Aturfarnbag-i Farruxzatan

Aturfarnbag-i Farruxzatan was a 9th-century Zoroastrian high-priest who served as the leader of the Zoroastrian community of Fars in Iran. His first name has the meaning 'holy fire of Farnbag', the Farnbag fire being one of the three preeminent atar of Iran. He was the son of a certain Farruxzadan, and is known to have held a religious disputation in 825 at the Abbasid court with the former Zoroastrian Abalish, known as "the apostate" and formerly called Dadv-Ohrmazd. Aturfarnbag managed to win the debate and Abalish was removed from the Abbasid court.

Aturfarnbag is also known to have written the Denkard, an Encyclopedia about Zoroastrian beliefs and customs. He also wrote the book Ēwēn-nāmag on the tenets of the Zoroastrian religion. The fourth Book of Denkard is regarded as a condensed version of this work.

Aturfarnbag was later succeeded by his son Zardusht. He also had another son named Goshnjam, who, like his father, would later have a distinguished career. Another Zoroastrian high-priest named Adurbad-i Emedan would later edit the Denkard, putting much more information about Zoroastrian beliefs and customs. Aturfarnbag was also the ancestor of the prominent Zoroastrian Manushcihr-i Goshn-Yam, who wrote the Dadestan-i Denig.

Sources

• Tafazzoli, A. (1983). "ĀDURFARNBAG Ī FARROXZĀDĀN". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. I, Fasc. 5. pp. 477–478. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Tafazzoli, A. (1982). "ABĀLIŠ". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. I, Fasc. 1. p. 58. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Boyce, Mary (2001). Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
• Boyce, Mary (1968). Iranian Studies: Volume 1 Literatur, Bind 1. ISBN 9789004008571. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
• Menasce, J. de (1975). "The Zoroastrian Literature after the Muslim conquest". The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 543–566. ISBN 978-0-521-20093-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)