In the Torah, the narratives concerning the character of Moses are given much space and attention, suggesting that this figure is the intended focus for readers/listeners. References to Moses in the rest of the Hebrew Bible appear consistent in holding him up as a model of sorts. That the passages of the Gathas containing the name of Zarathustra account for less than six percent of the number of words in the Old Avestan textual corpus highlights the deliberate incorporation and figuration of this character. It is easy to comprehend the message that Zarathustra is a model worshipper and conduit for the religion of Ahura Mazda. Jean Kellens writes, 

Zaraθuštra bears an official title mąθrān-, [Old Indic] mantrín-, literally, ‘he who possesses the mąθras.’ One must be well aware, however, that [Old Avestan] mąθra- is used in a way that distinguishes it radically from its Indic equivalent, in that it does not denote a human word, the poem, but a divine word. The gods make known their will by a certain number of words, which all have their specific, technical, name. Among them, there are the mąθra- ‘formula’ and sāsnā- ‘lesson,’ which are always closely associated. Both come from Ahura Mazdā. He made them in accordance with [Aša] (Y.29.7), and Zaraθuštra’s characteristic feature is that he, and only he, is able to hear these words (Y.29.8). The text uses the word ‘hear’ (guš), and not ‘listen to’ (sru), lending Zaraθuštra not piety, but a special kind of obedience, a particular function, namely that of transmitter between gods and men.¹

Kellens description points to a potentially significant function of a “prophet-founder” building block in these religions deemed monotheistic: to cultivate consensus. One way in which these texts function as tools for building and maintaining community may be found in the development of Zarathustra and Moses as models for cultivating “pro-social” behaviors. In The Secret of Our Success, Henrich writes, 

CREDs are actions that a person would be unlikely to perform is he or she believes something different from their verbally stated beliefs or if they prefer something different from their stated preferences… A good CRED for actually believing that blue mushrooms are delicious and nutritious is to eat a lot of blue mushrooms and feed them to one’s children. If a learner observes a potential model doing this, he should then be willing to weight the model’s statements about the nutritional value of blue mushrooms more heavily in forming his own beliefs.²

This description recalls the image of sacrifice made by Zarathustra in Yasna 33.14 as well as the strength of resolute faith and obedience Moses demonstrated before Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus. The fundamentally human nature of these characters seems to make these actions serve to increase the value of the figures as models of adherence. Recall Norenzayan’s argument that prosocial religions appear to promote intragroup cooperation and facilitate success in intergroup competition.³ In terms of cultural evolution, if the narrative figure of a “prophet-founder” contributed to the competitive success of that religious community, then the model would, logically, survive together with the community. 

The social mobility that sets the category of religions deemed monotheistic apart is connected to three important building blocks of religion: the separation of religious and “ethnic” identities, an emphatic concept of “Truth”, and the differentiation, via narratives of incompatibility, from religions deemed polytheistic. The texts deemed religious examined in this chapter, articulate these building blocks and explain that they ultimately originate with the actions of model people deemed religious: “prophet-founders.” Thus, narratives of Zarathustra and Moses “giving” the respective worship of Ahura Mazda and YHWH to “the people,” offer examples that encourage the social mobility of these religions and preservation of religion and community.