I wish for everyone to read the topic title. That is the discussion of this section. You may use Bibles, science books, philosophy including Greek philosophy to support you arguments. I do hope that everyone finds this topic interesting. If you do not, I can do nothing about it. 
This is the ultimate mystery of human existence… the question that the mystery schools have believed they have answered for as long as recorded history exists…
The Egyptians seem to have been the first to formalize this adventure … and for this they demonstrated their wisdom for all eternity.
The many neighboring cultures do not appear to have embraced the Egyptian schools of thought … death was depressing … or weary … or sleepy … and that was it. The Old Testament appears to have shared these latter views… The Hebrew don’t even know (or believe) the Egyptian views of the afterlife.
The Greek mystics or philosophers appear to have gone to Egypt and brought back the wonder of the mysteries…
Then the Persians arrived on the scene …with their Zoroastrian theology … and soon there was a dualistic afterlife that began to spread from Persia to the Greeks… to the Jews … and eventually, from these folks,and from the ancient Egyptians, the Christians adopt an eternal afterlife for the Righteous…
1 Like
I must agree that you give a great answer, George. Good historical and theological reasoning. I believe that God can use pagan people to bring us truth. We received truth from Greece and Persia. Zoroastrian Theology accepts also the following:
The Coming of Messiahs
The Immortality of the soul
The resurrection of the body
A new heaven and a new earth.
What in the Bible can support my thesis that God revealed himself to others in the Hebrew Bible. Yes, I sure can. The Book of Esther. How do you like my thoughts? Let me know. I hope you concur. Oh, even though we disagree on the Trinity, I do enjoy are talks! 
Ahhh…
But it is from Zoroastrianism that we get this HARSH DUALITY of Good vs. Evil…
The Sumerians had a deity some called “The Tree of Good” - - Ningishzida (alternately seen as either a snake, serpent or in a form similar to his kin, Tamaz). It is the Zoroastrianized Hebrew that turned that god into the “Tree of Good AND EVIL”. The Persians were also the ones to introduce the idea of eternal enmity between humans and snakes… killing snakes with one’s heel was considered a good dead done in the name of the good god.
But the Persians also brought us the idea of Angels… and so all those divine entities that people used to call gods were eventually considered servant messengers of ONE god.
George
1 Like
I can see your point; however, God gave us through them the hope of everlasting life. The ancient Hebrew just had the concept of She’ol, where the shades of the dead lived if one can call it living (1 Samuel 28). Did you know that the later Hebrews of Jesus day had a concept that the soul remained at the head of the corpse until it began to decay after the third day? The Zoroastrians had the same view. This is why Jesus probably waited to the fourth day to prove that He did a miracle that He raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11. You are a great scholar, George. I appreciate taking with a man of reason even though we do not always agree. God bless you, George!
1 Like
Exactly.
It was only after extended contact with the Magi did the Sheol-centered theology of the Hebrews become the Messianic Judaism that we know how evolved into Christianity.
The Pharisees tell us that the term Pharisee means “separated ones” … but that is more an apologia.
The term Parsi essentially just means “Persian” and was a term used within the Jewish community (just like Americans might call another group “Yankees” or “Hoosers” or “Southerners”). The Language spoken
by the Persians is Farsi … and the Zoroastrians that still exist India are called Parsee. The “P” and the
“F” (or “Ph”) frequently experience swapping in the history of the region. Irdu speakers call the little hats
they wear “Kef”… in English … that word is “Kap” (aka “Cap”) !!!
I think we all would have done better if we had adopted the Egyptian view of everlasting life … without
throwing in all that EVIL …
George
1 Like
I see what you are saying; however, I believe the Holy Spirit had a reason to mix the Jews with the Persians. We must admit that there is evil in the world, but I can thank God that there are good people like us. I have enjoyed our talk, George. God bless.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 3 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.