How the Pharisees Acquired the Sacred Knowledge
Introduction In the annals of religious history, few transformations are as profound as the evolution of Judaism during and after the Babylonian Exile. This period marked a pivotal encounter between the ancient Hebrews and the Zoroastrian faith of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, leading to the infusion of what can be termed "sacred knowledge" into Jewish theology.
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Introduction In the annals of religious history, few transformations are as profound as the evolution of Judaism during and after the Babylonian Exile. This period marked a pivotal encounter between the ancient Hebrews and the Zoroastrian faith of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, leading to the infusion of what can be termed "sacred knowledge" into Jewish theology. Zoroastrianism, with its emphasis on ethical dualism, angelic hierarchies, demonic forces, resurrection of the dead, and a final apocalyptic judgment, provided a rich tapestry of ideas that reshaped Judaism from a primarily ritualistic, temple-based religion into one with elaborate eschatological and metaphysical dimensions.
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Cyrus Cylinder · New Testament