azadeh azadinezhad; Roozbeh Zarrinkoob; sina forouzesh
Abstract
Since the distant past, Mesopotamia, as a crossroad of civilizations, has provided ample ground for the emergence of various belief systems. Due to geographical location, Mesopotamia ...
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Since the distant past, Mesopotamia, as a crossroad of civilizations, has provided ample ground for the emergence of various belief systems. Due to geographical location, Mesopotamia also had an important role in Iranian history. At the end of the Sassanid period, among diverse religious groups residing in Mesopotamia, some were known as pagans. In this study, the term pagan refers to the people who worshiped deities rather than the one god and the Nature was the center of their attention. Since the Islamic Conquests, including in Mesopotamia, had underlying religious implications, it is necessary to know the interactions among the adherents of various religions in Mesopotamia during this period. Moreover, because of the distinct presence of Christianity in Mesopotamia at that time, the manner of interaction between the Pagans and the Christians on the verge of Islamic conquest is important in understanding the current of events. This study aims to define the Mesopotamian pagans and the way in which they interacted with Christian communities. Based on a descriptive-analytical approach and using historical sources and archaeological evidence, this article seeks to determine the characteristics of Mesopotamian pagan communities and their influence on the neighboring Christians by the time of Islamic conquest. The results show that the cities of Harran, Edessa, and Hirah were the pagan religious centers of the pagans in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, witchcraft, astral fatalism, and sacrifice were prominent characteristics of Mesopotamian paganism. This religion was able to influence Christianity. In contrast, Christian monks tried to convert pagans to Christianity.