Zoroastrianism

• Zarathustra/Zoroaster

• Avesta – consists of two layers: • the Gathas• the Yasna

• Indo-Europeans/Aryans

Avesta & Vedas

“god” “demon”

Vedas Deva Asura

Avesta Ahura Mazda Daiva

Achaemenian (600-331 BCE)

• Magi

Influence on Israelite Religion?

• notion of Satan as God’s opponent—a personified “evil”

• life after death

• sequence of ages; final judgment (apocalyptic)

• Paradise=a Persian word

Parthian (246 BCE-226 CE)

• Mithra

Sassanian (226 CE-642 CE)• Pahlavi• Dualism—Ahura Mazda vs. Angra Mainyu

Fire Temple

Fire Temple