The "Late Texts" Objection: Why Oral Transmission Destroys the Skeptics' Last Defense
The Final Academic Escape Hatch When confronted with the evidence of Zoroastrian influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, scholars have one last defense: "The Zoroastrian texts were written down late — mostly in the Sassanid period (3rd-7th century CE). We can't prove what Zoroastrians believed earlier. Maybe Judaism influenced Zoroastrianism, not the other way around." This sounds scholarly. It sounds cautious. It sounds reasonable. It's also a desperate argument that collapses under scrutiny.
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The Final Academic Escape Hatch When confronted with the evidence of Zoroastrian influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, scholars have one last defense: "The Zoroastrian texts were written down late — mostly in the Sassanid period (3rd-7th century CE). We can't prove what Zoroastrians believed earlier. Maybe Judaism influenced Zoroastrianism, not the other way around." This sounds scholarly. It sounds cautious. It sounds reasonable. It's also a desperate argument that collapses under scrutiny.
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Gathas · Avesta · Behistun Inscription