Christians are well aware of their relationship with the Jews, but they are not nearly as aware of the kinship of their faith with the ancient Zoroastrian [Parsee] religion of Iran. Religions are comparable with a tree, which has roots going back in time. One of the twin roots of Christianity is certainly Judaism, but the other, which gave Christians ideas about resurrection and other doctrines, was the almost forgotten faith of the thinker Zoroaster [Zarathustra.]
Exile and implications
Until the time of the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews were exiled in Babylon, they lacked certain doctrines that appear in later Judaism and Christianity. The doctrines lacking were a systematic belief in the afterlife, the resurrection of the dead and the existence of Satan. It might surprise people to know that the serpent in Eden was not identified with Satan, who is a later interpretation [1]. It stands for the pagan wisdom, which was mere cunning, as opposed to divine wisdom, which the Bible writers regarded as the path to truth and goodness [2]. While the Jews were exiled Babylon fell to the Persians, who became the dominant power and let the Jews return home. It was during this Persian period that Zoroastrian ideas filtered into Judaism.
Who was Zoroaster?
His dates are uncertain, but the story goes that he was a priest who had a religious vision through fire. He claimed that in the fire he had experienced Ahura Mazda, a being of light and truth, who had commissioned him to spread the true message [3]. Zoroaster believed that the world was in spiritual warfare between Mazda, who stood for all that was light, and Ahriman, an evil being bent on destruction of the good. Humans were meant to struggle on the side of Mazda in his war with Ahriman. Zoroaster believed that Mazda was active in the world and that there would come a termination of time when there would be a resurrection of all the good people. The Zoroastrian deity was also assisted by seven beings known as the Amesa Spentas. One of these was Mithras, the deity who became the God of the Roman legions.
Zoroastrian ideas entered Jewish intellectual life during the period when Israel was part of the Persian Empire, following the collapse of Babylonian domination. One group influential in bringing them in was the Pharisees, whose name is derived from the world for Persians. Note that they Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, as opposed to the Sadducees, who did not [4].
How Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism
Prior to the Persian influence the Jews had believed in angels, but it is unclear whether they saw them as distinct beings or as manifestations of God. After the exile angels came to be seen as beings subordinate to God and distinct from him. During this period the idea of Satan developed. Prior to this, Satan was regarded as a member of the heavenly court [5], but he became conflated with the idea of Ahriman, God's foe. It was through this introduction of the idea of Satan that the concept of spiritual warfare developed. This was to give Judaism and Christianity the concept of apocalypse, the spectacular ending of the world during which there would be wars and tribulations. Note how many evangelicals believe in the coming tribulation before the second coming of Christ.
The idea of a conflict between light and darkness, a spiritual warfare between good and evil entered Judaism via Zoroastrian influences, as this was an idea of the Iranian prophet that was not really part of Judaism. We find this light-dark dichotomy in John's Gospel in particular, as this document drew on the intellectual heritage of the Middle East, and wove it into the gospel [6].
Yet the resurrection of the dead is a key concept. The idea of resurrection entered Judaism only during the period of Persian domination, so it is likely to have come in through Zoroastrian influence. It filled a hole in Jewish thought. Until then the Jews had not had a clear idea of how the good who had died would ever be rewarded when God acted to make his will known on Earth. After the concept of resurrection entered Jewish thought they had a concept that explained how justice to the virtuous dead could be done. Even so, not all Jewish sects accepted it. The Sadducees opposed resurrection, as it was not a scriptural teaching. The early Christians were probably closer to the Pharisees than to the Sadducees, and it is notable that Jesus spoke of resurrection prior to his death. But it was the apostles' resurrection experiences that gave significance to their faith and launched Christianity.
Conclusion
Zoroastrian ideas entered Christianity through Judaism, so in this sense Christianity has two roots. However, it had no historical connection with the Zoroastrian community, which did not exist in Israel. Hence Judaism is the stronger of the two roots, and the more significant one. Zoroastrians, however, have their place in the New Testament. Zoroastrian wise men were known as Magi, and it is a small group of these who are said to have encountered the infant Jesus at Bethlehem.
Sources:
- The Oxford Companion to the Bible
- "Egyptian deities in the garden of Eden "
- The Concise Encyclopaedia of Living Faiths, Ed Zaehner, Hutchison of London 1971, p200ff
- Mark's Gospel, chapter 11 v18
- Book of Job, chapter 1
- John's Gospel 3:19-20
Francis Beswick - Religion, history and horticulture are my three great interests and I spend much of my time on them.
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