Zoroastrianism was the dominant world religion during the Persian empires (559 BC to 651 AC), and was thus the most powerful world religion at the time of Jesus. It is still practiced world-wide, especially in Iran and India.

“Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed world-religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly and indirectly, than any other single faith.” – Mary Boyce, Zoroastrians

Zoroastrianism has influenced Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Ideas like heaven and hell, afterlife, and coming of a savior all have roots in Zoroastrianism.

About 82,000 Parsis live in India, most of them in Bombay, comprising the world’s largest group of Zoroastrians, followers of the Bronze Age Iranian prophet, Zarathushtra.

According to Zoroastrian scripture, the end of the world will come about when a comet, called Gochihr, strikes the earth. Its “fire and halo” will melt all metals and minerals and will burn up the world in a general conflagration. The resulting boiling flood of metal will flow over the earth like a river. The righteous, as well as the wicked souls (released from hell) will pass through it. The wicked will be purified of their sins, but the pious will feel like they’re passing through warm milk.

Wrapped in white muslin, the dead are placed on slabs of marble, where they are devoured and dehydrated by the vultures and the heat of the sun. On the fourth day, the soul joins the spiritual world to reap the fruits – or face punishment – for what its owner had sown on earth.

“Burial, burning or drowning are not ritually permitted in our religion as that would mean we are contaminating the earth, the fire and the water,” said Khojeste P. Mistree, a Bombay Parsi and Oxford scholar of Zoroastrian studies. “Natural decomposition is eco-friendly, while cremation contributes to the greenhouse gases eating away at the planet’s protective ozone layer.”

Sadly the vultures of Bombay are nearly extinct. And sunlight is weak during the three-month monsoon season. And for the average 300 Parsis born in Bombay each year, 900 to 1,000 die.

– The complete text of the extant Avesta, the most ancient scriptures of Zoroastrianism.