First Three World Religions Vedic Beliefs, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism

Caste System Indo-European Aryans brought the oral Vedic religions (Vedas) with them around 1500 to India (later transcribed to Sanskrit Scriptures – 600 BCE) In India, a unique system emerged known as the caste system (see next slide) It essentially setup a system of rebirth (samara) and reincarnation in which the human soul (atman) attempts to unite with the creator (moksha) Brahma To do this, one would live their life fulfilling their caste task, even if they were bad at it (known as dharma) If they fulfilled their task throughout their lifetime, they received good karma and were reborn in the next life as a higher class until uniting with Brahma

Caste System Brahmin - priests Kshatriyas – warriors and rulers Vaishyas – farmers, merchants, etc. Shudras – servants and laborers Untouchables – street and latrine cleaners After the arrival of Indo-Europeans, the lighter skinned Indo-Europeans were considered the top classes, while the darker populated the lower

Zoroastrianism Also in about 1500 BCE, Indo-Europeans in Persia (Iran) setup a brand-new type of religion known as Zoroastrianism Z’s unique feature was that is was monotheistic—it had one god It also believed, for the first time, in a clear sense of good vs. evil, and believed humans must live their lives for one side or the other Furthermore, Z believed humans had free will to choose which way to live, and that one day a messiah would arrive to help the side of the good

Judaism Judaism rose from the influences of Meso. religions, with the amalgamation of Hebrew Scriptures (3000s BCE and onward) Rather than a large empire, the Jewish people developed and clung to a unique religion unlike any in Meso. The divine & perfect Yahweh and the Messiah united the Jews and their culture as they were exiled by Assyria and then Babylon While their early scriptures varied, with variation in God’s behavior, exposure to Zoroastrianism later developed the same calls for: 1) Good vs. Evil 2) Heaven and hell 3) Free will to choose 4) A later messiah