In certain strains of Zoroastrianism, Zurvan is the god of time, space and fate. He is the father of the good deity Ahura Mazda and the evil deity Angra Mainyu.
Some historians believe that Zurvan was part of the original teachings of Zoroastrianism.
Other historians believe that Zurvan was added to the Zoroastrian belief later. The earliest solid evidence for a belief in Zurvan seems to date from the Sassanid dynasty, which ruled Persia from 224 to 651 CE. These historians sometimes refer to this variation of Zoroastrianism as Zurvanism. However, this term is misleading, because it is unlikely that any Zoroastrians worshipped Zurvan; worship was always reserved for Ahura Mazda alone.
Helena Blavatsky asserted that Zurvan was part of the original teachings of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), but her claim was not based on any actual evidence.
Additional Reading
- Zaehner, Robert Charles. Zurvan: A Zoroastrian Dilemma. Biblo-Moser (1972), ISBN 0819602809. The classic work examining the uncertain history of belief in Zurvan.
