What purpose did the Zoroastrians build a towers of silence for?
to ritual exposure of the dead
to offer sacrifices to the gods
for meditation
on the occasion of the wedding
The Zoroastrians used the Towers of Silence as open burial pits, placing their deceased relatives in rows so their bodies would be feasted upon by birds of prey, usually vultures. The doctrinal rationale for exposure is to avoid contact with Earth or Fire, both of which are considered sacred in the Zoroastrian religion. Contaminating the elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) with decaying matter such as a corpse is considered sacrilege. Orthodox Zoroastrians continued to maintain a tower until the 1970s when ritual exposure was prohibited by law.
reach: rather globalHinduismIranMesopotamiareligionsZoroastrians
Answers by country
to ritual exposure of the dead
to offer sacrifices to the gods
for meditation
on the occasion of the wedding
answers
Australia
21
Pakistan
12
the United States
52
Germany
51
Republic of Ireland
14
Canada
12
Poland
2710
the United Kingdom
68
India
23