Orphic-Pythagorean tradition as a channel of the religious influence of Egypt on Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul

The article considers one of the particular problems of cross-cultural interaction between Ancient Greece and Egypt - the mediating role of the Orphic-Pythagorean tradition in the Egyptian influence on the Platonic doctrine of the immortality of the soul. This problem is rarely touched upon in the national science, although its study allows one to discover new aspects in the development of ancient Greek philosophy. The methodological basis is the historical-comparative scientific analysis. The author analyzes the historical context that created favorable conditions for the Greeks to get acquainted with the culture of Ancient Egypt. The controversial nature of the evidence and hypotheses about the stay of Pythagoras and Herodotus in Egypt is noted. The objective difficulties that could arise in the process of obtaining information from the Egyptian priests are listed. The problem of linguistic communication and methods of transmitting a special character of Egyptian religious knowledge is being actualized. The need for an intracultural mechanism for processing and assimilating information obtained through contacts of alien traditions is emphasized. Alternative sources and channels of influence of Egyptian religious culture on the Orphic-Pythagorean tradition, examples and methods of possible borrowing are given. It is concluded that there is an internal Greek impulse for the development of the Orphic-Pythagorean tradition and Plato’s creative originality in the process of creating the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.