Bundahishn

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Describes creation by Ohrmazd, the attack of Ahriman, the first man Gayomard and the end of the world. It reads as an encyclopaedia of the Zoroastrian universe.

Traditional attribution

Zoroastrian account of creation drawn from the Avesta.

Historical scholarship

Compiled by Zoroastrian priests, including Farnbag, from older material.

Context and curiosity

It includes a list of beneficial and harmful animals.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Persia & Mandaean (Sasanian & early Islamic Iran). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 8th–9th century CE and original language or script as Middle Persian. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundahishn

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.