The antiquity of the Sacred Thread

[This is a revised version of an article published in the June 1985 issue of Manashni, the voice of the Zoroastrian Association of NSW, Sydney, Australia. It is to be hoped that my quotations from our scriptures and commentaries will not be misconstrued either as being judgemental or as evocative.] The wearing of the Sacred Thread, the Kushti is a very ancient custom dating back to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 4000-18000 BCE) the time the Vedic and Indic peoples were one, adherent to the Aryan way of life. Following the schism which occurred around 2000 BCE both groups continued to wear it but in different ways. Spinning a yarn: The Kushti is now made of lamb's wool although in days of yore it was also made with goat's hair or camel's hair. Silk, being prepared by a noxious creature is not used. The wool is at first combed and then spun into a fine single yarn on a spindle (chatri). Weaving the Kushti: Two such threads, prepared on two spindles, are then twisted into one thread. The thread thus twisted or doubled is woven into a knot on a hand loom (jantar). Seventy-two threads go to make up the Kushti (the strands represent the 72 Chapters of the Holy Book- the Avesta). The seventy-two threads are at first separated or divided into six parts or strands, each of twelve threads. It is considered to be the privilege of the women of the priestly class to weave the Kushti and it is th