The Indo-European, Avestan word ashem (Vedic ऋतं ṛtaṃ) comes from the root ashá/artá, “excellence, brilliance, luminosity, virtue” (Compare with Greek arête,) has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Hebrew term HaShem.

Traditionally in Judaism, the four-letter name of God is NOT pronounced during prayer but is read instead as ADONAI (“Master”, “Lord.”) The Hebrew word Adonai could very well be an Egyptian borrowing from Aten/Aton. Aten/Aton was extensively worshipped as a god in the reign of Amenhotep III much like Ra. In the reign of Amenhotep III’s successor, Amenhotep IV, the Aten/Aton became the central god of Egyptian state religion, and Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten to reflect his close link with the new supreme deity.

In Judaism, the Hebrew term Adonai is only used during prayers and Adonai is referred to/substituted with HaShem (“the Name”) at all other times.

In conversation, Jewish people call God HaShem, השם, which is Hebrew for “the Name” (this appears in Leviticus 24:11).

Also, the word Amen has NOTHING TO do with any Zoroastrian influence whatsoever. Amen is a declaration of affirmationfound in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

Its use in Judaism dates back to earliest Hebrew texts. It means: “So be it truly/faithfully.” The standard Hebrew word for faith emuna comes from the root amen.

The Avestan equivalent of the Hebrew Amen would be atha jamyát yatha áfrinámi “may it come (jamyát) as to what is the loveliest (áfrinámi.)

Áfrinámi comes from the root frí,(Compare with Old Norse Freya/Freyja “the goddess of love, friendship, beauty.”) Persian Zoroastrian Áfrin comes from the same root, “that which is lovely, most amicable, friendly.”

The Zoroastrian influence upon Judaism is clearly evident in the Judaism of postexilic period.Eschatological ideas such as coming of a wholly new, splendid universe (Compare with Old Norse Ragnarök;) an evolved luminous physical form in the future and the resurrection of the dead; Angelology and demonology (Angels as the adorable names or wondrous aspects of God, and demonic powers as dark, negative, very real (not imaginary) energies;

Millennial doctrines of the future saviors, ALL can be traced back to the poetic gathas of the Aryan Prophet but are entirely absent from the Torah or the five books of Moses.

Furthermore, many purity laws and rituals of the Essenes (a Jewish Sect) as well as their ideas concerning kingdoms of light verses lies show unmistakable Zoroastrian influence.

It is highly ironic that some of our fellow modern Zoroastrians try so desperately to deny the existence of the aforementioned novel ideas in the poetic gathas, while they wildly speculate on words or ideas that are unmistakably and genuinely Jewish.

ardeshir