Avesta people. The term "Avesta" is from the 9th/10th-century works of Zoroastrian tradition in which the word appears as Zoroastrian Middle Persian "abestāg", Book Pahlavi "ʾp(y)stʾkʼ". In that context, "abestāg" texts are portrayed as received knowledge, and are distinguished from the exegetical commentaries (the "zand") thereof. The literal meaning of the word "abestāg" is uncertain; it is generally acknowledged to be a learned borrowing from Avestan, but none of the suggested etymologies have been universally accepted. The widely repeated derivation from *"upa-stavaka" is from Christian Bartholomae ("Altiranisches Wörterbuch", 1904), who interpreted "abestāg" as a contraction of a hypothetical reconstructed Old Iranian
Religion in Armenia defined "neopagan") movement. One survey suggest that indigenous Armenian religion is widespread and accepted by the population to the same degree as Christianity is. This may be due to the fact that there is no conflict between the "Arordineri Ukht" (the major Hetan organization) and the Armenian Apostolic Church; they coordinate their efforts in preserving Armenian cultural identity and in fighting foreign forces. The "Arordineri Ukht" is even supported by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, which in turn bases its ideology on "tseghakron" (native religion) and on the Hetan sacred book "Ukhtagirk". "Fire and sword" rituals of the Hetan