[armed_in_sydney]

Zoroastrianism and Christianity are eerily similar,a large part of the New Testament is almost a carbon copy of Zoroastrian teachings with Zoroastra playing the part of the Christ......only played out a thousand years earlier.

[USMMA_83]

Some have said the Jesus's teachings are more Zoroastrian than Jewish.

[Cronos]

Actually Judaism is also influenced by Zoroastrianism -- the angelic figures and the messianic figures appear only after the Babylonian (subsequently Persian) rule. Plus the Zoroastrians were very tolerant of other faiths, unlike the Babylonians.

It's an offshoot of the Indo-Aryanic religions, most of which deal with two sets, 'families' of Gods -- as witness the Aenir and the Vanir of the Nordic peoples (which is a primitive form of the Aryanic religion).

The more developed forms of the Aryanic religion were to be found in India and Persia -- actually opposing groups with the Indic peoples (Hindus == from the river Indus) elevating the Daevas as gods and the Asuras as demons (of course that seems to have been accelerated by Christian though) while the Irani peoples (Persians, Parthians, Medes etc) elevated the Asuras (or Ahuras In Iranic) to the level of Gods and the daevas to minor deities or demons. Zoroaster came and changed this, making a somewhat monotheistic religion.

[headsonpikes]

"Zoroastrianism and Christianity"

Google 'Manichaeanism' for a glimpse at a historical reverberation back to Persia!.

[Yeti]

Zoroastrianism/Christianity

Since I saw this thread(back when it was fresh), I googled around a bit and kept some bookmarks. After reading a bit more, I continue to be struck by the similarities between Zoroastrianism and Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

One thing in particular that strikes me as an example is found in a the revelations of a prophet of the religion several hundred years after Zoroaster, in which various hells corresponding to various forms of wickedness are described.

Very, very interesting it was to me.

Here is one that made me say "Hm..."

(1) I also saw the soul of a woman (2) who ever dug into a hill with her own breasts; (3) and ever held, on her head, a mill-stone like a cap. (4) And I asked thus: 'What sin was committed by this body, whose soul suffered so severe a punishment?' (5) Srosh the pious, and Adar the angel, said (6) thus: 'This is the soul of that wicked woman who, in the world, destroyed her own infant, and threw away the corpse.'

It occurs to me that if the hole in the center of that millstone were a couple inches bigger around, it might slip on down past her ears, in which case it would then be hung around her neck.