Ma`rifat Adyan

Abstract In Zoroastrianism, which considers this world as a place where good creatures of Ormazd are subject to the Devil’s attacks, women’s identity and existence enjoy special status. On one hand, Mazda has created woman with a pure and, like man she has free will and is responsible for what she does. On the other hand, because woman has some feminine characteristics, is physically vulnerable and is subject to the Devil’s attack; whenever has a the period she has to be apart from the other members of family and observe strict rules. This special view about woman, that is, considering her as a vulnerable creature and man as the best creature of Ormazd to the extent that some texts consider her as a parasite and inferior to man and procreation as the only reason of her creation. Using a descriptive-analysis method, and referring to ancient Avesta and Pahlavi sources and to the Zoroastrian scientific works of pioneer researchers, this library-based study first presents an overview of the ontology of Zoroastrianism and then investigates the different views about the status of women in Zoroastrian dual creation. In conclusion, there are two views about women in the texts and tradition of Zoroastrianism: positive and negative The positive view is found in the texts and ancient literature of Zoroastrianism and the negative view is found in Pahlavi tradition and texts, that is, the recent texts related to the Sasanian period. The dissociation of Zoroastrianism from its founder and the influence of significant deviant thought on the religious literature of this religion made Zoroastrian priests develop about women and the negative view of Gnostics and manichaeanism should be taken in to consideration, too.