"Zoroastrianism is of importance in the history of religions. Elements in it can be traced back to a remote, possibly even Indo-European, past, and these, and others from Indo-Iranian times link it with the beliefs of ancient (Vedic) India, and survive as a subordinate part of what is the earliest known revealed religion. Zoroaster's own teachings have, moreover, a highly spiritual and ethical content, which makes them a deeply rewarding subject for study in themselves." "This book, now re-issued with a new introduction by Mary Boyce, is the first attempt to trace the continuous history of the faith from the time it was preached by Zoroaster down to the present day - a span of about 3,500 years. First taught on the Inner Asian steppes, Zoroastrianism became the state religion of the three great Iranian empires and, as such, had a remarkable influence on other world faiths: to the east on northern Buddhism; to the west on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With the conquest of Iran by the Muslim Arabs, Zoroastrianism lost its secular power, but survives as a minority faith, and one of the oldest living religions."--BOOK JACKET.