A Persian religion which sprung up in the Persian plateau roughly around the 7th century B.C.E. It reformed the more ancient Persian pantheon by retaining the ancient gods but offering them new roles. It was a dualistic religion where the ancient gods were classified into "good" and "evil" counterparts. The champion of good was Ahura Mazda and the champion of evil was Ahriman. The Zend-Avesta are the religion's holy texts.