How did Zoroastrianism influence Judaism?

Answer 1

As per the book "Christ More Powerful: Analogies of Christ in Non-Christian Religions"

By Stewart Snook, Zoroastrianism was influenced by Hinduism. In fact, the founder of Zoroastrainism, "zarthustra" or "zoroaster" is predicted in the book "bhavishya purana", of Hindus as well.

And the religions that Zoroastrianism has influenced was Judaism, who would later influence Christianity, Islam.

Answer 2

As per the book "Christ More Powerful: Analogies of Christ in Non-Christian Religions"

By Stewart Snook, Zoroastrianism was influenced by Hinduism. In fact, the founder of Zoroastrainism, "zarthustra" or "zoroaster" is predicted in the book "bhavishya purana", of Hindus as well.

And the religions that Zoroastrianism has influenced was Judaism, who would later influence Christianity, islam.

Answer 3

Zoroastrianism influences are the traditions and history of Iran. The main belief is in one God "Ahura Mazda" and that you must live life with goog thoughts, good deeds, and good words. If you accomplish these tasks you you will be transformed into a spiritualized body and soul when the day of final purgation of evil from the Earth occurs.

Answer 4

It's a very complex question but I will try to as easily as I can. It is already known that Zoroastrianism is the oldest monotheistic religion and its precusor faith was called Mazdaism.It originated with Iranian speaking tribes (Aryans) who dominated a vast expanse of landmass that stretched from the shores North of the Black Sea all the way to plains of Northern Indian, Central Asian and Western China. Around the 700BC the Persians(with the Egyptians and Babylonians) were one of the most advanced civilisations ever known to mankind and their influence in the Middle East and Central Asia was to last for hundreds of years. Morever, they left a legacy of their religion and culture. They were the first to develop the concept of the original sin, baptisim, heaven and hell (paradise is a word Persian origins wich means 'enclose garden'), angels and demonology, a sacrificial saviour god(messiah), resurrection, final judgment and the apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Thousands of Jew were subjects of the Persian empire of Cyrus the Great and Persian themselves were benevolent to those who were loyal to their rule. It was during this period (around 600BC) that the Jews were directly influence by Persian religious ideas to the extent that Judaic religion split various major sects: The Pharisee, Essenes, Saducees, Zealots, Sicarii etcc...

This split came about the post Babylonian era (many Jews were slaves in Babylonia 'till the Persians took over power and liberated them) and then came a conflict of tradition and power struggle. There those learned Jewish Rabbis and leaders who welcomed the foreign ideas on their religion and those who wanted to maintain pure Judaic ones. Many hundreds of years later when Rome was the dominant power, sects like the zealots sought to user their power to overthrow the Romans. But that came to a very heavy price with the sack of the great temple of Jerusalem, their people sold into slavery and many of their people vanquished in all corners of Europe and Asia. The Essene group were the most influential on the nascent Christian movement within Judaism as it was very radical in its ideas with Jewish, Iranian (Mithraic/Mazdaic),Egyptian and Hellenic(Platonic)thought. They were the influential group who then evolved as Christians in the strongly Mithraic ( an Iranian religious movement) area where Paul of Tarsul (later St.Paul) was born.

Answer 5

Since the two groups lived side by side in Babylonia, there may have been some borrowing in language or other minor matters. But in terms of beliefs, the two are quite different. Judaism, according to tradition, has always been monotheistic. Even at the height of the unfortunate spread of idolatry among the less-loyal Ten Tribes, there were thousands who remained loyal to God (1 Kings 19:18).

http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-history/judaism-and-monotheism

The Zoroastrians, however, believed in two gods, not one. The Jewish Sages who redacted the Talmud in the early centuries of the Common Era lived in Babylonia, witnessed the practices of the Zoroastrians, and recorded this fact (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). In any case, Zoroastrianism is unlike Judaism in that:

• its deity is not immanent
• it believes in worship through intermediaries, who are themselves "worthy of worship"
• evil has its own creator, Angra Mainyu or Ahriman, which had always existed
• some of its adherents believe in a self-creating universe
• some modern scholars see it as a form of pantheism
• it has "fire-temples," with worship in the presence of flame
• its adherents are not required to marry within their faith
• some Zoroastrians dispose of their dead through ritual exposure to the open sky, while some others cremate the dead body
• dogs are considered sacred
• such creatures as snakes, ants and flies were "not created by the creator of good"
• it includes a virgin birth, in which its messiah will be conceived without sexual penetration

Answer 6

Since the two groups lived side by side in Babylonia, there may have been some borrowing in language or other minor matters. But in terms of beliefs, the two are quite different.Judaism, according to tradition, has always been monotheistic. Even at the height of the unfortunate spread of idolatry among the less-loyal Ten Tribes, there were thousands who remained loyal to God (1 Kings 19:18).

http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-history/judaism-and-monotheism

The Zoroastrians, however, believed in two gods, not one. The Jewish Sages who redacted the Talmud in the early centuries of the Common Era lived in Babylonia, witnessed the practices of the Zoroastrians, and recorded this fact (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). In any case, Zoroastrianism is unlike Judaism in that:

• its deity is not immanent
• it believes in worship through intermediaries, who are themselves "worthy of worship"
• evil has its own creator, Angra Mainyu or Ahriman, which had always existed
• some of its adherents believe in a self-creating universe
• some modern scholars see it as a form of pantheism
• it has "fire-temples," with worship in the presence of flame
• its adherents are not required to marry within their faith
• some Zoroastrians dispose of their dead through ritual exposure to the open sky, while some others cremate the dead body
• dogs are considered sacred
• such creatures as snakes, ants and flies were "not created by the creator of good"
• it includes a virgin birth, in which its messiah will be conceived without sexual penetration

Answer 7

The Magi who came to bring gifts to the Christ Child were probably Zoroastrian priests.