Zoroaster—also known by the Avestan name Zarathustra—stands out as one of history’s pioneering spiritual innovators. Believed to have lived sometime between the late second millennium and early first millennium BCE (roughly 1200–1000 BCE, though some scholars push that window as far back as 1500 BCE), this enigmatic figure is credited with reshaping ancient Iranian religious thought.

Born in a region of northeastern Iran or perhaps what’s now Afghanistan, Zoroaster kicked off a radical overhaul of polytheistic traditions by centering worship on Ahura Mazda, the “Wise Lord.” His composed hymns, the Gāthās, capture a fresh, personal dialogue with the divine—rather like discovering a philosophical breath of fresh air amid ritual-heavy practices. These verses aren’t mere leftovers of an antiquated creed; they carved out an ethical dualism—good versus evil, truth versus falsehood—that would echo across centuries and civilizations.

Dating Zoroaster is a bit like piecing together a jigsaw with a few missing parts. Ancient Greek historians pointed to around 600 BCE, but linguistic clues in the Gāthās hint at a far earlier origin. Modern advances in archaeology—think recent digs near Balkh and tantalizing carbon datings of early Avestan manuscripts—keep nudging timelines here and there, but certainty remains elusive.

A thread runs from Zoroaster’s vision to later Vedic philosophies: concepts of a singular creator, moral responsibility, even the ultimate triumph of good. It’s no surprise that today’s Nowruz celebrations—recently spotlighted on National Geographic’s travel segments—are living testaments to his enduring influence. Quite a legacy for someone who, against the odds, managed to spark a monotheistic revolution and lay groundwork that’s still rippling through cultural and religious landscapes.