In the Persian Empire of the book of Esther, the Gnostic fire ... - WBM

Judaica.
In the seventh century, the Sasanian
Empire fell to a conquering Arab army. Over
the following centuries, many Zoroastrians
converted to Islam, and in the 1800s, a large
number of committed Zoroastrians immigrated
to India. At that time, the Babylonian Jewish
community intersected most interestingly and
productively not with Zoroastrianism, but rather
with Islam. For Jews and Zoroastrians alike,
the influence of Islamic philosophy – with its
roots in Greek thought – was profound. Gaonic
and post-Sasanian Zoroastrian works both bear
unmistakable traces of this new encounter.
One Persian source worth mentioning depicts
a disputation between a Zoroastrian priest and
a Zoroastrian convert to Islam, held in front of
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, evil
is seen as separate from God,
and opposing Him, much as in
Zoroastrianism
the caliph al-Ma’amun (ruled 813–33). One of
their debates concerns the anatomical dualism
discussed by Amemar and the magus centuries
earlier. The terms of the new debate are almost
identical to those appearing in the Talmud, but
the introduction of philosophical concepts and
argumentation adds color.
While the encounter between Judaism and
Zoroastrianism mostly disappeared from the
public sphere after the Islamic conquest, in
communities where Jews and Zoroastrians
lived side by side it continued, particularly in
the domestic context. Iranian Jews, like their
Muslim neighbors, continued to celebrate
Nowruz, the (pre-Islamic) Persian New Year,
with colorful spreads of symbolic foods. To this
day, the traditional seven dishes are laid out
on a carpet, and the family gathers around to
share in the spring feast. What is more, some
families burns esphand, or wild rue, in a golden
brazier while everyone dines. Ritual fire has
thus come full circle, returning to the Jewish
home through an appropriated Zoroastrian
ritual. In its own way, the esphand encapsulates
the Jewish encounter with Zoroastrianism,
which continues to burn brightly. n
The Jewish Journey through History
Well-Known
Zoroastrians
Zubin Mehta,
the world-famous
conductor from
Mumbai, is also
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Israel Philharmonic
Orchestra
Photo courtesy of Zubin Mehta
Freddie Mercury,
(born Farrokh Bulsara,
1946–1991) was the lead
singer and songwriter for
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Queen
Photo: Carl Lander
Homi K. Bhabha,
a sociologist, research
fellow, and author, was
born in Mumbai and
lives in America. He
is a well-known postcolonialist
thinker
Photo: Jean-Baptiste Lebrun
Zoroastrianism
Rohinton Mistry,
an Indian-born
Canadian author, writes
in English. His books,
widely translated,
include A Fine Balance
and Family Matters
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