Zoroaster in The Apocryphal Books

In the Holy Bible, there are various references to Iran, nonetheless the Iranian prophet, Zoroaster, is not mentioned in the canonical books. The apocryphal books are important sources for our knowledge of the post-apostolic era, although these books are often rejected by the church. The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy is an apocryphal New Testament book in which Zoroaster’s name is mentioned in the story of the persons who traveled from the east to Bethlehem to visit the newborn Christ. A few identifications for this biblical Zoroaster have been put forth by classical and medieval authors; however, it seems that this Zoroaster can be identified with the Iranian prophet and no one else. It is also intriguing that the birth of Christ, as related in the New Testament, is quite similar to Zoroaster’s birth as recorded in the Middle Persian books.