questioning.
• The exchange maintains a respectful and thorough tone, balancing academic depth with broad appeal for listeners of varied backgrounds.

Summary

This episode provides a thorough, engaging introduction to Zoroastrianism’s remarkable history, sacred language, dualistic cosmology, and ethical teachings. Through Professor Hintze’s expertise, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how the religion’s ancient rituals and ideas about the eternal battle between good and evil have endured for millennia—and left their mark on later major faiths.

Recommended for listeners interested in: Ancient religions, linguistics, Iran’s cultural history, religious influence on the west, comparative mythology, and philosophical concepts of good and evil.