Avesta

The principal collection of Zoroastrian sacred texts, composed in Avestan, an ancient Iranian language. Its surviving parts preserve liturgy, religious law, myths, and teachings attributed to Zarathustra.

Avestan: An ancient Iranian language known primarily from the Zoroastrian scriptures composed in it. The language of the Avesta distinguishes its oldest compositions from later commentary.
Zarathustra: The ancient Iranian religious teacher whose teachings founded Zoroastrianism. The Gathas are traditionally attributed to him and anchor the collection’s religious voice.
Zoroastrianism: An Iranian religion centered on Ahura Mazda and associated with the teachings of Zarathustra. The Avesta is its principal scriptural collection.
Zend: A Middle Persian translation and commentary tradition explaining Zoroastrian scriptures. It is often confused with the Avesta, though it is commentary rather than the scripture itself.
Gathas: Seventeen hymns attributed to Zarathustra and incorporated into the Yasna liturgy. These hymns are the Avesta’s oldest and most authoritative poetic layer.
Old Avestan: The older linguistic form of Avestan, used in the Gathas and parts of the Yasna. Its archaic language marks the oldest layer of Avesta compositions.
Yasna ceremony: A Zoroastrian liturgy performed by priests through recitation and offerings. The ceremony enacts the text whose central section is also called the Yasna.
Pahlavi: The Middle Iranian language used for much Zoroastrian commentary and later religious writing. It differs from Avestan, the ancient language of the scriptural texts.
Yasna: The central Zoroastrian sacrificial liturgy, also the name of the text recited during it. It contains the Gathas and forms the ritual core of the collection.
Young Avestan: The later linguistic form of Avestan in much of the surviving scripture. Most Avesta texts outside the oldest hymns are composed in this form.

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