Zoroaster, known in Avestan as Zaraθuštra and later in Greek as Zarathustra, stands in the spiritual record as an ancient Iranian prophet and religious reformer, revered as the founder of Zoroastrianism. Emerging from the cultural world of ancient Persia, he is portrayed as a priest who received revelation from Ahura Mazda, the “Wise Lord,” and then reshaped the religious landscape around that encounter. His message centered on devotion to a single supreme deity and on a profound moral dualism, setting truth against falsehood and righteousness against deceit. Through this lens, human life becomes a field of ethical struggle, where each person’s choices carry real spiritual weight.

The dating of Zoroaster’s life has long been a matter of scholarly debate, and the sources do not speak with one voice. Traditional Zoroastrian and some classical accounts place him in the 6th century BCE, around 628–551 BCE, while other analyses, especially those drawing on linguistic and historical considerations, suggest an earlier period between roughly 1500 and 1000 BCE. These differing estimates reflect the difficulty of anchoring a figure of such antiquity in precise historical time, yet they converge in recognizing him as a formative presence in the early development of monotheistic thought. Within that broad span, he is remembered as a teacher whose vision helped shape the religious imagination of the Iranian world.

Zoroaster’s teaching presents the cosmos as a battleground between the forces of good and evil, with Ahura Mazda at the center as the source of wisdom and light. Human beings are summoned to participate consciously in this struggle through right thought, right word, and right action, making ethical responsibility a sacred duty rather than a mere social convention. His doctrine includes themes of final judgment, resurrection, and a blessed afterlife, suggesting that the moral drama of this world finds its fulfillment beyond death. The hymns known as the Gathas, preserved within the Avesta, are attributed to his own inspired utterance and continue to serve as a spiritual touchstone for those who seek to understand his vision.