The Avesta 

The Avesta is the primary sacred text of Zoroastrianism and consists of a collection of texts written in the Avestan language, which is an Old Iranian language. The texts contain prayers, hymns, and ritual formulas that are used in the practice of Zoroastrianism. The writing style is poetic and filled with metaphors that ultimately contain many allegorical and symbolic references to the natural world to the spiritual journey of the individual.

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The Avesta possesses many parts which include: the Yasna, the Gathas, the Vendidad, the Yashts, and the Khordeh Avesta.

The Yasna is a collection of hymns and prayers that are recited during Yasna ceremonies, central rituals in Zoroastrianism. These rituals can vary in purpose, but usually all have a common goal of strengthening one's asha (righteousness) in a spiritual manner.

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The Yasna also contains the Visperad, a text in the Avesta meant to accompany the Yasna ceremonies. The Visperad is never recited by itself. 

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The Gathas are also apart of the Yasna and are extremely imporant as they are believed to be written by Zoroaster himself. Specifically, the Gathas are 17 Avestan hymns and many of these hymns are addressed to Ahura Mazda. Many devout Zoroastrians will recite the Gathas as daily prayers. 

The Vendidad is a collection of texts that mainly focuses on laws in the field of ritual purity. In addition to Zoroastrian laws, the Vendidad contains signficant mythological tales. For instance, the defeat of Angra Mainyu (evil) and the tale of Yima, the first king, are all located in the Vendidad portion of the Avesta. 

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Overall, the Avesta is the holy scripture of Zoroastrianism, and it is revered by followers of the religion as a source of spiritual guidance and instruction. Further, the Avesta had a significant influence on the development of other religions and philosophical traditions.