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Ideas of Zoroaster, by Text
[Persian, fl. 900 BCE, Prophet and hymn-writer, also known as 'Zarathustra'. Dates unsure.]
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900BCE
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The Gathas (seventeen hymns)
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p.37
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7598
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Zoroaster and the Hebrew prophets evolved different versions of monotheism
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Full Idea:
Zoroaster and the Hebrew prophets evolved different versions of monotheism.
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From:
report of Zoroaster (The Gathas (seventeen hymns) [c.900 BCE]) by Karen Armstrong - A History of God Ch.1
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A reaction:
This seems to be the consensus on the origins of monotheism, which places the development much earlier than the appearance of the idea in Greek philosophy.
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p.153
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7472
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Zarathustra was the first to present a god who is an abstract concept
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Full Idea:
Zarathustra's achievement was for the first time to present a god who is an abstract concept - he broke with the tradition of a pantheon of gods.
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From:
Zoroaster (The Gathas (seventeen hymns) [c.900 BCE]), quoted by Peter Watson - Ideas Ch.05
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A reaction:
The more abstract the gods become, the harder it is to challenge their existence.
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p.247
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20672
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Zoroastrianism saw the world as a battle between good evil gods
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Full Idea:
Zoroastrianism saw the world as a cosmic battle between the good god Ahura Mazda and the evil god Angra Mainyu.
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From:
report of Zoroaster (The Gathas (seventeen hymns) [c.900 BCE]) by Yuval Noah Harari - Sapiens: brief history of humankind 12 'Battle'
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A reaction:
Hm. This contradicts the impression I had gained that it was monotheist.
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