Written by In the late 19th century, as the Western world began to rediscover the profound wisdom of ancient Persia, one scholar stood out for his tireless work in bridging Zoroastrian texts with global understanding: Abraham Valentine Williams Jackson (1862–1937). A pioneering American Iranologist and professor at Columbia University, Jackson specialized in Indo-Iranian languages, producing seminal works like his Avesta Grammar—still a cornerstone of Zoroastrian studies today. His travels to India in 1901 earned him deep respect from the Parsi community, who gifted Columbia a priceless collection of Zoroastrian manuscripts in gratitude for his teachings. Jackson’s 1893 article, “Avesta, the Bible of Zoroaster,” published in The Biblical World, remains a timeless introduction to the sacred texts, blending scholarly rigor with a passion for their ethical depth. Here, we adapt and honor his insights, modernizing the language while preserving his voice, to illuminate the Avesta’s enduring light for today’s seekers of Asha (truth and righteousness).
The Discovery of a Timeless Treasure
It was scarcely more than a century before Jackson’s time that the West received one of its greatest gifts from the East: the Avesta, or Zend-Avesta—the sacred scriptures and prayer book of Zoroaster, the prophet of ancient Iran. Dating back centuries before the Christian era, these texts, along with later Pahlavi writings, form the holy canon for modern Zoroastrians, including the Parsi communities in India and scattered groups in Yezd and Kerman.
We owe our first direct knowledge of the Avesta to the adventurous French scholar Anquetil du Perron, whose 1771 translation marked the dawn of serious Western study. Jackson vividly recounts the “romantic story” of du Perron’s zeal, opening a “new field for research” whose harvest continues today—especially for students of comparative religion and the Bible.
Avesta – Wikipedia
Why the Avesta Matters to Biblical Scholars and Beyond
Jackson emphasizes the Avesta’s unique appeal: among ancient sacred texts outside the Judeo-Christian tradition, few grasp ideas of right and wrong, purity of body and soul, ethical duty, resurrection, a coming Savior (Saoshyant), and eternal rewards and punishments with such clarity. Illuminated by Zoroaster’s spirit, these scriptures offer a “firmer faith” in moral order.
Biblical echoes abound. The “law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not” (Daniel 6:8–12) is proverbial. References to Medes appear in 2 Kings, Ezra, Isaiah, Daniel, and Esther. The Apocrypha’s Tobit and Judith feature Median settings, with Asmodeus revealed as the Avestan demon Aeshma Daeva (“Demon of Fury”). Cyrus the Great—Zoroastrian follower and God’s “anointed” (Isaiah 45:1–3)—decreed Jerusalem’s temple rebuilt. Darius supported it, and the Magi, “wise men from the East” (Matthew 2:1–2), brought gifts to the infant Jesus, symbolizing a new era of light.
Zoroastrianism became the creed of Achaemenid kings like Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes. It might have spread further into Europe but for Marathon and Alexander’s conquests, which Jackson notes dealt a near-fatal blow—though the faith revived under the Sassanians (3rd–7th centuries CE). The Muslim invasions in the 7th century forced many to flee to India, preserving the remnants as today’s Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians, numbering under 100,000 in Jackson’s era (and around 200,000 today).
The Surviving Avesta: A Fragmentary Yet Profound Canon
Tradition holds the original Avesta was vast—an encyclopedia of religion, arts, sciences, and life—comprising 21 Nasks (books), with millions of verses. Alexander’s destruction and time’s toll left us perhaps one-tenth, divided as follows:
- Yasna (including Gathas): The core liturgical text, akin to a book of common prayer. Its middle section, the Gathas, are Zoroaster’s own hymns—psalms divided into five groups. Jackson quotes metrical passages, like Haoma’s vision to Zoroaster, evoking Longfellow’s rhythms.
- Visperad: A supplement invoking all holy beings, inserted in rituals.
- Yashts: Hymns praising Yazatas (angels), such as Ardvi Sura Anahita (waters) and Mithra (truth/light). Poetic and legendary, they preserve ancient Iranian sagas, possibly pre-Zoroastrian myths adapted to the faith. Jackson shares epic verses, like the hero Keresaspa slaying a dragon.
Zoroastrian Scripture, Avesta, Manuscripts
- Minor Texts: Shorter prayers, Nyaishes, Gahs, and blessings for daily devotion.
- Vendidad: The “law against demons,” a priestly code paralleling the Pentateuch. It includes a dualistic creation account, Yima’s golden age and “enclosure” against a flood-like winter, praises of agriculture, laws on purity, treatment of the dead (origin of Towers of Silence), and even dog care.
- Fragments: Surviving pieces from lost Nasks, including metrical prophecies of the Saoshyant raising the dead and banishing Ahriman.
Jackson rejoices in these remnants, supplemented by Pahlavi texts, as a “Prayer-Book” where Yasna, Visperad, and Vendidad interweave like church lessons, communion, psalms, and hymns.
Jackson’s Enduring Gift: A Bridge to Zoroaster’s Teachings
A.V. Williams Jackson’s work reminds us that Zoroastrianism lingers today—chanted in Bombay temples, with sacred fires tended and rites observed. His article calls us to explore its ethical core: good thoughts, words, and deeds. In honoring Jackson, we affirm the Avesta’s light as a guide for all pursuing truth.
Further Reading and Resources
- Original 1893 article: “Avesta, the Bible of Zoroaster” by A.V.W. Jackson (available via JSTOR or open archives).
- Jackson’s Zoroastrian Studies (1928), compiling his key essays.
- Explore Avesta translations on FEZANA.org or Avesta.org.
May Ahura Mazda’s wisdom, as revealed through Zoroaster and scholars like Jackson, inspire good deeds in our world. 🔥
Exploring Isfahan Atashgah: The Ancient Zoroastrian Fire Temple