Zoroastrian Influence on Post-Exilic Jewish Belief and Practice PDF

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Zoroastrian Influence on Post-Exilic Jewish Belief and Practice The following bibliography endeavors to serve as an introduction and guide to the study of Persian influence on Judean beliefs and practices. Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in the world and shares with Judaism its monothe...

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Zoroastrian Influence on Post-Exilic Jewish Belief and Practice The following bibliography endeavors to serve as an introduction and guide to the study of Persian influence on Judean beliefs and practices. Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in the world and shares with Judaism its monotheism, dualism (i.e., a robust notion of a Devil—but with a positive appraisal of material creation), heaven(s) and hell(s), angels and demons, final judgment, a messianic figure, a holy spirit, concern with ritual purity, an idealization of wisdom and righteousness, and other doctrines, symbols, practices, and religious features. Zoroastrianism’s influence on Judaism can sometimes be perceived more clearly in other traditions that descend from Judeo-Iranian origins, such as Christianity, Gnosticism, Mithraism, Manichaeism, etc. Thus, some materials relating more directly to these later traditions have been included. Because of the introductory nature of this bibliography, one goal has been to be as broad as possible in scope. Because similar ideas can arise independently, some of the parallels between ancient Zoroastrianism and Jewish beliefs and practices are surely accidental. However, it is not the intent of this bibliography to provide original research or to identify which similarities are true instances of Persian influence on Jewish practices and doctrines and which are merely instances of two peoples who shared some cultural and religious traits developing in parallel. Instead, the goal of this bibliography is to arrange a representative body of the literature (dissertations, books, and articles) and websites that relate to this topic according to the format of the work. When possible, brief comments or annotations have been provided. Some are my own and others consist of citations or quotations of published reviews or abstracts. Books A Reader in Manichaean: Middle-Persian and Parthian. Acta Iranica 9. Téhéran-Lìege: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1975. Reviews: Heston, Wilma. Journal of the American Oriental Society 98, no. 2 (June 1978): 164-165. Tafazzoli, A. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 40, no. 3 (1977): 630-632. Afnán, Ruhi Muhsen. Zoroaster's Influence on Greek Thought. New York: Philosophical Library, 1965. Review: Fontenrose, Joseph. The Classical World 59, no. 6 (February 1966): 196-197. For the purposes of this study, one might seek out what are thought to be Hellenistic influences on Judaism and then refer to Afnán to find out if there might be a common, Persian source lying behind both.

Berquist, Jon L. “Approaching Yehud: new approaches to the study of the Persian period.” Society of Biblical Literature Semeia studies (2007). Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism. 3rd ed. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1996. Boyce, M., and F. Grenet. A History of Zoroastrianism. Vol. 3: Zoroastrianism under Macedonian and Roman Rule. Handbuch der Orientalistik 1/8/1/2/2 (1991). Reviews: Bivar, A. D. H. The Journal of Roman Studies 82 (1992): 265-267. Hutter, Manfred. Numen 41, no. 2 (May 1994): 202-204. Kreyenbroek, Philip G. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 57, no. 2 (1994): 388-391. Reviews of Vol. 1, The Early Period: Hadot, Jean. Archives de sciences sociales des religions 22, no. 44.2 (December 1977): 217-218. Wright, J. C. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 40, no. 3 (1977): 632-633. Review of Vol. 2, Under the Achaemenians: Yarshater, Ehsan. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 1 (1984): 139-141. Brodbeck, Adolf. Zoroaster: Ein Beitrag Zur Vergleichenden Geschichte Der Religionen Und Philosophischen Systeme Des Morgen- Und Abendlandes. Leipzig: W. Friedrich, 1893. Review: S., F. C. S. The Philosophical Review 4, no. 1 (January 1895): 112-114. Cama, Kharshedji Rustomji. The Collected Works of K. R. Cama. Bombay: K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, 1968. This volume contains essays such as “Avesta and Genesis, or the relations of the Iranians to the Semites,” “Comparison of the Laws of Ormuzd with the Laws of Jehova,” “The Persian and Jewish Doctrines of the Resurrection and Immortality of the Soul,” and “The Jewish Angelology and Demonology based upon Parsism.” Campbell, Leroy A. Mithraic Iconography and Ideology. Etudes préliminaires aux religions orientales dans l'Empire romain t. 11. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1968. Review: Pascal, C. Bennett. The Classical World 63, no. 5 (January 1970): 170. Although the work dwells on much that is late and non-Jewish, it is grounded in a knowledge of the earlier belief systems and can provide insight into those very systems by discussing what later forms they produced. Carter, George William. Zoroastrianism and Judaism. New York: AMS Press, 1970.

Reviews: Ginzberg, Louis. The Harvard Theological Review 13, no. 1 (January 1920): 89-92. Hoschander, Jacob. “Review: Survey of Recent Biblical Literature: V. Archaeology.” The Jewish Quarterly Review 17, no. 2. New Series (October 1926): 199-231. Shirley Jackson Case. The American Journal of Theology 24, no. 4 (October 1920): 524. Smith, John Merlin Powis. The American Journal of Theology 23, no. 3 (July 1919): 397. Chattopadhyaya, Kshetresh Chandra. Studies in Vedic and Indo-Iranian Religion and Literature. 1st ed. Vārāṇasī: Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana, 1976. Christianity, Judaism and Other Greco-Roman Cults: Studies for Morton Smith at Sixty. Studies in Judaism in late antiquity v. 12. Leiden: Brill, 1975. Review: Brock, S. P. “Review: [untitled].” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 39, no. 1 (1976): 165-166. See especially the third and fourth parts of the series. Part Three contains an article entitled “Qumran and Iran: The State of Studies.” Part Four contains the essay “Iconoclasm among the Zoroastrians.” Congrès international d'études mithriaques. Études Mithriaques: Actes Du 2e Congrès International, Téhéran, Du 1er Au 8 Septembre 1975. Acta Iranica ; 17 : 1. sér., Actes de congrès v. 4. Téhéran: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1978. Congrès mondial d'iranologie. Commémoration Cyrus: Actes Du Congrès De Shiraz 1971 Et Autres Études Rédigées à L'occasion Du 2500e Anniversaire De La Fondation De l'Empire Perse. Acta Iranica 1. sér., v. 1-. Téhéran: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1974. Dhalla, Maneckji Nusservanji. History of Zoroastrianism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938. Review: Young, T. Cuyler. “Review: [untitled].” The Journal of Religion 19, no. 3 (July 1939): 250-252. Duchesne-Guillemin, Jacques. Religion of Ancient Iran. Bombay: Tata Press, 1973. This work contains a systematic and organized account of almost every aspect of the religion that might interest one. Furthermore, it addresses comparative questions, not only of influence on later systems, but also the retention of early Indo-Iranian beliefs. See especially the chapters, “Iran and Israel,” “Iran and the Sources of Christianity,” and “Iran and Gnosticism.”

Enoch Seminar. Enoch and Qumran Origins: New Light on a Forgotten Connection. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2005. The papers in this work mention throughout the influence of Persian thought on the Jewish thinkers whose works were preserved at Qumran. Some of the papers, mentioned specifically in the “Articles” section, go into significant depth on the topic. Essential Papers on Israel and the Ancient Near East. Essential papers on Jewish studies. New York: New York University Press, 1991. Frye, Richard Nelson. Persia. Revised ed. London: Allen & Unwin, 1968. Garthwaite, Gene R. The Persians. The peoples of Asia. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2005. Glasson, T. F. Greek Influence in Jewish Eschatology; with Special Reference to the Apocalypses and Pseudepigraphs. Biblical monographs 1. London: S. P. C. K, 1961. Henning, W. B. Selected Papers. Acta Iranica 14-15:2. sér. ; v.5-6. Téhéran: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1977. Hinnells, John R. “Mithraic studies : proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies, v 2” (1975). Review: Ogilvie, R. M. The Classical Review 27, no. 1. New Series (1977): 48-49. International Colloquium on Apocalypticism, Kungl. Vitterhets, historie och antikvitets akademien, and Uppsala universitet. Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East: Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Apocalypticism, Uppsala, August 12-17, 1979. Tübingen: Mohr, 1983. Review: Aune, David E. “Review: New Directions in Apocalypticism.” History of Religions 25, no. 1 (August 1985): 93-95. Seaford, Richard. The Classical Review 35, no. 1. New Series (1985): 203. Irano-Judaica: Studies Relating to Jewish Contacts with Persian Culture Throughout the Ages. Jerusalem: Ben-Zvi Institute for the Study of Jewish Communities in the East, 1982. Kellens, Jean. “La religion iranienne à l'époque achéménide : actes du Colloque de Liège, 11 décembre 1987,” no. 5. Iranica Antiqua (1990). Kellens, Jean, and Prods Oktor Skjærvø. Essays on Zarathustra and Zoroastrianism. Bibliotheca Iranica: Zoroastrian Studies Series (Bibliotheca Iranica: Zoroastrian Studies Series): 1 (2000): xvi, 131 pp.

König, Franz. Zarathustras Jenseitsvorstellungen Und Das Alte Testament. Wien: Herder, 1964. Kraeling, Carl H. Anthropos and Son of Man: A Study in the Religious Syncretism of the Hellenistic Orient. New York: Columbia University Press, 1927. The book dwells first on the Hellenistic environment, exploring the doctrine of the primal or cosmic Man in Manichean thought, in other Gnostic systems, and in Mandean tradition. Then it seeks the origin of the doctrine in Iranian and Jewish belief systems and, finally, considers the relation of the full tradition to NT speculation about the Son of Man. Meherjirana, Erachji Sohrabji. A Guide to the Zoroastrian Religion: A Nineteenth Century Catechism with Modern Commentary. Studies in world religions 3. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982. Review: Duchesne-Guillemin, J. International Journal of Middle East Studies 17, no. 1 (February 1985): 142-144. Mills, Lawrence Heyworth. Avesta Eschatology Compared with the Books of Daniel and Revelations: Being Supplementary to Zarathushtra, Philo, the Achæmenids and Israel. Chicago: The Open Court, 1908. ---. Our Own Religion in Ancient Persia, Being Lectures Delivered in Oxford Presenting the Zend Avesta as Collated with the Pre-Christian Exilic Pharisaism, Advancing the Persian Question to the Foremost Position in Our Biblical Research. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1913. Review: Moore, George F. The Harvard Theological Review 7, no. 4 (October 1914): 614. Monumentum Georg Morgenstierne. Acta Iranica v. 7. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1981. Review: Sims-Williams, Nicholas. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 49, no. 2 (1986): 432. Monumentum H. S. Nyberg. Acta iranica : deuxième série, Hommages et opera minora. Téhéran: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1975. Review: Szemerényi, Oswald. Gnomon 49, no. 2 (March 1977): 202-204. Moulton, James Hope. Early Zoroastrianism: Lectures Delivered at Oxford and in London, February to May 1912. London: Williams and Norgate, 1913.

Reviews: Hopkins, E. Washburn. The Harvard Theological Review 8, no. 2 (April 1915): 258-260. Rouse, W. H. D. The Classical Review 30, no. 5/6 (September 1916): 163-165. Lecture IX is entitled “Zarathushtra and Israel.” ---. The Treasure of the Magi: A Study of Modern Zoroastrianism. The religious quest of India. London: H. Milford, Oxford university press, 1917. Neusner, J. Purity in Rabbinic Judaism. A Systematic Account : The Sources, Media, Effects, and Removal of Uncleanness. South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism 95 (1994). Officina Magica: Essays on the Practice of Magic in Antiquity. IJS studies in Judaica v. 4. Leiden: Brill, 2005. Orientalia. Acta Iranica v. 9. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1984. Papers in Honour of Professor Mary Boyce. Acta Iranica v. 10-11. Leiden: Brill, 1985. Review: Steblin-Kamenskij, I. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 50, no. 2 (1987): 376-378. Pfeiffer, Robert Henry. History of New Testament Times, with an Introduction to the Apocrypha. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1972. Review: Goldin, Judah. Jewish Social Studies 13, no. 1 (January 1951): 74-76. Rowley, H. H. The Jewish Quarterly Review 40, no. 3. New Series (January 1950): 303305. Reitzenstein, Richard. Hellenistic Mystery-Religions: Their Basic Ideas and Significance. Pittsburgh theological monograph series 18. Pittsburgh, Pa: Pickwick Press, 1978. Root, Margaret Cool. The King and Kingship in Achaemenid Art: Essays on the Creation of an Iconography of Empire. Acta Iranica 19. Leiden: Diffusion E. J. Brill, 1979. Sanjānā, Dārāb dastur Peshotan. Indo-Iranian Studies, Being Commemorative Papers Contributed by European, American and Indian Scholars in Honour of Shams-Ul-Ullema Dastur Darab Peshotan Sanjana. London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co.; [etc., etc.], 1925. Scheftelowitz, I. Die Altpersische Religion Und Das Judentum; Unterschiede, Übereinstimmungen Und Gegenseitige Beeinflussungen. Giessen: A. Töpelmann, 1920. Review:

Hoschander, Jacob. “Review: Survey of Recent Biblical Literature: V. Archaeology.” The Jewish Quarterly Review 17, no. 2. New Series (October 1926): 199-231. Shaked, Shaul, and Amnon Netzer. “Irano-Judaica II : studies relating to Jewish contacts with Persian culture throughout the ages” (1990). Review: Paper, Herbert H. Journal of the American Oriental Society 112, no. 1 (March 1992): 146. Smith, Morton. Palestinian Parties and Politics That Shaped the Old Testament. Lectures on the history of religions new ser., no. 9. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971. Reviews: Davies, G. I. Vetus Testamentum 45, no. 3 (July 1995): 424-425. Hanson, Paul D. Journal of the American Oriental Society 94, no. 2 (June 1974): 278279. See especially pp. 110 ff. Studies on the Ancient Palestinian World; Presented to Professor F. V. Winnett on the Occasion of His Retirement 1 July 1971. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. Review: Morton Smith. The American Historical Review 78, no. 2 (April 1973): 410-411. This volume contains the essay “Israel’s Eschatology from Amos to Daniel.” Sykes, Percy Molesworth. A History of Persia. 3rd ed. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1969. Review: F., J. P. B. The Journal of Hellenic Studies 35 (1915): 277-280. The Cambridge History of Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968. Reviews of pertinent vols.: Frye, Richard N. Iranian Studies 20, no. 1 (1987): 82-86. ---. International Journal of Middle East Studies 21, no. 3 (August 1989): 415-419. Steblin-Kamenskij, I. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 50, no. 1 (1987): 147-148. Vol. II especially contains the articles, “The Old Eastern Iranian World View According to the Avesta” and “The Religion of Achaemenian Iran.” The Cambridge History of Judaism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Review of Vol. I, Introduction: The Persian Period: Williamson, H. G. M. Vetus Testamentum 35, no. 2 (April 1985): 231-238. Chapter 12 specifically addresses the subject, “Iranian influence on Judaism: first century B.C.E. to second century C.E.” This article makes many fine points and contains a variety of useful references to the literature. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Edited by J. H. Charlesworth. 1st ed. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1983. Reviews (the first two relate to NT Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, which retain much valuable material for the study of earlier beliefs and practices): Kilpatrick, G. D. Novum Testamentum 29, no. 1 (January 1987): 94-96. Klijn, A. F. J. Vigiliae Christianae 42, no. 3 (September 1988): 307-308 Kraft, Robert A. Journal of Biblical Literature 106, no. 4 (December 1987): 736-739. Murphy, Frederick J. Journal of Biblical Literature 107, no. 2 (June 1988): 339-342. Silberman, Lou H. The Biblical Archaeologist 51, no. 1 (March 1988): 57-58. It is particularly strong in its treatment of the presence of Zoroastrian influence in the Sibylline Oracles. The Wisdom of the Sasanian Sages (Dēnkard VI). Persian heritage series no. 34. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 1979. The Zend-Avesta. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1972. Reviews:

Bloomfield, Maurice. “On the Rev. L. F. Mills' Edition of the Gâthâs.” The American Journal of Philology 3, no. 12 (1882): 499-505.

Wilhelm, Eugen. The American Journal of Philology 10, no. 1 (1889): 91-94. ---. The American Journal of Philology 14, no. 2 (1893): 238-240. Volumes I and III contain introductory essays that mention some Zoroastrian influences on other faiths, such as Manichaeism. The Indices in volumes II and III are useful ways to navigate the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism intelligently and efficiently; however, since the Sacred Books of the East can be searched online, the value of the indices has diminished. Varia 1977. Acta Iranica 16. Téhéran: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, 1977. Watts, James W. “Persia and Torah: the theory of imperial authorization of the Pentateuch,” no. 17. Society of Biblical Literature Symposium (2001). Reviews: Heard, R. Christopher. Journal of Biblical Literature 122, no. 3 (Autumn 2003): 555-558.

Porten, Bezalel. Journal of the American Oriental Society 123, no. 2 (June 2003): 389391. Wesendonk, Otto Günther von. Urmensch Und Seele in Der Iranischen Überlieferung; Ein Beitrag Zur Religionsgeschichte Des Hellenismus. Hannover: H. Lafaire, 1924. West, M. L. The East Face of Helicon: West Asiatic Elements in Greek Poetry and Myth. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. Yamauchi, E. M. Persia and the Bible (1996). Reviews: Hoglund, Kenneth G. The Biblical Archaeologist 54, no. 2 (June 1991): 115-116. Russell, James R. The Jewish Quarterly Review 83, no. 1/2. New Series (October 1992): 256-261. Skjærvo̵, P. Oktor. Journal of the American Oriental Society 114, no. 3 (September 1994): 499-504. Zaehner, R. C. Concordant Discord: The Interdependence of Faiths: Being the Gifford Lectures on Natural Religion Delivered at St. Andrews in 1967-1969. Gifford lectures 1967/69. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1970. Review: Smith, Wilfred Cantwell. “Review: Programme Notes for a Mitigated Cacophony.” The Journal of Religion 53, no. 3 (July 1973): 377-381. ---. The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. 1st ed. The Putnam history of religion. New York: Putnam, 1961. Review: Shaked, S. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 27, no. 2 (1964): 447-449. Zaehner’s book is the first I ever read on the subject. His treatment of the “Dawn” of Zoroastrianism specifically addresses such themes as, “The Two Spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls,” “Heaven and Hell,” “Influence on Judaism,” “Prototype of the Holy Spirit,” “Zoroaster and Animal Sacrifice,” etc. He attempts to carefully distinguish between early material and later, Zurvanian innovations.

Articles Ahdut, Eli. “Jewish-Zoroastrian polemics in the Babylonian Talmud.” Irano-Judaica IV (1999). Applegate, Lloyd R. “Zoroastrianism and Its Probable Influence on Judaism and Christianity..” Journal of Religion & Psychical Research 23, no. 4 (October 2000): 184.

Bach, Robert. “Esra 1 : der Verfasser, seine "Quellen" und sein Thema..” Gottes Recht als Lebensraum (1993): 41-60. Barr, J. “The Question of Religious Influence : The Case of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 53, no. 2 (June 1985): 201235. Beck, Roger. “The mysteries of Mithras: A new account of their genesis..” Journal of Roman Studies 88 (January 1998): 115. Bianchi, Ugo. “Gnostizismus und die Religionsgeschichte : Gesichtspunkte zur Erforschung der Ursprünge der Gnosis..” Gnosis und Gnostizismus (1975): 601-625. ---. “Mithra and the question of Iranian monotheism..” Études mithriaques (1978): 19-46. Bickerman, Elias Joseph. “The edict of Cyrus in Ezra 1.” Journal of Biblical Literature 65, no. 3 (1946): 249-275. Blenkinsopp, Joseph. “The mission of Udjahorresnet and those of Ezra and Nehemiah..” Journal of Biblical Literature 106, no. 3 (1987): 409-421. Blois, François de. “Dualism in Iranian and Christian Traditions.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 10, no. 1. Third Series (April 2000): 1-19. Boyce, Mary. “On the Antiqu...