ZOROASTRIANISM

Quaestor · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 58 Location: Chorleywood UK

As I have talked a lot about Zoroastrianism under the topic "Son of Man", I think it might be helpful to those who are less familiar with the subject to append a summary of the principal beliefs of Zoroastrianism, so that they can be compared with the beliefs which are contained in the New Testament.

To go further than a mere summary and to take a look at the resemblances in depth, I do not know any better book than the one by John Hinnells entitled "Zoroastrian and Parsi studies".

The summary is appended below.

The disjunction between the theology of the Old Testament and the New Testament is so large that the uninitiated are easily led to believe that a whole new religion developed as the result of the preaching of Jesus. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the invaluable researches into Zoroastrianism, of which Mary Boyce was a highly important figure, we are now in a position where we can see that Christianity is no more than an offshoot of Judaism, and that it is merely part of that religion's evolution after coming into contact with Zoroastrian theology after the Persian conquest in 539 BC, and then in the Roman era being influenced considerably by the other religious currents prevalent in the Mediterranean.
Although Mary Boyce published her seminal book " Zoroastrians:their religious beliefs and practices" in 1979, it would have appeared to have made little impact on Christian theological studies. This is not surprising, since the conclusions in her book are dynamite as far as any belief in divine revelation of the scriptures is concerned. She has literally thrown a hand grenade into the centre of the subject. The following are the central beliefs of Zoroastrian theology :-

1) Belief in a supreme God, who is the creator.
2), The existence of an evil power opposed to the supreme God and not under his control.
3) That the supreme God has emanated many lesser divinities (angels?) To help combat this power.
4) That he has created this world for a purpose.
5) That in its present state it will have an end.
6) That this end will be heralded by the coming of a cosmic Saviour.
7) that this saviour will help to bring the end of this world about.
Cool

That meantime, heaven and hell exist.
9) That an individual judgement is made to decide the fate of each soul at death.
10) That at the end of time there will be a resurrection of the dead.
11), That there will be a last judgement with annihilation of the wicked.
12), That thereafter, the kingdom of God will come upon earth.
13) that the righteous will enter into it as into a garden, the Persian word for garden being Paradise.
14) that the righteous will be happy there in the presence of God forever.
15) that the righteous will be immortal themselves in body as well as soul.

Any idea that the influence could have gone the other way from Judaism and Christianity to Zoroastrianism has been torpedoed by Mary Boyce who has established that the oldest Zoroastrian religious texts, the Gathas, can be dated to the Bronze Age by virtue of the fact that the language in which they have been enshrined over the centuries, namely Old Avestan, is extremely close to Sanskrit, and can therefore be dated to 14/1200 BC.

True54Blue · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Canada

With all due respect to Mary Boyce I think it is an imposition to conclude that Zoroastrianism influenced the biblical texts. I am not sure who "the uninitiated" are but most Christians I know recognise that Jesus, his disciples, and most of the New Testament authors were Jewish and saw no discontinuity between their Jewish background and Christianity. It was only the influx of Gentiles converting to Christianity that caused division and led to greater clarity of the distinctions between Jews who accepted Jesus as their Messiah and those who did not.

The fifteen central beliefs of Zoroastrianism that you list are hardly unique to that religion. Most religions believe that there is a supreme creator, that there are evil powers opposed to the creator, the world will eventually end, etc. I think there is a fundamental difference between these general beliefs and the belief that God, the Creator, came to earth as a human being in order to reconcile humankind to himself through his own death at his creation's hands.

Lastly, it is always problematic to assign influence in religion. If the biblical story is true then all humans originated with Adam and Eve and the fall occurred to them, etc. Furthermore, if the flood occurred as recounted then Noah and his family were the only survivors and therefore it is hardly surprising that there are similarities in the stories told around the world.

Tom

Quaestor · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 58 Location: Chorleywood UK

Thank you , Tom, for your reply to my post. I love a good discussion. Would you say, for example, that the tenets of Zoroastrianism were common to pre-Exilic Judaism ? And if so, on what grounds ? I look forward to taking this discussion further forward with you.
Dennis Question

True54Blue · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Canada

Dennis,
I would say that all religions share certain tenets because they are based on the same origin. An origin that is recorded in the book of Genesis. When I spoke of influence this is what I meant. You cannot go back any further than creation and the first two humans. Unless you posit that this account was stolen from another religion. Was the Adam and Eve account "stolen" from Zoroastrianism? You don't mention them in your numbered points.

In answer to your question I think pre-Exilic Judaism and Zoroastrianism are mutually exclusive belief systems. As are Christianity and Zoroastrianism because, as I mentioned, Christianity can be firmly located within the Jewish milieu of the first century.
Tom

Quaestor · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 58 Location: Chorleywood UK

Fine, Tom, but are you saying that 1st century Judaism had not been influenced by Zoroastrianism, and if so, what are your grounds for saying so ?
Dennis

	SYNEIDON Forum Index » Study Group: Topics	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1