a
reference to Ahura Mazda, the supreme
deity and creator of all things in Zoroastrianism, an ancient
religion of Iran. Zoroastrianism was founded by sixth century B.C.
Persian religious teacher, Zoroaster. The heart of this
religion was the belief in the battle between good and
evil. According to its
doctrine, there were good spirits, led by Ahura Mazda, directly opposed by
evil spirits, led by Ahriman (the "destructive
spirit"). The earth was considered the battleground where these
supernatural forces struggled and this struggle made up the
history of the
world. It was believed that the
war would end in the
ultimate triumph of Ahura Mazda.