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Chinvat peretu

Zoroastrianism
Also known as: Bridge of the Requiter

Quick Summary

The Chinvat Bridge, or Bridge of the Requiter, is a central concept in Zoroastrian eschatology. After death, the soul must cross this bridge. If the soul has lived a just life, it is met by its religion personified as a beautiful maiden and proceeds to paradise. However, if the soul has lived an unjust life, it encounters a hideous hag and falls into hell, a realm of darkness and torment presided over by Yima.12

Zoroastrianism posits a dualistic cosmology where the world is a battleground between forces of good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Ahriman). The end times involve a final victory of good, the resurrection of the dead, and the destruction of hell. Souls are judged based on their thoughts, words, and deeds. Those with neutral merit reside in an intermediate, limbolike realm.12

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