2. INTRODUCTION
• Zoroastrianism has one true god - Ahura
Mazda ("Wise Lord"). It also has Angra
Mainyu, or Ahriman, the equivalent to the
Christian Satan. It has seven Amesha
Spenta, who are lesser beings considered
equivalent to the seven postexilic Judaic
archangels. The most important of these
lesser beings, Mithra, was adopted by the
Roman Empire as a god in his own
right, Mithras.
3. AHURA MAZDÂ, THE UNIQUE GOD
• Is the Avestan name for a divinity of the
Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed
the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the
founder of Zoroastrianism.
• Ahura Mazda is described as the highest
deity of worship in Zoroastrianism, along
with being the first and most frequently
invoked deity in the Yasna.
4. • The word Ahura means light
and Mazda means wisdom. Thus Ahura
Mazda is the lord of light and wisdom.
• Ahura Mazda is the creator and upholder
of Arta (truth).
• Ahura Mazda is an omniscient
and omnipotent god, who created a being
called Angra Mainyu, the "evil spirit" who
as the creator of evil will be destroyed
according to the frashokereti (the
destruction of evil).
5.
6.
7. CHARACTERISTICS
• Even though Ahura Mazda was a deity in the Old
Iranian religion, he had not yet been given the
title of "uncreated God". This title was given
by Zoroaster who proclaimed Ahura Mazda as the
uncreated God, wholly wise, benevolent and
good, as well as the creator and upholder of Arta
("truth"). As Ahura Mazda is described as the
creator and upholder of Arta, he is a supporter
and guardian of justice, and the friend of the just
man.
8. ANGRA MAINYU
• Angra Mainyu is the Avestan name for a divinity
of Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian
religion, representing the evil force trying to drag
the man to the error. In Persian it is called
Ahriman or Ariman. Its name means "exhausted
thinking" or "thinking distressed". Ahriman is one
of the two entities, along with Lucifer, who
oppose the evolution of humanity, but at the
same time make it possible. Ahriman is a man
who does the land being subject to the laws of
matter, while Lucifer tends to release it.
Thus, Ahriman gives human cold intelligence and
abstract devoid of feelings.
9.
10. ARCHANGELS (AMESHA SPENTA)
• Amesha Spenta (Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan
language term for a class of divine entities or
angelic beings in Zoroastrianism, and literally
means "Bounteous Immortal" (in reverse word
order) Later middle Persian variations of the
term includeAmešāspand and the specifically
Zoroastrian Mahrāspand and Amahrāspand.
