zoroastrianism

This has a lot of links to Zoroastrians: I suggest you see it:

http://www.questia.com/library/religion/asian-religions/zoro astrianism.jsp?CRID=zoroastrianism&OFFID=se1&KEY=zor oastrianism&LID=15153754

I think it did. Even ignoring the more obvious traces such as the celebration of Norooz and Chaharshambeh-Souri, I would also argue that a form of it is still practiced by the majority of Iranians today. The reason I say this is that Twelver Shi'a islam (official religion of Iran, and largely peculiar to Iran) has been hugely influenced by Zoastrianism - the old ideas have not gone away completely, but influenced the development of their new belief (I recall reading about Christianity in Borneo or somewhere of that ilk and how the indigenous beliefs and practices had been absorbed into a distinctly local flavour of christianity). For example, I would say that the belief in the return of the 12th (hidden) imam Mehdi is a direct descendant from the bellief in the Saoshant (sp?), the saviour of Zoastrianism. This belief in the saviour actually had a massive effect on Judaism, I recall reading a study of old testament texts that showed how the emergence of this saviour figure as an increasingly important figure in Judaism as the religions mixed and Zoastrian influence spread with Persia. A key figure in the evolution of the saviour belief, Daniel, lived in Iran and (someone please correct me if Im wrong) was somehow connected to the Persian court of Darius I. Of course, without this belief, Christianity is a non-starter.

Another very Zoastrian idea that the abrahamic religions (Jud, Christ. & Islam) inherited is heaven (paradise) - before this there was an idea of a very earthly eternal kingdom of isreal as an end goal. Again, Daniel is often cited as an influence here. "Paradise" is apparently derived from the old persian for Garden (this vision of heaven is particularly important in Islam).

Another thing I have less info about is the first holy war (in terms of a war sanctioned by god for which the combatants would be rewarded by God) being a Zoastrian one, I think led by Darius (ok I will try and get some citation for this, the details are hazy, I will try and find who led it, against whom and why, I just remember reading about it). Crusades and "lesser Jihad" have shaped our world. Im aware im on shaky ground here because you can argue that this isnt an idea or concept but a natural evolution side effect of religion, the fight for scarce resources and power mixing, and as such is inherited from Zoastrianism. But anyway, a first is precedent so perhaps worth mentioning.

There are more things that are linked if anyone is interested in looking into it further ("In Search of Zarathustra", forget the author, is quite interesting), if anyone is interested I may try and remember a few more or provide evidence for the above, but just these concepts - Heaven and the idea of a saviour heralding the end of time on earth, have had such monumental importance that without them entering Judaism, and therefore Christianity and Islam, world religion would be unrecognisable.