Millenarianism in Ancient Iranian Religions and Ikhwān al-Safā’s Theory of Prophetic Cycles: A Comparative Study

Subject Areas : Christianity

رضا فرحقیقی ¹ (ندارد)
انشاءالله رحمتی ² (ندارد)

Received: 2012-11-05 Accepted : 2013-01-02 Published : 2012-09-22

Keywords: Ancient Iranian religions, Ikhwān al-Safā, Millenarianism, prophetic&#x0D, &#x0D, cycles, Ameshaspand, celestial souls,

Abstract :

Zoroasterianisam, Zurvanism and Mithraism have been combined withastrological beliefs in such a way that it is nearly impossible to graspthese schools and religions without having knowledge aboutastrological beliefs. Ikhwān al-Safā, a mystical and esoteric associationin tenth century in Basra and Baghdad, wrote 52 epistles full of religioastrologicalbeliefs and thoughts. For example their theory of PropheticCycles was developed to explain the cosmic cycles and the sacredhistory. Observing similarities between ancient Iranian religions andIkhwān al-Safā and after surveying the religio-astrological elements ofIranian millenarianism (especially that of Zoroasterianism andZurvanism) and Ikhwān al-Safā’s Prophetic Cycles, we decieded tocompare these two religious traditions. In the present research, by usingscientific and historical references, we have tried to recognize andanalyze the common roots of these beliefs and thoughts in the bothtraditions. The most significant achievement of this research ispresenting a new method for comparison between the ancient Iranianconcept of ontological levels and Ikhwān al-Safā’s concept of celestialsouls. Moreover, by surveying the role of the archetypes of infiniteTime and eternal Place in the immaterial and material world, we couldmake a comparison between Yazatas and Ameshaspentas of ancientIranian religions and Ikhwān al-Safā’s consepts of Universal Reason,Universal Soul and Celestial Souls.