SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The Dadestan i Denig 'Religious Judgments' consists of ninety-one answers given by ManuScihr i Juwanjaman, the Zoroastrian high priest in the ninth century A.C., to the questions put to him by Mihr Xwarsed i Adurmahan and other members of his community. The first part of the text, which contains forty questions and answers, deals chiefly with the following matters: Why is the righteous man important and what is the purpose of the creation of the perfect man? Why do the good suffer more than the evil in this world? The sin of those who leave the Mazda-worshipping religion for the evil religion; meritorious deeds; the vision of Ohrmazd and Ahreman by the departed soul. How does the soul depart from the body and where do the righteous and wicked souls go? Ceremonies in honour of Sros to be performed during the SedoS (i.e. three days after death). The nature of heaven and hell; individual eschatology; the renovation of the universe; the sacred cord and the sacred shirt. The text is one of the most important surviving books of the ninth century and as a whole is a valuable source for the history of the Zoroastrian community under Islamic influence. Because the subjects discussed in the text cover a wide range of Zoroastrian religious doctrine, mythology and traditions, it shows the extensive knowledge of its author in different areas of study. A characteristic feature of this text is the difficult style of writing. Manuscihr's style is sophisticated but sometimes ambiguous and obscure, so his writing demands to be read carefully. My edition of the first part of the book (chapters 1-35) is based on the text edited by the late B.T. Anklesaria in which all the surviving manuscripts have been carefully examined. I have given a transcription of the text with critical apparatus, following the method of transcription proposed by Prof. D.N. MacKenzie. I have also provided a translation and a very brief commentary.