Angra Mainyu
Angra Mainyu is the Zoroastrian spirit of evil, darkness, and ignorance. Jewish conceptions of Satan were impacted by this entity during the Second Temple Period when Jews lived under the Achaemenid Empire. This Zoroastrian figure influenced the development of Satan as an opponent of God in Jewish thought.
↻ synthesized from 4 sources
When
- First attested
- 1500 BCE
- Attested period
- -1500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Influenced Jewish conceptions of Satan during the Second Temple Period under Achaemenid rule.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Satanael, Hvare-khshaeta, Haoma, Aeshma, Bushyasta, Baal, Astaroth, Astarte, Ahura Mazda, akem manah, Zurvān, Ohrmuzd, Jeh, Sarosh, Adar, Mastema, Michael the Archangel, Samael, Azazel
- enemy of
- Mithra, Ahura Mazda, spenta mainyu, Watchers, Semjâzâ, Fravashis, Tishtrya
- creator of
- Aži Dahaka
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Jewish conceptions of Satan were impacted by Angra Mainyu, the Zoroastrian spirit of evil, darkness, and ignorance.”
#2248 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“From whom Angra Mainyu, who is all death, flees away in fear”
#16928 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“For Angra Mainyu, this interpretation meant a demotion from a spirit coequal with Ahura Mazda to a mere product of Ahura Mazda...both Angra Mainyu and Spenta Mainyu were created by Ahura Mazda, and should be regarded as his respective 'creative' and 'destructive' emanations.”
#22993 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Zoroastrian dualism, with its contrast between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, alongside the monotheistic shift in ancient Israel, provided a theological framework for demonizing pagan deities”
#25767 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5