Description

The Sasanian Empire was home to many religious communities. It was also a place of meeting and transformation. It was where old religions met more recent arrivals, and where both new and old were transformed as a result of this contact. While some religious communities shared more than others, and this for historical or geographical reasons, some form of contact and exchange with Zoroastrianism, the religion of the ruling dynasty and of many of the inhabitants of the empire was undoubtedly the rule for all. The studies in this volume explore the dynamics between these communities within the broad Sasanian religious and cultural context and encompass a diverse array of topics concerning, in particular, Jews, Christians, and Manichaeans. Some include the Roman East in their deliberations. Most, however, deal with the interaction of one or other Sasanian religious community with Zoroastrianism.