Editing Devil (section)

=== Pre-Historic period to Archaic period ===
Most early belief-systems had no unifying concept of evil. In the oldest available records, [[Natural evil|evil is part of nature]]. In [[Mesopotamia]], evil is sometimes said to derive from [[primordial chaos]], but there are no inherently evil demons or devils. Various spirits and deities could do both good and evil depending on whim.<ref>Maul, S., Jansen-Winkeln, K., Niehr, H., Macuch, M., & Johnston, S. I. (2006). Demons. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e309270</ref> The oldest known Egyptian beliefs had no evil deities: the gods being morally ambivalent and required to submit to the divine order of the cosmos, evil being an action violating said harmony.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 76</ref> In [[Hinduism|old Hindu beliefs]], deities, reflecting the supreme reality, are both benevolent and fierce.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 56</ref> Even in the [[Old Testament]], the evil, and hence devilish characteristics, are an expression of Yahweh's wrath.<ref>Bonnetain, Yvonne S (2015). Loki: Beweger der Geschichten [Loki: Movers of the stories] (in German). Roter Drache. ISBN 978-3-939459-68-2. OCLC 935942344. p. 267</ref>Among ancient Middle Eastern beliefs, [[Zorastrianism]] was the first institutionized belief-system which developed a clear demonology headed by a [[Angra Mainyu|supreme spirit of Evil]] (Angra Mainyu), i.e. Devil.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 104</ref><ref>Maul, S., Jansen-Winkeln, K., Niehr, H., Macuch, M., & Johnston, S. I. (2006). Demons. In Brill's New Pauly Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e309270</ref>

Around 600 BC, [[Zarathustra]] urged his followers to turn away from the devas, in favor of dedicating worship to [[Ahura Mazda]] alone.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 98</ref> Unique to Zarathustra's revelation was that he claimed that evil is not part of the Godhead (or ultimate reality), but a separate principle independent from God.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 98</ref> For the formulation of [[Good and Evil]] as entirely separate principles, Zarathustra argued that God (Ahura Mazda) freely choose goodness, while Angra Mainyu freely choose evil.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 106</ref><ref>Bonnetain, Yvonne S (2015). Loki: Beweger der Geschichten [Loki: Movers of the stories] (in German). Roter Drache. ISBN 978-3-939459-68-2. OCLC 935942344. p. 267</ref> By doing so, he established the first known dualistic cosmologoical system, which would later influence other religions, including [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], [[Manichaeism]], and [[Islam]].<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, pp. 98-99</ref> Alienated from the new sole deity, spirits of previous belief-systems thus became [[demonization|associated with the forces of evil]] and hence [[demon]]s.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 105</ref> As servants of the destructive spirit, the demons were believed to follow only evil; inflicting pain and causing destruction. Unfortunate souls, who find themselves in the domain of the evil spirits after death (i.e. in hell), are also tortured by the demons.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 117</ref> Spirits found to align with the new sole deity then became the [[Angel|Godhead's servants]] (i.e. angels).<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 105</ref><ref>Barr, James. "The question of religious influence: The case of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 53.2 (1985): 201-235</ref>

Thus, the [[Canaanite religion|originally monistic Canaanite form]] of Judaism absorbs parts of Persian dualistic tendencies during the [[Post-exilic|Post-exilic period]].<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 99</ref><ref>Van der Toorn, Karel, Bob Becking, and Pieter Willem van der Horst, eds. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. p. 236</ref> However, Second-Temple Judaism, and later Christianity, differ from Persian dualism in some regards: the proposed omnipotence of God of the former does not allow for a radical dualism as proposed by Zorastrianism and later Manichaeism. However, Judeo-Christian tradition still differs from earlier monistic beliefs by limiting the power of their Godhead through an evil principle or force, introduced by Zorastrianism.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 99</ref> Christianity in particular, struggled with reconsiling God's omnipresence with God's benevolence.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 101</ref> While Zorastrianism sacrificed God's omnipotence for God's benevolence, thus giving raise to a principle Devil as independent from God, Christianity mostly insisted on the Devil being created and mildly dependent on God.<ref>Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Cornell University Press 1987 ISBN 978-0-801-49409-3, p. 101</ref>