Nawroz originated with Persians???

[Nick]

Nawroz originated with Persians, but yes now Iranian peoples in general celebrate it.

"Nawroz originated with Persians" -->


First please start in where did nawroz originated, then we will work our way out in regards to the word "Persians"

So how did Nawroz originated with Persians? I would like people to please contribute in this thread. Please no Iranica/Britannica/Americana=Since most of the articles in regard to Islam and West Asia comes from same sourced ie they all used same article. --->also no encyclopedia of Islam made by non-Muslims is generally attack often by every muslim scholar.

Also Please note no Wikipedia I have requested that so many times but when comes to "3rd world countries" lol specially articles in regards to Afghanistan is totally BS and unacceptable even if they are telling somewhat truth the rest 90% are false and bias.
So far wikipedia's administrator did nothing in promoting to advance information in regards to articles related to Afghanistan and so its by all means shell not be used as an reliable source. LOL besides anyone can access wiki BS just by Googling. Most of us here are well aware of wikipedia's articles and have been posted over dozen times.


ScimitarXEdge I would like to start with you. Please brother give us your shot and hopefully we hear from other PF members as well.

[ScimitarXEdge]

Boyce and Grenet explain the traditions for seasonal festivals and comment:"It is possible that the splendor of the Babylonian festivities at this season led the Persians to develop their own spring festival into an established new year feast, with the name Navasarda 'New Year' (a name which, though first attested through Middle Persian derivatives, is attributed to the Achaemenian period). Since the communal observations of the ancient Iranians appear in general to have been a seasonal ones, it is probable, however, that they traditionally held festivals in both autumn and spring, to mark the major turning points of the natural year".[30]

[Leonine]

UMM, both of these people seem to be retards,,Have they ever studied something called "ZOROASTRIANISM"?!!@ Nawroz was originally a zoroastrian festival..The religion originated in ancient Bactria (within contemporary Afghanistan). I know the persians doctrinized and systematized zoroastrianism....but its origin are culturally from Afghanistan..the same for all other zoroastrian festivals

[یاسمینه]

Leonine,
Mary Boyce wrote "Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices" as well as few articles about history of Zoroastrianism. She might be all wrong in your opinion, but for sure she heard about Zoroastrianism.

[Catya Sher]

Yes, the scholar Mary Boyce is almost THE accepted expert in the field.
Maybe not still alive, but
she did the most comprehensive studies.

Zaehner wrote about Zurvanism, a heretical offshoot of Zoroastrianism.

It's a neat holiday: there is no getting around that joy of spring.

I always say I wish the universal New Year were March 21st -
it makes SENSE
UNLIKE December 31 - January 1 when it's too cold & bleak to
celebrate the beginning of a fresh year.

I like the ritual of jumping over the fire too.

The ancients were smart ! Smarter than we in many cases =
they knew what the human psyche most needs :
spiritual cleansing once a year at least.
Everyone does, no matter whom

[ScimitarXEdge]

UMM, both of these people seem to be retards,,Have they ever studied something called "ZOROASTRIANISM"?!!@ Nawroz was originally a zoroastrian festival..The religion originated in ancient Bactria (within contemporary Afghanistan). I know the persians doctrinized and systematized zoroastrianism....but its origin are culturally from Afghanistan..the same for all other zoroastrian festivals

Nawroz came over 1000 years after Zoroastrianism began

the two people are EXPERTS in Zoroastrian studies....what are you an expert in?

[کیش]

This is a stupid Persian holiday. If your Pashtun and celebrate this, shame on you.

[graveyardofempires]

This is a stupid Persian holiday. If your Pashtun and celebrate this, shame on you.

this is not persian holiday.

in ancient time we celeberated the coming of pesarlay and this is about that not some persian thing.

its about the coming of new year which means time for plants to grow.

[Leonine]

In fact, since Zoroastrianism is an ancient faith, there is no record of the founding of any of its major festivals. It seems a reasonable surmise that Nowrūz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by Zoroaster himself,

Mary Boyce

http://www.iranica.com/articles/festivals-i

SUCK That!

To be honest, I don't really like to depend on these Western scholars to teach me my history, these who don't make any distinction between Iran and Ariana and call the likes of Ibn Sina, Beruni and Maulana "Persian."

[ScimitarXEdge]

Mary Boyce

http://www.iranica.com/articles/festivals-i

SUCK That!

To be honest, I don't really like to depend on these Western scholars to teach me my history, these who don't make any distinction between Iran and Ariana and call the likes of Ibn Sina, Beruni and Maulana "Persian."

What do you want us to suck ...the fact that she herself admits there's no certainty when Nawroz originated ....or that she just or that she just said "it seems reasonable"....

not exactly a smoking gun. Nawroz in all likeliness didn't begin back when Zardusht started Mazda Yasna (worship of Ahura Mazda). If it was, then there would be records of it.

[ScimitarXEdge]

Nawruz seems to be of Semitic Origins ...

http://www.ghandchi.com/iranscope/An...h/farrokh8.htm



To investigate the origins of the Iranian Nowruz (literally New day, New Year), one is compelled to go back a great deal in time, well beyond 3000 years in fact. The date of today’s Nowruz may have its origins in the Babylonian Lunar Year, known as the Nisannu.

The Nissanu – The Babylonian Year

Although not generally acknowledged, it was the Babylonians who, since the beginning of recorded civilization, have devised techniques for measuring the passage of time, namely day, night and year. The day was viewed as lying between the onset of two consecutive evenings. The Babylonian calendar month was defined as that time when the full moon appeared. There were tow problems with this of course. First, is the problem that the moon’s visibility could be limited by factors such as cloud thickness or density. The second problem is that the Babylonian lunar system is out of synchrony with the solar year and the regular seasons. Today, it is generally acknowledged that the earth takes approximately 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun. Therefore, the solar system is eleven days longer than the twelve full moons of the Babylonian system. As a result, the Babylonian system was asynchronous with the earth’s natural seasons. To rectify this problem, the Babylonians responded by adding an extra month from time to time, to their twelve full moon (lunar) months.

By the time of Cyrus the Great’s relatively peaceful conquest of Babylon (539 B.C.), the Baylonians had developed an impressive knowledge of time. They had already discovered the equation of 19 years as being equal to 235 months. From the 5th century B.C., the Babylonians had established a cycle of seven intercalculations every 19 years. Note that as before, the beginning of every new month came with the onset (roughly) of every new moon. This resulted in the Babylonian New Year on Nissanu 1st, falling onto early Spring. It would appear that this specific Babylonian date entered the Aryan Nowruz festival.

The Nisaannu & The Iranian Nowruz Festival of March 21st

Cyrus the Great’s conquest of Babylon, bought the concept of Spring as the onset of the new year into wider Iranian culture around 2500 years ago. The Achaemenid government adopted the Babylonian New Year beginning at Nisannu 1st, approximately the time of the vernal equinox, or March 21st. But it is here where the similarity with the Babylonians ends. The rituals and mythology of the festival itself have been since the inception of the Aryans, and remain to this day, an Iranian phenomenon.




This guy is a NON-Western source. ......


So I guess for Aryan Purists, they should abandon Nawruz.

[Leonine]

Nawruz seems to be of Semitic Origins ...

http://www.ghandchi.com/iranscope/An...h/farrokh8.htm



To investigate the origins of the Iranian Nowruz (literally New day, New Year), one is compelled to go back a great deal in time, well beyond 3000 years in fact. The date of today’s Nowruz may have its origins in the Babylonian Lunar Year, known as the Nisannu.

The Nissanu – The Babylonian Year

Although not generally acknowledged, it was the Babylonians who, since the beginning of recorded civilization, have devised techniques for measuring the passage of time, namely day, night and year. The day was viewed as lying between the onset of two consecutive evenings. The Babylonian calendar month was defined as that time when the full moon appeared. There were tow problems with this of course. First, is the problem that the moon’s visibility could be limited by factors such as cloud thickness or density. The second problem is that the Babylonian lunar system is out of synchrony with the solar year and the regular seasons. Today, it is generally acknowledged that the earth takes approximately 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun. Therefore, the solar system is eleven days longer than the twelve full moons of the Babylonian system. As a result, the Babylonian system was asynchronous with the earth’s natural seasons. To rectify this problem, the Babylonians responded by adding an extra month from time to time, to their twelve full moon (lunar) months.

By the time of Cyrus the Great’s relatively peaceful conquest of Babylon (539 B.C.), the Baylonians had developed an impressive knowledge of time. They had already discovered the equation of 19 years as being equal to 235 months. From the 5th century B.C., the Babylonians had established a cycle of seven intercalculations every 19 years. Note that as before, the beginning of every new month came with the onset (roughly) of every new moon. This resulted in the Babylonian New Year on Nissanu 1st, falling onto early Spring. It would appear that this specific Babylonian date entered the Aryan Nowruz festival.

The Nisaannu & The Iranian Nowruz Festival of March 21st

Cyrus the Great’s conquest of Babylon, bought the concept of Spring as the onset of the new year into wider Iranian culture around 2500 years ago. The Achaemenid government adopted the Babylonian New Year beginning at Nisannu 1st, approximately the time of the vernal equinox, or March 21st. But it is here where the similarity with the Babylonians ends. The rituals and mythology of the festival itself have been since the inception of the Aryans, and remain to this day, an Iranian phenomenon.




This guy is a NON-Western source. ......


So I guess for Aryan Purists, they should abandon Nawruz.

even if some important things are mesopotamian in origin, i wish you would stop fantasizing that they and arabs are one and that arabs somehow have a share in mesopotamian inventions just cuz u are an arab..all arabs did was live in the desert, kill their daughters and do nothing (until the Prophet came along)... first of all, you said it was a Persian holiday, now you say it is Babylonian..wtf? make up your mind.. first of all, they say Mary Boyce is the supreme source on this. if she says that it is reasonable zoroaster invented it, then lets believe her... (i alrdy know what ur next post will be)


NAWROZ IS BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID "LETS FOLLOW LOGIC AND MAKE OUR NEW YEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING." ANYONE COULD HAVE INDEPENDENTLY THOUGHT OF IT..WHETHER ZOROASTER IN BACTRIA OR SOME BABYLONIAN IN BABYLONIA.

[آريا]

Nawruz seems to be of Semitic Origins ...

No probably it's not Semitic. Because ancient Egyptians are even known to celebrate the beginning of spring even in 2700 BC!

So I guess for Aryan Purists, they should abandon Nawruz.

Afghanistan uses the Islamized Jalali solar calendar. Its first day of the year is the spring equinox that's why this day is celebrated as the new year.

[ScimitarXEdge]

even if some important things are mesopotamian in origin, i wish you would stop fantasizing that they and arabs are one and that arabs somehow have a share in mesopotamian inventions just cuz u are an arab..all arabs did was live in the desert, kill their daughters and do nothing (until the Prophet came along)... first of all, you said it was a Persian holiday, now you say it is Babylonian..wtf? make up your mind.. first of all, they say Mary Boyce is the supreme source on this. if she says that it is reasonable zoroaster invented it, then lets believe her... (i alrdy know what ur next post will be)


NAWROZ IS BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID "LETS FOLLOW LOGIC AND MAKE OUR NEW YEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING." ANYONE COULD HAVE INDEPENDENTLY THOUGHT OF IT..WHETHER ZOROASTER IN BACTRIA OR SOME BABYLONIAN IN BABYLONIA.

That's your own interpolation; my point in the other thread is your obsession with Cultural and Ethnic Purity and other short minded ideas are farcical, Cultural Diffusion has happened and will happen. So what if Persian or Pashto has Arabic words in it or is even 75% Arab vocabulary. People have been borrowing and intermingling their cultures between Egypt and India left and right. Your most precious celebrations aren't even yours originally.

It doesn't matter what someone COULD have done, what matters is what was MOST LIKELY done. The most likely scenario is that most of the Glorious Aryan Culture that many pompously attribute isn't even Aryan.

You're right I originally said it was a Persian Holiday until I did more reading on the subject, So it was a Babylonian Holiday that Persians Adopted and from them Afghans adopted it too. This isn't an issue of "making up minds" this is an issue of what evidence/information suggests. You can't "make up your mind" about reality. Either way my original point still holds,

If anyone's mind isn't made up it's how you called Mary Boyce an IDIOT and now you're endorsing her you believe you find something that caters to Aryan ethnocentrism.

I only take from Mary Boyce things she has a strong degree of Certainty about. The quote you cited shows she's just making a guess.


And yes Arabs used to kill their daughters, The Hephtalites (ancestors of certain sections of Modern Afghans) used to practice Polyandry and the Zoroastrians used to commit Incest with Mothers and Daughters. Most Pre-Islamic Cultures were ignorant and did some disgusting things. What's your point?

I won't just "believe" something to save some insecure Nationalistic Ego; We should face the Truth like Brave Men.

Afghans ADOPTED Nawruz from another culture....if not Persians than Babylonians for sure.

[ScimitarXEdge]

Kurd's - Persian New Year and
its Assyrian - Babylonian origin
William Warda
Mach 24, 06
In citing background information about the Iranian New year Davood N. Rahni writes:

"The Norooz Festival is immortalized in the Decree of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, granting national, cultural and religious freedoms to the peoples of Babylon and beyond in 542 B.C.E." (1)
There is no mention of Norooz or Newrouz in any of the inscriptions by Cyrus. The invasion of Babylon by the Persians took place on October 4th 539 B.C., months before the Spring equinox the first day of the later Persian new year. Cyrus could not have granted the Babylonians any rights 3 years before his invasion of the city. Historical evidences suggest that the Persian Norooz was borrowed from the Babylonians after the conquest of the city that was facilitated by the Priests of Marduk, and, perhaps also, by the leaders of the exiled Jews.
Inscriptions by the Babylonian priests, their king Nebunaid and Cyrus indicate that there was ongoing conflict between the Priests of Marduk and their king who attempted to elevate the Harranian deity Sin above Marduk. consequently. causing the hatred of him by the general population. To make matters worst Nabunaid left the country and lived in the oasis of Tima in northwest Arabia for 17 years.
During his absence the New year was not celebrated because king played an important role in the ceremonies. Canceling of the New year was undoubtedly a great disappointment for the Babylonians who considered its observance, not only as a time for joy also, an important religious obligation.
Such despair is evident in one Babylonian inscription :
"On the eleventh year [of the Nabunaid's rule] ... 'The King did not come to Babylon for the Ceremonies of the month Nissanu, Nabu did not come to Babylon, Bel [Marduk] did not go out in procession, the festival of the New Year was omitted.."(2)
After defeating Nabunaid's army in Opis The Persian troops marched to Sippar and took it without opposition and Cyrus entered Babylon without a battle. "On the third day of Arahshamnu (October) Kurash (Cyrus) entered Babylon, green twigs were spread in front of him - the state of "peace" (shulmu) was imposed upon the city."(3)
Cyrus's kindness to the Babylonians and the Jews was clearly a pay-back for the fact that he did not have to fight the population of the city who had in fact helped him to conquer it. The involvement of the Priests of Marduk in helping the Persian conquest of Babylon is implied in an inscription by Cyrus. "Nabunaid was heretical; he changed the details of worship. He was also an oppressor....But Bel-Marduk cast his eye over all countries, seeking for a righteous ruler.. Then he called by name cyrus, King of Anshan and pronounced him ruler of the lands."(4)
Since the city was captured without bloodshed with the cooperation of the population it was natural that Cyrus in contrast to Nabunaid would appeal to the Babylonian's religious sensitivities which he seems to have had detail knowledge of. In another inscription Cyrus declares that Marduk the great lord was pleased with his deeds and sent friendly blessings to 'the King who worships him, and his son Cambyses ' .'(5)
The book of Isaiah implies that Jews were also part of the effort to help Cyrus invasion of Babylon which it would pave the way for their return to Israel.
"This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open before him so that gates will not be shut."(Isaiah 45) Given the Jewish exiled hatered of the Babylonians such posibility can not be dismissed. "Sit in silence, go into darkness Daughter of the Babylonians; no more you will be called Queen of Kingdoms.(Isaiah 47: 5) ....They will come upon you in full measure, despite your many sorceries and your potent spells." (Isaiah 47: 9)
It is important to note that the chapters 40-55 of the Biblical book of Isaiah also knwon as 'Second Isaiah' or 'Deutero-Isaiah' were added to the book by unknown Babylonian Jewish exile within the period of 546 to 538 B.C.E..(6)
After the invasion, Persians adopted many of the Assyro-Babylonian social, political and administrative innovations. Historians believe that the Persian empire owed much to the Assyrian accomplishments. "Assyrian art, science, literature and technology, integrated from many sources and revealed by excavation" have influenced the later nations including those in Europe.(7) It should not surprise us that Persians borrowed their New year from the Babylonians. There are very few minor Persian inscriptions before the invasion of Babylon. in fact the Cyrus Cylinder, where he describes his conquest of Babylon was written in the Akkadean language of the Babylonians, and was found in the ruins of that ancient city.
"Darius I (550-486 BC) claims credit for the invention of Old Persian Cuneiform in an inscription on a cliff at Behistun in south-west Iran. The inscription dates from 520 BC and is in three languages - Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian."
Old Persian Cuneiform

A bas-relief found at Pasargadae shows a winged-figure thought to be Cyrus, depicted with four Assyrian wings, and wearing an Egyptian hemhem crown, and a Persian dress.

When In 538 B.C. Cambyses the son of Cyrus was installed as the king of Babylon on the 4th day of Nissanu [March 24th of the western calendar] he went through the historic New Year ritual of paying homage to Bell [Marduk] and Nabu thereby he was appointed officially the viceroy of Marduk in Babylon with headquarter in Sippar.(8) This is the first mention of a Persian king participating in the celebration of the New year festival which later became to be known as Nowruz. When Cyrus was killed on the battlefield in 530 B.C. Cambyses inherited the empire's throne. As king of Babylon he had presided for eight previous years over the Babylonian New year celebrations which by then had been gradually passed on to the Persians.

In the Persian capital Persepolis or Pasargad founded by Cambyses and finished by Dariush engravings show various nations of the empire bringing gifts to the King during the New Year's celebration, There is no historical evidence to show that either the Medes nor the Persians observed the Spring Equinox as New Year before the conquest of Babylon.

The Assyro-babylonian new year originated during the Sumerian period in mid third millennium B.C. was the most important religious ceremony which was observed starting on the spring equinox (March 20-21), the day of creation and also of the rebirth of the nature, according to their religion. During the New Year ceremonies the story of the Creation describing the battle between Marduk and Tiamat leading to the creation of the world, all the living things including mankind was recited and enacted.(9)
To the right the Babylonian New Year Procession at the Ishtar's Gate
Assyrian Babylonian influence on Persian culure is also evident in the Shabe Cheleh /Yalda celebrations which is explained as follows on a Persian website: www.cultureofiran.com/yalda.php
"The Persians adopted their annual renewal festival from the Babylonians and incorporated it into the rituals of their own Zoroastrian religion. The last day of the Persian month Azar is the longest night of the year, [the winter solstice] when the forces of Ahriman are assumed to be at the peak of their strength. While the next day, the first day of the month ‘Day’ known as ‘khoram ruz’ or ‘khore ruz’ (the day of sun) belongs to Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom. Since the days are getting longer and the nights shorter, this day marks the victory of Sun over the darkness. The occasion was celebrated in the festival of ‘Daygan’ dedicated to Ahura Mazda, on the first day of the month ‘Day’." http://www.farsinet.com/norooz/yalda.html
The battle of Ahura Mazda with the the forces of Ahriman clearly is reminiscent of Marduk's battle in Babylon and Ashur in Assyria against the monsters of chaos. Though shab means night in the persian language Yalda is Aramaic Assyrian (Syriac) means birth, together they denote the "night of birth", which means somwhere slong the way this occasion was called "Lila d'yalda" in the Aramaic Assyrian.



The battle of Bel against Tiamat was engraved by the Assyrian king Sennecherib at the "Bet Akitu" on a pair of copper doors at Assur. His inscription reads: "I engraved upon the gate the gods who marched in front and the gods who marched behind him [Assur], those who ride in chariots, and those who go on foot [against] Tiamat and the creatures [that were] in her."
The above piture depicts such description.
Alexander the Great according to the Greek historians participated in the Persian new year festivities in 330 B.C. He was asked to go through a ritual ordeal which consisted of fighting a "monstrous death demon" and emerge victorious. This seems to have been a reenactment of Marduk's battle with Tiamat as told in the assyrian -Babylonian creation story. Alexander's Participation in this event renewed his rule for another year as Ahura Mazda's vice regent on the earth.(10)
Assyrian and Babylonian kings were considered viceroys of god on earth, every new year the king had to go through a ritual which led to his dethroning by the high priest in the presence of Marduk or Assur to confess that he 'had not sinned against the land and had not neglected the divinity' his crown was returned to him by the high priest and his kingship was extended for another year.(11) This concept seems to have survived among the Persians. The kings of the Sassanian dynasty were also considered the regents of the Ahura Mazda and were known as "Bokh" or "Minu Chehre Az Eazadon" i.e. 'related to god', also 'Farah Eizadi' i.e 'guided by god".(12)



Assyrian depiction of battle between Assur and Tiamat Bas-reliefs of that era show Sassanian kings receiving their crown from the Mobed Modbedan i.e. the Zoroastrian high priest. It is interesting to note that the Persian emblem of Aura Mazda with minore differences seem to be identical to that of the Assyrian god Assur.

Evidence also suggests that the practice of the Sacred Marriage of the Assyro-Babylonian new year intended to insure the fertility of the land was also part of the Persian New year celebrations."..the [Achaemenian] king spent the first night of the New Year with a young woman. The offsprings of such union would be sent to a temple and they would normally end up as high-ranking religious officials."(13)
Another aspect of the Nowruz celebrations, not practiced since the medieval times, was called 'Kosa Rishin' which seems to have had Mesopotamian origin. It was a play acted at the market place involving a temporary king or False Ameir who was mocked and made fun of and ultimately driven away. We know that during the Sumerian period one aspect of the Akitu festival involved the mocking of a substitute king for a day usually a criminal dressed in royal regalia. In one instance when the real king unexpectedly died the false king Enlil-Bani inherited his throne.(14) The concept of the substitute king was also practiced by the Assyrians and Babylonians. When Alexander was in Babylon one day he was surprised to find a young man clad in the king's robes with a crown on his head sitting on his throne. He asked him who he was or what he was doing, the man did not answer. Later Alexander was informed that the young man was a prisoner who was told to put king's robes on, sit on the throne and say nothing. This was the "Mesopotamian ritual of the substitute king enthroned when the omens foretold danger to the true king."(15)
After the conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, the Babylonian cyclic calendar became standard throughout the Persian Empire. From the Indus to the Nile. Aramaic documents from Persian Egypt, for instance, bear Babylonian dates besides the Egyptian. The royal years as in Babylon began on Nissanu 1, which coincided with the vernal equinox. " It is probable, however, that at the court itself the counting of regnal years began with the accession day while the Seleucids and the Parthians maintained the Babylonian calendar."(16)
From the 1st century BC on the fiscal administration in northern Iran, used Zoroastrian month and day names in the Pahlavi (the Iranian language of Sassanian Persia). "The origin and history of the Zoroastrian calendar year of 12 months of 30 days, plus five days (that is, 365 days), remains unknown. It became official under the Sassanian dynasty, from about AD 226 until the Arab conquest in 621. Arabs introduced the Muslim lunar year, but the Persians continued to use the Sassanian solar year, which in 1079 was made equal to the Julian year by the introduction of the leap year.(17)
Assyrian limu system, was also adopted by the Persians. 'It entailed casting the lot [Assyrian puru] during the new year ceremonies to decide who among the top brass would be chief minister for the year which would be known by his name. A Pur, a small inscribed die dated about 840 B.C. , is now in the Yale Museum." A royal officer was appointed each year to give his name to the year. He or his official status during that period was called Umuy and events or documents were dated by his name.
According to the Old Testament story of Esther during the Xerexe'x rule "lot was cast on the Persian New Year in Nissan and Haman's name came up to be Chancellor for the year "from day to day, from month to month, until the twelfth month, the month of Adar" (Esther 3:7). The Chancellor's duty among other things was to collect the annual revenues for the Empire, The Hebrew word "pur" which appears in Esther 3:7, 9:24 and 26 is usually taken to mean 'lots'. It is derived from the Assyrian puru meaning a pebble used for casting lots. The Esther holiday celebrated by the Jews is called Purim.
The above facts clearly show the process by which the Assyro-Babylonian new year of the spring equinox was transferred to the Persians which the Achaemenian kings embraced. If the Persian Nowruz had a Zoroastrian origin, as some claim, elements which were not of the Persian religion would not have been part it. Ruling nations seldom adopt the traditions of their subjects but in the Persian's case Cyrus and Cambyses were eager to please the Babylonians by showing they respected their religious practices. Since the New Year celebration was a very important event for the Babylonians during which the legitimacy of the ruler was acknowledged it was to the benefit of the early Persian kings to accept this tradition as their own.
Kurdish Newroz
Kurdish writers in recent times for political expediency have invented mythical origin for the Newroz or Noruz, New year, their people celebrate on March 21st. They claim it is the celebration of Kawa's victory over the Assyrian king Zahak.
One website describes the origin of the Kurdish New year as follows:
"On March 21st in the year 612 B.C., Kawa killed the Assyrian tyrant Dehak and liberated the Kurds and many other peoples in the Middle East. Dehak was an evil king who represented cruelty, abuse, and the enslavement of peoples. People used to pray every day for God to help them to get rid of Dehak. On Newroz day, Kawa led a popular uprising and surrounded Dehak's palace. Kawa then rushed passed the king's guards and grabbed Dehak by the neck. Kawa then struck the evil tyrant on the head with a hammer and dragged him off his throne. With this heroic deed, Kawa set the people free and proclaimed freedom throughout the land. A huge fire was light on the mountaintop to send a message: firstly to thank God for helping them defeats Dehak, and secondly to the people to tell them they were free. This is where the tradition of the Newroz fire originates."(18)
The above claim is clearly fictitious intended to serve Kurds' political agendas. The Kurdish nationalists by using a convoluted version of the Persian myth of Zahak who was not an Assyrian wish to inspire their people to rise against the cruelty of the contemporary ruling governments. In doing so they portray the ancient Assyrians as cruel, the enemies of the Kurds and all other people thereby promoting hatred for the contemporary Assyrians.
To further add insult to the injury they claim their celebration of this day began in 612 B.C. which is the year when Ancient Assyrians were defeated by the combined forces of the Medes, Babylonians and the Scythians. However as we shall see Kurd's Newroz or Newruz has nothing to do with the fall of Assyria or the Zahak's myth. In fact the New Year they celebrate is in reality that of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, originated in the third millennium B.C. long before there was a mention of Kurds in history. Further more March 20-21 the first day of this event is vernal equinox and has nothing to do with the fall of Nineveh which happened in August of 612 B.C.. It is unconscionable for the Kurds who until recently were portraying themselves as an oppressed people to further their political agendas at the expense of the Assyrians especially since the latter have been subjected to repeated massacres by the former during the last few centuries.
Evidently Kurds acquired their knowledge of the Zahak's legend from the 11th century Persian poet Ferdosi's Shahnameh (the Book of Kings) who identifies the tyrant king as Arab and not Assyrian. Furthermore According to Ferdosi Zahak lived in Jerusalem and was killed by Feraidoun and not Kawa (Persian Kaveh).(19)
After crossing the river Tigris the forces of Feraidoun "turned their faces towards the city which is now called Jerusalem, for here stood the glorious house that Zahak had built. And when they entered the city all the people rallied around Feraidoun, for they hated Zahak and looked to Feraidoun to deliver them... Feraidoun did as he was bidden, and led forth Zahak to the Mount Demawend [north of today's Tehran]. And he bound him to the rock with mighty chains and nails driven into his hands, and left him to perish in agony. And the hot sun shone down upon the barren cliffs, and there was neither tree nor shrub to shelter him, and the chains entered into his flesh, and his tongue was consumed with thirst. Thus after a while the earth was delivered of Zahak the evil one, and Feraidoun reigned in his stead."(20)
The disparity between the real story of Zahak and the one advanced by the Kurds is either due to lack of specific knowledge of the myth or is a deliberate attempt to vilify the ancient Assyrians. It is clear that Zahak's ruling center was not in Mesopotamia and he did not die on March 21, 612 B.C. and and his myth has nothing to do with the Kurds or Assyrians. There is always a danger in defining historical event based on myths rather than documented historical evidences because myths and legends can be easily perverted to satisfy the prejudices and political ambitions of the moment. The same legend can be told in different ways to indirectly vilify this or that people without regard to the truth as the Kurds have done in this case. While there is no documented historical evidence for when and why the Kurds began to observe their Newroz or Nowruz there is no doubt that they learned to celebrate it from the Persians. The Persian new year, Nowruz in addition to the Kurds is observed by the Afghan, Turks, and the Persian speaking people of pakistan, India and Central Asia who were once part of that empire.
Regardless of its origin Nowruz during the last 2,500 years has evolved into a tradition which is uniquely Persian and no longer resembles its ancient version. For political reasons Kurds, in recent years, have invented fictitious stories about why they celebrate their new year, in the process they vilify the ancient Assryians and promote antagonism against their descendance. While myths may have been enough for the primitive societies to explain important events in their life in today's world nothing less than documented facts will do. The Kurd's explanation for the origin of their new Year or so-called "National Day" contradicts all known historical facts. Assyrians who in the past have been persecuted by their neighbors including the Kurds primarily because of their faith should not be victimized for the sake of Kurds' national ambitions. During the last few decades Kurds have changed their predatory practices against their Assyrian neighbors but falsely explaining their New Year celebration as an anti Assyrian crusade transforms their Nowroz into a day of hate mongering rather than celebrating the change of the year and renewal of nature which historically have been the reasons for its observance. Rev. sep. 08
End Notes
1 - Persian-Iranian Parade 2006 (1385/2565) In New York City Set A New Milestone
2- James B. Pritchard edit. The ancient Near East, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, Princeton University Press 1958 p. 203.
3 - ibid p. 204.
4 - ibid pp. 206-8.
5 - ibid p.207.
6 - http://www.hope.edu/academic/religio...H10/CH10_2.HTM
7 - J.E. Curtis and J. E. reade editors, Art and Empire, Treasures form Assyria in the British Museum, the trustee of the British Museum, 1995 p. 37A - Old Persian Cuneiform
8 - Burn, Andrew Robert "Persia and the Greeks, the Defense of the West 546-478 B.C.", Stm Marin's Press, Inc. 1968 p. 58.
9 - Alexander Heidel, "The Babylonian Genesis, The Story of Creation", The University of Chicago Press 1951 pp. 16-17.
10- Green, Peter "Alexander of Macedon, 356-323 N.C. A historical biography" copyright 1991, p. 314.)
11 - Henri , Grankfort, "Kingship and the Gods, as Study of the ancient Near Eastern religions", Chicago University Press 1948 p.320.
12 - Nafissi, Saeid "Masseheyat Dar Iran", Noor Jahan Tehran, Iran 1964 pp. 40-41.
13 - Massoume, "Iranian New Year Nowruz", @ Norouz 1388 (New Year), May 2004.
14 - Kids Discover 'Mesopotamia', Kids Discover 2000 p. 2 .
15 - Joan Oates, "Babylon"Thames and Hudson 1979 page 40.
16 - Ragz-international.com - Ragz-international and Ancient Greece
17 - ibid.
18 - Newroz @ http://homepages.tig.com.au/~simko/newroz.html May 2004
19 - Ferdosi, "Shah-Nameh", Moasseseh Chaap was Entesharrat Ameir Kabeir, Tehran Iran, Chaape sevome 1344 pp.28-35.
20 - Ferdosi
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