The Pharisees, Persia, and the Stolen Religion: What Jesus Was Really Fighting Against
The Big Question You’ve probably heard of the Pharisees—they’re the bad guys in a lot of Bible stories. Jesus called them hypocrites, accused them of twisting religion, and said they were leading people astray. But here’s the twist: the Pharisees weren’t just random religious leaders. They were deeply influenced by Persia (modern-day Iran) and its ancient religion, Zoroastrianism .
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The Big Question You’ve probably heard of the Pharisees—they’re the bad guys in a lot of Bible stories. Jesus called them hypocrites, accused them of twisting religion, and said they were leading people astray. But here’s the twist: the Pharisees weren’t just random religious leaders. They were deeply influenced by Persia (modern-day Iran) and its ancient religion, Zoroastrianism . In fact, they borrowed a lot from Zoroastrian beliefs—and then turned those ideas into a system of rules and power that Jesus spent his life fighting against. In this article, we’ll break down: How the Pharisees got their ideas from Persia. Why the Book of Esther is a cautionary tale about power and compromise. How Jesus stood up to the Pharisees to bring religion back to its roots. 1. Who Were the Pharisees, Really?
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Gathas · Bundahishn
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Mary Boyce