Editing Medes (section)

=== Religion ===
{{See also|Mazdaism}}[[File:Farvahar background.jpg|thumb|[[Faravahar]], a symbol of Zoroastrianism]]

Information about the religion of the Medes is very limited. Primary sources pointing to their religious affiliations include the archaeological discoveries in Tepe Nush-i Jan, personal names of Median individuals, and the ''Histories'' of Herodotus.<ref name=EIR-MediaReligion/> Between 1967 and 1977, [[David Stronach]] excavated a building at Tepe Nush-i Jan that had been built around 750 BC and appears to be mainly religious in character. The building was erected on a rock about 30 meters high and included a "Central Sanctuary", "Western Sanctuary", "Fortress" and "Columned Hall", which were surrounded by a circular brick support wall. The Central Sanctuary was tower-shaped with a triangular inner altar. Its space is 11×7 meters and the walls are eight meters high. Near the west corner of the altar, a stepped fire altar constructed of mud bricks was discovered. As is known, the [[cult of fire]] was a common Indo-Iranian legacy.{{sfn|Dandamayev|Medvedskaya|2006}} According to Herodotus, the Medes had a priestly caste called the [[Magi]], who were one of the tribes of this people. They had the right or privilege to serve as priests not only for the Medes but also for the Persians. Thus, they constituted a priestly caste that passed its functions from father to son. They played a significant role in the court of the Median king Astyages, serving as advisers, sorcerers, dream interpreters, and soothsayers. Classical authors regarded the Magi as Zoroastrian priests. From the personal names of Medes as recorded by Assyrian texts from 8th and 9th centuries BCE there are examples of the use of the Indo-Iranian word ''arta-'' (lit. "truth") or [[theophoric name]]s with ''Maždakku'' and even the name of the god [[Ahura Mazda]], which is familiar from both [[Avestan]] and Old Persian.{{sfn|Dandamayev|Medvedskaya|2006}}<ref name=EIR-MediaReligion>{{Harvnb|Dandamayev|Medvedskaya|2006|loc=Median Religion}}</ref>

The religion promoted by the Magi could be some form of pre-Zoroastrianism or [[Zoroastrianism]] itself. This is a controversial topic on which scholars have not yet reached a consensus. [[Igor Diakonoff]] supposed that Astyages and perhaps even Cyaxares had already adopted a religion derived from the teachings of [[Zoroaster]] (although not necessarily identical with his doctrine). [[Mary Boyce]] argued that the existence of the Magi in Media with their own traditions and forms of worship was an obstacle to Zoroastrian proselytism there.<ref name=EIR-MediaReligion/> Boyce wrote that the Zoroastrian traditions in the Median city of Ray probably goes back to the 8th century BCE.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyce|Grenet|1991|p=81}}</ref> It is suggested that from the 8th century BCE, a form of "[[Mazdaism]] with common Iranian traditions" existed in Media and the strict [[Zoroastrianism|reforms of Zarathustra]] began to spread in western Iran during the reign of the last Median kings in the 6th century BCE.<ref name=EIR-MediaReligion/> It is also possible that the Medes may have practised [[Mithraism]], with [[Mithra]] as their supreme deity.<ref>{{Harvnb|Soudavar|2003|p=84}}</ref>