Editing Zoroastrianism (section)

=== Zoroaster ===
{{Main|Zoroaster}}
Zoroastrianism was founded by Zoroaster in ancient Iran. The precise date of the founding of the religion is uncertain and estimates vary wildly from 2000 BCE to {{qi|200 years before Alexander}}. Zoroaster was born – in either Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan – into a culture with a [[polytheistic]] religion, which featured excessive [[animal sacrifice]]{{sfn|Boyce|2001|p=26}} and the excessive ritual use of intoxicants. His life was influenced profoundly by the attempts of his people to find peace and stability in the face of constant threats of raiding and conflict. Zoroaster's birth and early life are little documented but speculated upon heavily in later texts. What is known is recorded in the [[Gathas]], forming the core of the Avesta, which contain hymns thought to have been composed by Zoroaster himself. Born into the [[Spitama]] clan, he refers to himself as a poet-priest and [[prophet]]. He had a wife, three sons, and three daughters, the numbers of which are gathered from various texts.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/zoroaster-index|title=ZOROASTER|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica|access-date=13 July 2019|archive-date=29 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129112517/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/zoroaster-index|url-status=live}}</ref>

Zoroaster rejected many of the gods of the [[Bronze Age]] Iranians and their oppressive [[Caste system|class structure]], in which the Kavis and Karapans (princes and priests) controlled the ordinary people. He also opposed cruel animal sacrifices and the excessive use of the possibly [[hallucinogenic]] [[Haoma]] plant (conjectured to have been a species of [[Ephedra (genus)|ephedra]] or ''[[Peganum harmala]]''), but did not condemn either practice outright, providing moderation was observed.<ref name="SACRIFICE i">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sacrifice-i|title=SACRIFICE i. IN ZOROASTRIANISM|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica|access-date=13 July 2019|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010210718/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sacrifice-i|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/haoma|title=HAOMA|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica|access-date=13 July 2019|archive-date=1 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801214521/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/haoma|url-status=live}}</ref>