[quote:7aca74d5ec="Ba"]Zoroastrianism is the classic example of Good vs. Evil. You have Spenta Mainyu, representing good, in an eternal struggle against Angra Mainyu, representing evil (there are other variations on this, but it basically boils down to good vs. evil). Encountering Zoroastrianism had a profound effect on Judaism, which previously lacked the dualistic themes (God was neither good nor evil). Satan was not previously a major player, simply one of God's servants in charge of tempting and accusing mankind. In the Book of Job, for example, he was essentially a member of the divine court, charged with looking for men's sins and bringing them to God's attention, like a celestial prosecuting attourney. He was unable to act without God's permission. This view was changed after the Jews encountered Zoroastrianism in Babylon. Now it became Satan who incites David to take a census of Israel, where previously it was God who did so. Satan was now an adversary of God as well as mankind.[/quote:7aca74d5ec]

I would like to point out that the original view never really changed. Satan is still not a major player as far as Judaism is concerned. There is no Enemy in Judaism, really. In Judaism, Satan is in charage of just what Ba mentioned, which makes him a celestial prosecuting attourney (which, I might add, is an analogy mentioned many times in Jewish writings of the very era Ba mentioned) who is constantly looking for business, so to speak.

The closest Jewish theologists have ever come to calling Satan the Enemy was to say that he may be a bit over-ethusiastic. That is, in those few cases they actually bother to mention him at all.

edit: I would like to mention that I just now noticed the date of the post replied to. A bit too late, really, but I didn't have many chances to read through the boards thoroughly until now.