Topics in Zoroastrian Studies: Introduction to Middle Persian Language and Literature

This course serves as an introduction to the study of Pahlavi - the Zoroastrian Middle Persian language - and its literature. Students gain a firm knowledge of the Pahlavi script, grammar, and vocabulary through weekly exercises. At the same time, we survey extant Middle Persian literature, reading in translation and in the original from genres including epic, cosmology, religious response, ritual instruction, and scriptural hermeneutics. Students are introduced to current problems in the field, emphasizing historical and comparative approaches. Students gain hands-on experience working with Zoroastrian manuscripts.