by Lewis Loflin
(Above) Biblical Timeline
Early Jews were likely henotheists or polytheists, revering one central god among others. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) suggests rival deities existed. This tribal god, often depicted as bloodthirsty, ordered killings—like Egypt’s firstborn (Exodus 12:29) or Canaanite women and children (Numbers 31)—reflecting survival, not love or compassion, in early texts.
Exclusive monotheism emerged later. Isaiah 43:10 states, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD… before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." The servant here is likely Israel, not Isaiah alone. In Isaiah 44:28, Cyrus is "my shepherd," and in 45:1, "his anointed," aiding Jerusalem’s restoration. Cyrus, a Persian possibly Zoroastrian, may have influenced this shift, though monotheism’s roots could predate him. I see this as a turn toward universalism in Isaiah, denying other gods’ reality (44:6, 45:22).
Unlike the New Testament’s 89 "Holy Spirit" mentions, the Old Testament uses it rarely (e.g., Psalm 51:11), suggesting later Hellenistic influence, not Persian, despite my earlier speculation.
Post-exile, God gains universal traits—goodness, perfection—resembling Ahura Mazda, though not identical. I suggest Nehemiah and Ezra, backed by Persian authority, reinforced this monotheism. Artaxerxes I (r. 465-424 BCE) appointed Nehemiah to govern Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8) and sent Ezra to teach God’s law (Ezra 7:10-11), possibly shaping Jewish practice.
Ezra, educated in Babylon, ensured Judea followed God’s law under Artaxerxes’ mandate (Ezra 7:25). Ezra 4:7 notes correspondence in Aramaic, the Persian Empire’s language. By Jesus’ time, Aramaic dominated, Greek served commerce, and Hebrew was liturgical.
Ezra 6:19-21 and Nehemiah 10:28-29 show renewed commitment to Judaism—not "conversion," as they were Jews. Nehemiah 8 describes Ezra reading the law, translated by priests for Hebrew and Aramaic speakers, indicating a linguistic gap.
Ezra banned foreign wives (Ezra 10), a break from common practice (e.g., Moses, Numbers 12:1). I speculate this reflects Zoroastrian purity laws, though unproven. Judges 3:5-6 shows intermarriage, not slaughter, in Canaan—mass killings lack archaeological support and may be later edits, I suggest.
The Babylonian exile took elites (2 Kings 24:14); ~42,000 returned (Ezra 2:64), rejecting intermarried locals, who became Samaritans (Ezra 9-10). Strife followed.
I propose Nehemiah’s purity code, resembling Zoroastrian practice, extended laws to daily life (Nehemiah 13). The Festival of Booths revival (Nehemiah 8:13) might echo Zoroastrian Ayathrem, a harvest festival—speculative, as Sukkot predates Persia. Darius, depicted as Daniel’s hero (Daniel 6), reflects Persian favor, though the text’s timeline is debated.
Around 400 BCE, under Persian rule, the Old Testament likely took written form, possibly shaped by this context—scholars debate the extent. Jews kept circumcision (Genesis 17), absent in Zoroastrianism.
I argue Judaism was influenced by Zoroastrianism, their ideas close enough to mingle. It became universal monotheism, rejecting a devil, though I speculate sects like the Essenes adopted one, possibly influencing John the Baptist and Jesus.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for refining this article. The final perspective, including speculative claims, is mine.
