How did oral transmission affect the preservation of the Avesta?

The oral tradition played a critical role in the preservation of the Avesta, the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism. Although the language of the texts likely ceased to be spoken in daily life around 400 BCE, the sacred words were meticulously passed down through generations by Zoroastrian priests.12

Because the Avesta was not recorded in writing until long after it had become a dead language, the reliance on oral transmission created significant challenges for modern scholarship. The canon was not fixed until the 4th to 6th century CE, at which point it was finally transcribed using a specialized script derived from Pahlavi.12

This long period of oral preservation means that many uncertainties surround the detailed interpretation of the texts today. While the priestly tradition successfully maintained the scripture for centuries, the method of transmission contributes to the complexities researchers face when analyzing the linguistic and historical nuances of the Avestan language.2