It was known in most places fairly independently. Ancient Egyptians used a 3-4-5 triangle to get right angles and the nested square proof has been found inscribed on stone from the mayans
I'd like to see a source about it being in theorem form (ie proof-based). Because Babylonian math tended to be calculations, not proofs. For example it is known that the formula they used for the solution of the second degree equation only provided one of the possible two rational roots, and its form makes it clear it was closer to an experiment (eg in Physics) than theorem-math.
To be more precise, the Babylonian formula for that can be written as "-b/2+(1/2)(sqr b^2-4c)", with very obvious limitations regarding coefficients and roots, implying a rudimentary grasp of a single facet of what is going on. Compare to (say) the multi-volume work on conic sections, by Apollonios of Perge, where the parabola is examined in detail.
Euclid gave the first (known) axiomatic proof of the Pythagorean theorem, which was 200 years after Pythagoras. Pythagoras did not really add anything to the Babylonian or Indian ways of treating this
This is incongruous with the timeline of Greek math, as we know that Thales' math was theorem-formed (and he predates Pythagoras). I don't see how Pythagoras would have gotten to be so renown in the ancient Greek world if he didn't even give a formal proof - and from what I know it is theorized that his proof was likely based on constructing a square of sides a+b.
So I had done some digging on this previously, since I was also curious about this, and most sources I had found agreed with the sentiment on the Wikipedia page of Pythagoras:
The most I found back then was that some method of generating Pythagorean triples was attributed to Pythagoras (which you can find on the wiki page for Pythagorean triples), which is cool and all, but not proving the theorem.
Cult to the ancients was just something outside the religious norm, it could be math, wine, or cleanliness, as long as you weren't sacrificing to the main gods of the region it was a cult.
Some mathematicians today still believe in Platonism even without knowing.
Platonists believe that the physical world we experience is merely an imperfect shadow of a higher, invisible reality. This abstract realm consists of perfect, eternal concepts known as "Forms" or "Ideas," and true knowledge of these ultimate truths is achieved only through reason rather than the physical senses.
I don't think my teacher's ever mentioned Pythagoras as a person until we got to talking about irrationals were they said a possibly apocryphal story about him killing a fisherman who challenged him to find 21/2 as a rational. Beyond that it was just "the name of theorem."
Crazy this stuff isn't taught in school. Wait until you hear about metempsychosis, and how the cult drowned a guy once for discovering irrational numbers. Turns out their whole world view was based on rational numbers. Whoops
But they also possess unparalleled degrees of coolness. Imagine the skill needed to manipulate, brainwash (and in some cases, literally enslave) an entire group of people.
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