User:IReadTooMuch/sandbox

I am reading, "The Shape of Ancient Thought" by Thomas McEvilley. This work, as indicated by its descriptive subtitle, is concerned with, "Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies". In discussing the diffusion of a specifically tripartite reincarnationism shared by both the presocratic Greeks and the Upanashadic Indians he takes issue with another scholars work; both of whom consider the Magi of the Median Empire a pre-Zoroastrian priesthood. Mr. McEvilley takes issue with M. L. West's central thesis in his, "Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient," that the Median Magi were the source of the diffusion. He quotes from, "Persian Mythology" by John H. Hinnels (London: Hamlyn, 1973), p.20, speaking of the hymns called 'yashts' found in the Zendavesta, "Although all these hymns are used in the Zoroastrian services many of them basically date back to the pre-Zoroastrian period.". McEvilley continues, "Another source is the evidence of the 'repaganization' that followed the Zoroastrian reform; ritual practices presumably of Magian origin were reintroduced, including cattle sacrifice, haoma intoxication, and worship of the Mother Goddess Anahita, all of which Zoroaster had denounced." I searched Wikipedia to learn more but this page mentions nothing of a pre-Zoroastrian existence for the Magi. Do the authors and editors of this page disagree with this possibility or maybe consider the data irrelevant to the subject of Zoroastrianism?