645:, the increasingly impoverished Zoroastrian communities found it difficult to support a priesthood known only for their scholarship. By the 9th century, there was an active rivalry between these scholar-priests and ritual priests, with each group underbidding the other in their attempts to secure an income. For Zoroastrian laypersons, the distinction between the two groups was at best theoretical and by the 10th century, the term
452:
40:
605:) would be taught to recite the sacred texts. By the 2nd century CE, the term had come to refer to a clergyman who taught religious subjects, and the term appears to have commanded greater prestige than it does today. In the late 3rd century inscription at the
480:
649:
had lost most associations of scholarship and eventually came to refer to priests that had no theological authority. Beyond that distinction, the terms
473:
402:
723:
466:
755:
432:
412:
624:
s performed advanced theological tasks, including translations and interpretation of
Avestan texts. The 10th century
583:
387:
23:
150:
437:
340:
670:
epistles encouraged the Indian
Zoroastrians to distinguish between priests capable of officiating at a
630:
refers to the high-priest Tansar, who, in legend, is attributed with the collation of the Avesta, as
606:
392:
335:
362:
195:
275:
205:
367:
190:
185:
694:
as their superior. This is effectively an administrative rank and denotes a director of a
638:
456:
702:
is also the highest religious instance for the community that worships at that temple.
509:
290:
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235:
175:
31:
731:
749:
519:
is the lowest rank in the
Zoroastrian priesthood, and is granted following the basic
407:
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295:
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170:
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130:
695:
325:
180:
55:
451:
270:
160:
70:
320:
315:
80:
60:
39:
676:
reading and the others. That led to the reinstatement of a hierarchy, with
558:
Amongst lay
Zoroastrians, the three terms are used interchangeably. Unlike
531:
672:
666:
641:
in the 7th century, after which
Zoroastrianism began to be supplanted by
551:
225:
220:
125:
626:
590:
345:
265:
245:
85:
620:
There is some evidence that suggest that already by the 6th century,
610:
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355:
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s, denoting priests who had completed their training. In India, the
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ceremony that marks the beginning of theological training. Unlike a
682:
642:
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230:
215:
120:
115:
75:
65:
570:
may be adopted as a professional title in a person's name.
680:
s at the lowest rung on the ladder. Above them were the
715:
Zoroastrians, their religious beliefs and practices
555:, which is reserved for priests of higher grade.
730:, vol. 12, Costa Mesa: Mazda, archived from
601:uses denote a priestly teacher whose students (
545:, the main service. He may, however, assist. A
549:may also not officiate at a recitation of the
474:
8:
481:
467:
38:
18:
30:
7:
403:Zoroastrianism in the United States
14:
450:
722:Kreyenbroek, Philip G. (2004),
637:Following the collapse of the
1:
661:were used interchangeably.
433:Criticism of Zoroastrianism
413:Persecution of Zoroastrians
772:
578:Middle Persian 𐭧𐭩𐭫𐭯𐭲
512:priests of minor orders.
664:In the 16th century, the
186:101 Names of Ahura Mazda
16:Zoroastrian cleric role
539:may not celebrate the
508:) is a title given to
151:Zoroastrian literature
728:Encyclopaedia Iranica
613:refers to himself as
593:𐬀𐬈𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌
438:Zoroastrian cosmology
388:Zoroastrians in India
144:Scripture and worship
713:Boyce, Mary (2001),
515:In the present day,
393:Zoroastrians in Iran
259:Accounts and legends
756:Zoroastrian priests
717:, London: Routledge
457:Religion portal
309:History and culture
609:, the high-priest
276:Book of Arda Viraf
206:Cypress of Kashmar
607:Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
491:
490:
763:
741:
740:
739:
718:
483:
476:
469:
455:
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191:Adur Burzen-Mihr
42:
19:
771:
770:
766:
765:
764:
762:
761:
760:
746:
745:
744:
737:
735:
721:
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589:) derives from
576:
574:History of term
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427:
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331:
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286:Story of Sanjan
260:
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145:
137:
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100:
99:Divine entities
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50:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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709:
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639:Sassanid state
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426:Related topics
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291:Chinvat Bridge
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281:Book of Jamasp
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236:Khordeh Avesta
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176:Airyaman ishya
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106:Amesha Spentas
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52:
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49:Primary topics
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32:Zoroastrianism
28:
27:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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734:on 2006-03-24
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201:Adur Gushnasp
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29:
25:
21:
20:
736:, retrieved
732:the original
727:
714:
699:
691:
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681:
677:
671:
665:
663:
658:
654:
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631:
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602:
597:, which the
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520:
516:
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296:Frashokereti
241:The Rivayats
196:Adur Farnbag
181:Fire Temples
171:Yenghe hatam
166:Ahuna Vairya
131:Angra Mainyu
696:fire temple
510:Zoroastrian
326:Khurramites
76:Persia/Iran
61:Zarathustra
56:Ahura Mazda
738:2007-07-07
706:References
595:aeθrapaiti
346:Initiation
161:Ashem Vohu
71:Vohu Manah
690:s have a
562:but like
381:Adherents
341:Festivals
321:Mazdakism
316:Zurvanism
271:Bundahišn
81:Faravahar
750:Category
724:"Hērbed"
673:Vendidad
552:Vendidad
363:Marriage
336:Calendar
226:Visperad
221:Vendidad
126:Fravashi
24:a series
22:Part of
667:Rivayat
627:Denkard
603:aethrii
591:Avestan
584:Pahlavi
266:Dēnkard
246:Ab-Zohr
111:Yazatas
86:Avestan
700:dastūr
692:dastur
678:hērbad
659:dastūr
651:hērbad
647:hērbad
632:hērbad
622:hērbad
615:hērbad
611:Kartir
599:Avesta
587:ʼyhlpt
580:harpat
568:hērbad
564:dastūr
547:hērbad
537:hērbad
532:dastūr
517:hērbad
502:hērbed
498:hīrbad
496:(also
494:Hērbad
408:Iranis
398:Parsis
368:Burial
356:Sedreh
351:Kushti
231:Yashts
211:Gathas
156:Avesta
121:Daevas
116:Ahuras
688:mobad
683:mobad
655:mobad
643:Islam
560:mobed
542:yasna
526:mobed
521:navar
506:ērvad
216:Yasna
698:. A
657:and
535:, a
66:Asha
529:or
504:or
752::
726:,
653:,
634:.
617:.
566:,
500:,
26:on
582:(
482:e
475:t
468:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.