Research Paper on:
Zoroastrian Religion's Purification Rituals

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
or bulls urine is used many times throughout all the elements in the rituals of purification and this cleansing with Taro is often combined with additional cleansing using sand and  water. Traditionally, the Zoroastrian religion is very conscious of the elements of fire, water and soil and their purification is essential in the containment of evil possession. In addition to  the cleansing methods used, many elements and animals help with the protection against evil in the purification rituals. A Dogs glare can terrify an evil spirit and protect those who  are performing the ritual and the Sun is assisted by the Vulture in the complete destruction of a dead body from the ritual site. These cleansing and purification practices must  be adhered to or followers will be severely punished. Infection of the elements in considered a mortal sin and sinners are punished, isolated and purified. Traditionally, the purification rituals involve  death and the disposal of the corpse, contact with a corpse, menstruation and childbirth. The first Aryan prophet to teach of a monotheistic  religion was Zarathushtra who was said to have been born in Iran around 8000 years BC. His teachings related that there was only one God, Ahura Mazda, and that life  in the physical world was a constant battle between good and evil (Traditional Zoroastrianism). The major source for the teachings of the works of Zarathushtra, known as Zoroaster in the  West, is found in the "Avesta". Previously unrecorded, the Avesta was written in two ancient Eastern Iranian languages known as Gathic Avestan and Younger Avestan (Boyce 1). The Avesta was  thought to have been first written during the times of the Sasanian empire approximately in the years 224 to 651. Studying the language and change in the writings over the