The Gathas of Zarathustra

The Hymns of Zoroaster

The Gathas of Zarathustra are seventeen hymns composed by the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), possibly in the 2nd millennium BC — making them among the oldest religious poetry in any Indo-European language. They describe a cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda (the Wise Lord, truth) and Angra Mainyu (the Destructive Spirit, lie) — a dualistic framework that directly influenced Jewish apocalypticism

Codex Digital EditionComing soonEdition currently in preparation

Edition055

FormatDigital PDF

Editorial statusIn review

TraditionMystery Schools

Before you read

Context without the mythology.

Codex ISO separates the surviving evidence from later interpretation, so you can encounter the text without being told what to believe about it first.

01 / Historical context

2nd millennium BC or earlier. The oldest religious poetry in any Indo-European language. The Avesta was burned twice: by Alexander the Great and by Arab Muslim conquest. What survi

02 / Why it matters

Burned twice. A quarter survives. The oldest religious poetry you will ever read.

From / associated with the text

““With hands outstretched in devotion, Zarathustra prays for the two existences — the one of this world and the other of thought — of Righteousness.””

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The Gathas of Zarathustra

Context without the mythology.

Source before story.

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