Herbad

Hērbad (also "Hīrbad", "hērbed" or "ērvad") is a title given to Zoroastrian priests of minor orders.

In the present-day, "hērbad" is the lowest rank in the Zoroastrian priesthood, and is granted following the basic "navar" ceremony that marks the beginning of theological training. Unlike a "mobed" or "dastur", a "herbad" may not be the celebrant of a "Yasna" service. He may however assist. A "herbad" may also not officiate at a recitation of the "Vendidad". This task is reserved for priests of higher grade.

Amongst lay Zoroastrians, the three terms are used interchangeably. Unlike "mobed" but like "dastur", "herbad" may be adopted as a professional title in a persons name.

History of the term

Middle Persian "herbad" (Pahlavi "ˀyhlpt") derives from Avestan "aethrapaiti", which in the Avesta denotes a priestly teacher whose students ("aethrii") would be taught to recite the sacred texts. By the 2nd century CE, the term had however come to refer to a clergyman who taught religious subjects, and the term appears to have commanded greater prestige than it does today. In the late 3rd century inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, the high-priest Kartir refers to himself as "herbad". There is some evidence that suggest that already by the 6th century, "herbad"s performed advanced theological tasks, including translations and interpretation of Avestan texts. The 10th century "Denkard" refers to the high-priest Tansar - who in legend is attributed with the collation of the Avesta - as "herbad".

Following the collapse of the Sassanid state in the 6th century, after which Zoroastrianism began to be supplanted by Islam, the increasingly impoverished Zoroastrian communities found it difficult to support a priesthood known only for their scholarship. By the 9th century, there was an active rivalry between these scholar-priests and ritual priests, with each group underbidding the other in their attempts to secure an income. For Zoroastrian laypersons, the distinction between the two groups was at best theoretical and by the 10th century, the term "herbad" had lost most associations of scholarship and eventually came to refer to priests that had no theological authority. Beyond this distinction, the terms "herbad", "mobad" and "dastur" were used interchangeably.

In the 16th century, the "Rivayat" epistles encouraged the Indian Zoroastrians to distinguish between priests who were capable of officiating at a "Vendidad" reading and those who weren't. This injunction led to the reinstatement of a hierarchy, with "herbad"s at the lowest rung on the ladder. Above these were the "mobad"s, denoting priests who had completed their training. In India, the "mobad"s have a "dastur" as their superior. This is effectively an administrative rank and denotes a director of a fire temple. A "dastur" is however also the highest religious instance for the community that worships at that temple.

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