Are You a Zoroastrian?

There was a time when the publication of an ancient work of Zoroastrian cosmology was a moment of great excitement in the world of Jewish scholarship. Such was the case with the appearance of the first complete German edition of the Bundahisn by Friedrich Windischmann, published posthumously in 1863 (Zoroastrische Studien, Berlin). Rabbinic scholars rushed to procure copies as if it was the latest in the Harry Potter series, studied it closely, collated it with ancient Jewish traditions, and competed with one another to share the fruits of their endeavors. Persia was all the rage. Christian scholars had been eagerly debating the impact of Zoroastrian religion on the Bible, both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Established truths were being questioned, and new theories of religious development tested. Jewish scholars jumped on the bandwagon, dragging rabbinic traditions into the fray.