ABSTRACT
The Babylonian Talmud contains dozens of texts that depict Persians as “others” in both a positive and negative light. The Talmud’s portrayals of Persians are often inward-looking commentaries on rabbinic self-identity. They sometimes reflect Persian cultural norms and practices. While discussions of Zoroastrianism are rare, the Talmud includes texts about the high deity Ohrmazd and fire-worshippers. Often, the Bavli’s engagement with Zoroastrianism is not explicit but articulated between the lines, including references to rituals and laws related to impurities. A common theme is the comparison between the Roman and Persian Empires. The Babylonian exilarchs were acculturated to Persian imperial society, which sometimes led to competition for authority with rabbis and disagreements over the proper extent of Jewish adoption of Persian customs.
