Clivedurdle

As Plato is extremely unlikely to have got anything from Moses who was a fictional figure - Bible Unearthed - and we are agreed that ideas are taken from other places, what precisely is the problem with acknowledging the huge continuing influences of different beliefs on each other? I am going to reference Tom Holland Shadow of the Sword again, who brilliantly describes the interactions of beliefs from a slightly later period and how Islam - another monotheism - grew in this period.

I see no problems with understanding an earlier monotheism growing similarly when a certain community was in Babylon singing songs by rivers, and a later one that has never really been a monotheism, having three main gods and loads of angels and saints.

Holland also describes in detail another battle between a monotheism and "pagan" ways, around Marathon.

Understanding Judaism as a sub set of Zarathustra but with later strong Greek influences, makes sense.

And back to the OP, maybe it would be valuable to understand theraputae as Greek?

The core difference between Greek and Persian/Jewish thinking is around priests.

Greek thinking has always been priesthood of all believers, an idea revived by Protestantism, with strong links to the demos.

The Persians have always been hierarchical, with one Most High God, clear anointed priests, ceremony....

I would hope we would have discussed here the growth of healing and caring but somehow we have lost the plot with accusations of racism. The theraputae are very interesting and do look as if they have been captured for propaganda purposes.

Robin Lane Fox and the clear distinctions between Tyrannies and democracies are very helpful.

Might we kindly look on religious practices as results of political perspectives?

Robert Tulip

That is a very good point Clive. If we consider the Therapeuts as introducing a contemplative compassionate vision of spiritual healing and caring, it helps to understand how they could have provided the community that inspired the Gospel of Mark.

I mentioned the theme of care earlier in the thread. Some posters here fail to see how attending on the Gods necessarily involves a healing ministry focussed on care, and how the Therapeuts provide evidence of contact between east and west. Ignoring the Buddhist antecedents of Christianity from the Theraputta looks like a recipe for ignorance.

Trying to open up this cross-cultural perspective is central to understanding the syncretic origins of Christianity. The ancient world had its straighteners who wanted to confine any celestial vision within narrow established cultural confines. It is hardly surprising that the modern world also has many people who cannot cope with attempts to build a broader vision.