Sergey Minov Zoroastrian Mythological Motifs and the Phenomenon of Christian Acculturation in Sasanian Mesopotamia Sergey Minov - Research Fellow at the Department of History, University of Oxford (United Kingdom), sergey.minov@history.ox.ac.uk The article analyzes two cases of borrowing Zoroastrian mythological motifs by Syriac-speaking Christians during the period of Late Antiquity. The first example, attested in the writings of Ephrem the Syrian (4th c), concerns the case of reinterpretation of the traditional image of biblical Paradise as a cosmic mountain, encircling the whole world. Most probably, it developed under a direct influence of the Iranian cosmological traditions regarding the mountain Alburz. The second example concerns the use of the figure of Rapitvin, known from Zoroastrian mythology, by the anonymous author of the Syriac composition known as the "Cave of Treasures" (6th - 7th cc). The discussed examples of appropriation of some elements of Zoroastrian mythology by Syriac-speaking authors provide us with a valuable evidence on the complicated and multifaceted process of acculturation of the Christian minority to the culture of Sasanian Iran. Keywords: religion, acculturation, Late Antiquity, Syriac Christianity, Iran, Zoroastrianism, mythology, Paradise. The PERSIAN Sasanian dynasty came to power in the third century AD, replacing another Iranian-speaking dynasty, the Parthians. The first Sasanian monarch, Ardashir, rebelled against his suzerain, the Parthian king Artap- page 61on and in 224 defeated his army. In 226 AD, Ardashir was crowned king and assumed the title of "Shahanshah","king of kings" .1The history of the presence of Christianity in the territories controlled by the Iranian-speaking peoples dates back to the Parthian period and probably dates back to the second century. 2 The main distinguishing feature of the internal policy of the Parthians towards various religious groups, including Christians, was religious tolerance. Although ... Read more