The Dava Cult in the Gths

Addressing the question of the origins of the Zoroastrian religion, this book argues that the intransigent opposition to the cult of the da vas, the ancient Indo-Iranian gods, is the root of the development of the two central doctrines of Zoroastrianism: cosmic dualism and eschatology (fate of the soul after death and its passage to the o

Autorentext

Amir Ahmadi is an Adjunct Researcher at the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University. He has published in Philosophy, History of Religions and Iranian Studies.

Inhalt

Introduction 1 Monotheistic Thesis 2 Ahura-Cult Thesis 3 Ethno-Historical Thesis 4 Ritualistic Thesis 5 The Choice 6 The Daeva Cult 7 Chthonic Features of the Daeva Cult 8 The Nocturnal Rite 9 The Greek Mysteries 10 The Magi in Heraclitus and the Derveni Author 11 The Divine Man, the Gos and the Magician 12 Initiation-based Youth Bands and Initiatory Sacrifice 13 Eschatology Conclusion