On zurvanizm in the religion of antique Commagena

The article is devoted to the problem of zurvanizm of ancient Iranian religious theory in the religion of antique Commagena in the 1st century B. C. at the epoch of ruling of king Antiochus I (69-34 B. C.) This religious tendency was named like this, because the main deity was Zurvan-bisexual creature, which was the father and the mother of twin brothers-antagonists Ahura-Mazda and Angro-Mainyo - bright and dark deities. The formation of zurvanizm doctrine is usually dated to Parthian-Sasanid epoch of history of Ancient Iran, although, undoubtedly, the doctrine about Zurvan-deity of time (analogue of Greek Cronus) is formed at the very early epoch. For example, the name Izrudukma figures - «descending from sperm of Zurvan» - in several tablets from Persepolis of sacred capital of Persian kings of Achaemenid dynasty (6th - 5th centuries B. C.). Several researchers, for example, A. Christensen, H. S. Nyberg, R. Ghirshman, M. Boyce and F. Grenet after of work H. H. Schaeder (1927) supposed that deities of Commagenian pantheon compose the tetrad and are associated with the image of Zurvan personifying the stages of human life: youth, maturity, oldness. But the author of the article concludes that we can’t confirm domination of zurvanizm in Commagenian religion, as in Commagenian royal inscriptions specific terminology is absent, and some indications about highly developed zurvanistical doctrine reviewed in royal inscriptions of time of Antiochus I, in which «illimitable time» or Zurvan is mentioned. Besides, we can’t exclude the influence of Greek religious and philosophical thought on the doctrine about Zurvan in Commagene too, as in Greek religion and philosophy Time is personified fairly early. Therefore, we can say only about «pre-zurvanistical» notions that are distinctive for multitude of religions and sects at the late antique Near East and Iran. It could have appeared in Commagena through magi of Iranian priests of mazdeists and non-mazdeists senses, which settled down on this territory also in Achaemenid period (5th - 4th centuries B. C.). Thus, zurvanizm was not prevailing theory in the religion of antique Commagene.