ZURVANISM

also spelled Zervanism, modified form of Zoroastrianism that appeared in Persia during the Sasanian period (3rd7th century AD). It was opposed to orthodox Zoroastrianism, which by that time had become dualistic in doctrine. According to Zurvanism, time alonelimitless, eternal, and uncreatedis the source of all things. Zurvan, god of time and fate, remotely influences human destinies, appearing under two aspects: Limitless Time (i.e., eternal lord; Zurvan Akarana) and Time of Long Dominion (i.e., lord of the existing world; Zurvan Daregho-Chvadhata). His worship is bound up with speculations about astrology and the world-year. He bears the epithets ashoqar, frashoqar, and zaroqar (meanings disputed), and the qualities these apparently indicate were construed as concrete, Zurvan being worshipped in four forms. In later writings Zurvan is seen as the father of Ormazd and Ahriman (see Ahura Mazda), perhaps a result of contact between Zoroastrianism and Greco-Babylonian astrological speculations. (Zurvanism appears to have had its stronghold in western Persia, bordering Babylonia.) Some scholars seek an origin for Zurvanism outside Zoroastrianism, in the worship of an ancient Median or pre-Iranian god. Although in its fatalism and pessimism Zurvanism is basically opposed to true Zoroastrianism, it seems probable that in cult and in a large body of doctrine it made few breaks with orthodoxy. It was in Zurvanite form that Zoroastrianism influenced Mithraism (in which Zurvan was an important deity) and Manichaeism.