CONCLUSION
142
may be shown
some, moreover,
to be not without interest.
In
the light of such, perhaps, the current views with regard to the relationship between Zoroastrianism
a
new
aspect, particularly
if
and Judaism may take on
we emphasize
the fact that Zoro-
and Media, about the
aster arose in the west, in Atropatene
time of the early Prophetic Period of Israel.
we know
From
the Bible
Jews were early carried up from Samaria From the Avesta, on the other hand, we know that Zoroaster had rung out a trumpet note and clarion cry of reform, of prophecy, and of Messianic that captive
into certain cities of the Medes.
promise, before the days of Babylonian Exile.
From our knowledge,
contemporaneous history we
too, of
recall in the current of events that the reputed empire of Bactria, if it existed,
had yielded the prestige to Media ; and that away before the glorious
the sovereignty of Media was swept
power
In Persia, Greece recognized a culmination
of Persia.
Though
of the glory of Iran.
sian in battle, he
still
the Greek vanquishes the Per-
has stories to
of Eastern philosophy.
tell of
Magian wisdom and and other great
Plato, Pythagoras,
thinkers are claimed to have emulated the teachings of the
Magi
;
and
later
Moslem
or Zoroastrian tradition asserts that
the ancient sacred writings of Iran, the quintessence of
all
knowledge, were translated into Greek.
And
wars brought Rome had brought the Greeks. Mithraism penetrated into
as for imperial times, the Persian
into contact with Zoroastrians, as they
A phase of Zoroastrianism known Rome and
into
Western Europe.
as
The
rise of the
Neo-Platonic
school was certainly not without influence from Zoroastrianism,
nor without influence upon later Zoroastrianism. of Zoroastrian
for a time.
In
all
such cases the relations doubtless are more
Even
Mohammed
the pages of the Koran and the doc-
are not free from the influence of the
Faith which they vanquished by the sword. sacred
fire
tenets
Manichseism even disturbed Christian thought
or less reciprocal. trines of
The
The spark
of the
has never been quenched; the holy flame continues to