Zoroastrian Origins of Abrahamic Angels: A Historical and Theological Analysis

Abrahamic angelology, including the hierarchical structures and named archangels such as Michael and Gabriel, traces its origins to Zoroastrianism. This study demonstrates that Jewish angelology emerged during the Babylonian Exile (6th–5th centuries BCE), when Jews were in contact with Persian culture, leading to the transmission of Zoroastrian concepts into Second Temple Judaism and subsequently into Christianity and Islam. The research employs comparative textual analysis, historical context, and linguistic parallels between Avestan and biblical terminology to establish this direct lineage. Key findings include the structural parallel between the Zoroastrian Amesha Spentas (seven divine virtues) and the Abrahamic heptad of archangels, as well as functional and linguistic correspondences between specific angels like Michael (Vohu Manah) and Gabriel (Sraosha). The study concludes that the sacred geography of Airyanem Vaejah in the Bamiyan Valley served as the origin of this Zoroastrian angelic tradition.

Bilal, C. (2026). Zoroastrian Origins of Abrahamic Angels: A Historical and Theological Analysis. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.21987535