People took special care about the purity of fire, water and earth. They disposed of the dead by exposing the corpses in barren places or on stone towers, called Towers of Silence, where they are eaten by vultures. Zorastrians practice a number of rites for regaining lost purity. Prayers are regularly preceded by ritual ablutions. The community is divided into lay people and priests.
Boys begin to study the sacred text at the age of seven years.
Some priests tend the sacred fire kept burning in the temples. The best-known priest, was Magi. Zoraster composed seventeen Gatas - sacred songs. The writings are in an ancient language called the Old Avestan. Collections of Zorastrian Holy Texts are called Avesta.