Zarathustra's influence on the Abrahamic Religions.

EXISTENTIALIST MEETUP - Melbourne, Australia.

Our monthly online Meetup presentation on the History of Religion.
The presentations are followed by questions, comments and discussion.
All viewpoints welcome.

Early Religion: An Alternative History
What do the historians and archaeologists think of the veracity of religious legends? Legends are an amalgamation of history and mythology.
But how much of each?

"ZARATHUSTRA'S INFLUENCE ON THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS"

There were only two short episodes of 'Yahweh-alonism' (Monolatry) interrupting the traditional polytheism of the ancient Israelites and Judeans. These were within the reigns of two Judean Kings: Hezekiah (727 to 698 BC) and Josiah (639 to 609 BC).

It is contended that, in roughly 550 BC, Second Isaiah got into conversation with one of the Zoroastrian (Zarathustrian) propagandists sent by King Cyrus of Persia into the Median and Babylonian Empires.

It seems that Isaiah, with his Judean tribal God, got influenced by the Zoroastrian concept of a Universal Creator God, but rejected the Zoroastrian concept of an equally powerful oppositional God of Evil.
This fateful occurrence inaugurated Judaism's Monotheism.

We will be looking at A History of Zoroastrianism Vol.2 by Mary Boyce, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies, University of London.

David Miller will present the topic and lead the discussion.

Background information for those interested:
Nietzsche's Zarathustra and the historical Zoroaster.
Wikipedia's entry on Zoroaster/Zarathustra

The Zoom link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 835 1572 5803 - - Passcode: 897795

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