The Iranian religion originated the dualistic cosmic struggle of good versus evil
Evidence
From Iran, from Iranian religion, comes the concept of a cosmic struggle between almost equal forces of good and evil. The Devil, as you know, was Iranian by birth, although he is now given a local habitation and a name in the Western Hemisphere. The idea of a power of evil, opposite and almost equal, is characteristic of ancient Persian religion: Ahriman is the pre decessor of Satan, Mephistopheles, or whatever else we may choose to call him. Linked with that was the idea of judgment and retribution, of heaven and hell; and here I would remind you that paradise is also a Persian word. The para is the same as the Greek peri; peridesos in ancient Persian means walled enclosure. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 300
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- XREF: Connects to the reader’s interest in cultural transmission and the hidden Persian root of Western concepts like Satan and paradise — a good pipeline of etymological and religious-history knowledge.
- CANDY: ‘The Devil was Iranian by birth’ and ‘paradise is a Persian word’ are compact, tweetable facts about hidden etymological origins.
Related
- Key Judaeo-Christian cosmological concepts originated in ancient Persian religion (similarity 0.94)
- The Bible gives ancient Iran uniquely positive treatment (similarity 0.79)