Q&A: Cherubs in the Zoroastrian Religion
Cherubs in the Zoroastrian Religion
Question
https://kolot.info/parashot/%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9C-%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%AA-%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%AA%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%92/
In short, Persico brings evidence for cherubs like those on the Ark of the Covenant, which the Zoroastrian god “sits on” or is found above. A kind of “enthroned upon the cherubs.”
What do you say about this? It seems like pretty blatant copying, supporting theories that claim Judaism took a great deal from the Zoroastrian religion.
Answer
I haven’t read it, but I don’t see why this should matter. Even if there is copying here (and I haven’t checked; things like this can also just be coincidence), the Zoroastrian religion was founded in the sixth century BCE, so it’s not clear who copied from whom. And even if we did take something from them—so what?