BIBLE
Out of context: Reply #117
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That Zoroastrian beliefs made an impression upon the religion of the Judeans is apparent. Although the complete extent to which this imfluence played is debatable, there are several points of interests concerning this Zoroastrian influence, three of which, shall be mentioned here. As to the means of influence, some suggest that the sect of the Pharisees derived it's name from "Farsi" the Iranian name for the district Parsa, which might indicate direct Zoroastrian preistly influence in the region, however, this can not be confirmed with certainty, although it is not impossible; another possible etymology of the term is that it originated from the term for "heretic" or that of "separatist" as initially the Pharasaic movement was a vastly outnumbered sect within the Judean community.
One clear adaption from Zoroastrian doctrine was the Judean conception of god. The idea of a universal, non-partisian, monotheistic deity was the result of their contact with the Zoroastrian Ahura-Mazda, which allowed them transcend the tribal, henotheistic conception of god that they had hitherto espoused. This can be seen in the literary works of the time of the Persian occupation; at that time they began to more clearly talk of a single god as opposed to pronouncing their god as the greatest among many other gods - which was clearly the conception espoused by Abraham, Moses and other mythical figures from their ancient past.
Another significant manner in which Judaism was affected by Zoroastrian doctrines was in the concept of an enemy to God; the Judean conception of Ha-stan, that is - Enemy - did not occur until its mention in Zechariah during the late 6th century B.C.E. under Persian rule and the influence of Zoroastrian dualism - that cosmic fight between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman.
Yet another adaptation from Zoroastrian belief was that of Ge-hinnom (valley of Hinnom) or Hell, which was a doctoring of the earlier Judean conception of sheol (grave) such that sheol became only the upper most level of a multi-level underworld - a clear account of which is given in the creation myth of the Haggadah (collection of non-canonical legends). Although there can also be seen Egyptian themes in the Judean conceptions of hell, it can be confidently argued that, at the least, Zoroastrian ideas of hell influenced Judean religious development coupled with Egyptian influences, while at the most they were the primary influence in the formation of these beliefs.
This significant grafting on of the concept of monotheistic god, the adversary and of hell would prove instrumental in the later Christian conceptions of Satan and hell. As such, apart from direct influences with Mithraism and the Zoroastrian dualism imbedded within it upon the later Christian community, we can see a distant influence many centuries earlier upon Christianity through the Judean adoption of Ha-stan, Ge-hinnom, and the 'One God.'