Zoroastrianism and Its Origins
From historical research, and the study of Jewish and Christian texts, scholars have firmly concluded that Judaism and Christianity borrowed heavily from the theological thought of the Persians or Zoroastrians [fathered by Zoroaster]. Some of the most prominent theological borrowings have been mentioned in the article The Borrowing Theory [on the Burning Cross] such as the concept of Monotheism, that of a Divine Father and a Divine Son, the idea of a Garden of Eden, the concept of the first created humans Adam and Eve, the Resurrection, the Day of Reckoning, Heaven, Hell, the Duality of Good and Evil [God and the Devil], the belief in a Messiah, the belief in Angels, etc.

The question then arises with regard to Zoroaster and Zoroastrianism, was Zoroaster the origin of the theology of the Zoroastrians or did he also borrow from yet another older more ancient culture and theology? All available evidence strongly confirms that he did.

Zoroastrian dominance and influence at its greatest extent included the area of the entire Persian plateau from the Indus River in the east, to the river Nile in the west. This is commonly known as the Persian Empire. It is believed that Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism, was born in the area now know as Afghanistan, though some scholars place his birth as somewhere in the Kashmir Valley. The ancient Greeks, like Aristotle, date the era of Zoroaster as being 6,000 BCE. Aristotle and other Greeks, whom moderns venerate for their lofty and scientific bent of mind, had no problem with dating the era of Zoroaster as being many millennia before their time.

From the study of the Zend Avesta [the holy book of the Zoroastrians] and the parallel study of the Vedas [of India], it is concluded that before the era of Hindu ruled India east of the Indus and Zoroastrian ruled Persia west of the Indus, that both these regions were originally one Aryan culture united by the Sanskrit language and the religion of the Vedas. In pre-Zoroastrian Persia, the Gods worshiped were the same as those worshipped in India west of the Indus River, such as Indra, Surya, Agni, Varuna, etc.

The Rg-Veda of India mentions Zoroaster as 'Jarutha' who is opposed by Vasistha, and in the Zend Avesta Vasistha is named Vahishtha. The Rg Veda mentions as follows:

tvam agne samidhano vasistho
jarutham han yaksi raye puramdhim
purunitha jatavedo jarasva
yuyam pata svastibhih sada nah

"O Agni (the fire god), Vasistha kindles you - destroy the malignant Jarutha. Worship the object of many sacrifices. The demigods, on behalf of the wealthy priest of this sacrificial ceremony, offer their praise to you, O Jatavedas (Agni). With our many prayers, always shower us with your blessings." [Rg Veda 7.9.6]

And in the Bhavisya Purana, wherein Zoroaster is named 'Jarasabda' Surya says to Niksubha as follows:

vedoktam vidhimutsrjya, yathaham lamghitastvaya
tasman-mattah samutpanno, na ca putro bhavisyati
Jarasabdha iti khyato, vamsa-kirti-vivardhana
agni-jatya magah proktah, somajatya dvijataya

"Because both you and I have ignored the injunctions of the Vedas, similarly our son will not follow their laws. He will be known as Jarasabda and will bring fame to his dynasty. They will worship fire and will be known by the name Magas, and being Soma worshippers they will be known as Brahmanas." (Bhavisya Purana, Brahma-parva 139.42- 45)

Bhavisya Purana [chapters 139-140] also gives an extensive account of the background of Maga Jarasabda [Zoroaster]. The word 'maga' refers to a dynasty of priests of whom Zoroaster was a progenitor. In ancient Iran, the hereditary priestly caste was called the Magi, derived from maga.

According to the Vedic version, Zoroaster and Vasistha were half brothers. Vasistha was the legitimate son of Surya and Zoroaster was the illegitimate son of Surya and the maiden Niksubha. In their adult lives both Vasistha and Zoroaster became priests of Asura Varuna [possibly in Kashmir]. Vasistha and Zoroaster were co-priests of Varuna but in due course there would arise irreconcilable differences between the two.

So great was the rivalry between Vasistha and Zoroaster that the latter eventually separated himself from the Vedic standards. Zoroaster gathered his followers and made an exodus toward the west, eventually settling in Persia [north-eastern Iran].

In Persia, Zoroaster lived for seven years in the mountains performing meditation and then descended to the cities and villages to preach a new religion. At the outset, Zoroaster was ridiculed as a fool. At one point he was even imprisoned, but managed to escape. After his imprisonment a peculiar event took place wherein Zoroaster cured the sick horse of the king, Vishtapa. Soon after, King Vishtapa accepted the teachings of Zoroaster and the new religion began to spread very quickly.

This new religion of Zoroaster was more like a rehashing or mixing of the old Vedic beliefs with an occasional addition of his own. Zoroaster took the concepts of gods and demons found in the Vedic pantheon and reassigned them different names and different functions. From among those Zoroaster favored Varuna whom he called 'Ahura Mazda', the Supreme God.

Surya or Mitra, the Vedic sun-god, also took his place in the belief of the Zoroastrians as did the worship of fire. To the Persians Mitra became Mithras. In both the older Vedic tradition, Varuna/Mitra, and in the Zoroastrian tradition, Ahura Mazda/Mithras, are often considered equal in divinity [as the great Twin-Brethren].

In the Rg Veda both gods and demons are sometimes called 'asura' [powerful] but in the Atharva Veda and subsequent other Vedas only demons are called 'asura' and the gods of divine nature are called devas. Zoroaster however chose to refer to Varuna whom he considered Supreme as 'asura' and the evil forces that oppose God in this world, he chose to call 'devas'. Hence the evolution of the word 'deva' meaning divine into the word 'devil' meaning the evil force or being that opposes God.

The main holy book of the Zoroasrians is the Zend Avesta, but only the portion known as the Gathas [hymns], is thought to have been actually written by Zoroaster.

For centuries Zoroastrianism spread across Persia under the patronages of two very powerful Persian dynasties, the Achaemenids and the Sassanids. During this time the cannon of twenty-one Zoroastrian holy texts were compiled called the Nasks. It is from this cannon of Zoroastrian literature [compiled several millennia before the New Testament or the Old Testament were written] that Judaism and Christianity have received the main tenants of their religion, i.e. the concept of Monotheism, that of a Divine Father and a Divine Son, the idea of a Garden of Eden, the concept of the first created humans Adam and Eve, the Resurrection, the Day of Reckoning, Heaven, Hell, the Duality of Good and Evil [God and the Devil], the belief in a Messiah, the belief in Angels, etc.

Some scholars are of the opinion that Judaism, and particularly Christianity, have borrowed stories and theology directly from the Vedas and Puranas, but it is more likely that they received these elements of religion through the Persians without any direct contact with India.

The Editors