Aion - Zurvan Akarana
For the Zoroastrians, Zurvan (Zervan) means "Time" and refers to the finite time of history. Beyond that is Zurvan Akarana or "Boundless Time" which represents eternity. According to the Avesta, Zurvan Akarana (Zeroana Akerne) has always existed, his glory is exalted, his light is resplendent; he is beyond human intellect and comprehension. Everything that has ever existed emanated from Zurvan Akarana.
Another translation of Zurvan Akarana is "duration in a circle." The circle symbolises that which is without beginning or end, and the unknown. Zurvan Akarana is thus equivalent to the Qabalistic Ain Soph Aur.
Legend has it that Zurvan, who was a hermaphroditic being, existed eternally, but wanted a son. To make this happen, he sacrificed for 1000 years with no result, and doubt crept in. Out of that doubt was born the evil god called Angra Mainyu (Ahriman). Zurvan's sacrifices had actually been successful and the good god called Ahuramazda (later Ormuzd) was subsequently born. Zurvan gave dominion of the world to his first-born son, Angra Mainyu. When Zurvan realised his mistake, he then gave dominion to Ahuramazda. The twin gods Ahuramazda and Angra Mainyu are locked in an ongoing struggle, a dualistic struggle of conflicting principles. This struggle will endure throughout finite time, which will last for 12,000 symbolic years. At the end, Ahuramazda is fated to destroy the evil creation of Angra Mainyu.
Zurvan Akarana developed into the Hellenistic Aion, the Alexandrian god of Eternity, who was at the head of the divine hierarchy in Mithraism. Aion was an abstraction, deified Time, and he regulated the revolutions of the stars and in consequence was the absolute master of all things.
Aion was often depicted as a nude male figure with a lion's head, with a serpent coiled 6 times around his body, the head of which rested on his head. The figure had up-turned and down-turned wings to symbolize the swiftness of time. He carried a sceptre and lightning as sovereign god and held in each hand a key as master of the heavens. His body was covered with zodiacal signs and the emblems of the seasons.
On a statue of Aion the inscription states:
"He who by his divine nature remains ever the same in the same things. He who is and was and shall be, without beginning, middle or end, free from change, universal craftsman of the eternal divine nature."
St. Epiphanius stated that in Alexandria the birth of Aion, was celebrated on the night before 6 January with a festival before the image of Kore. It ended with bringing forth from beneath the earth the image of Aion, which was carried seven times around the inner sanctuary of Kore's temple. At the height of the ceremony the announcement was made "Today at this hour the virgin Kore has given birth to Aion."
In late antiquity, Aion became fused with Mandulis (Merwel), who was a sun god of Lower (northern) Nubia. Mandulis was usually depicted wearing a crown of ram horns surmounted by high plumes, sun disks and cobras.
