Chapter 4 Section 3 Notes. I. The Rise of Persia

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Chapter 4 Section 3 Notes

I. The Rise of Persia

A. Had its beginnings in what

today is Iran

B. Formed kingdom on tolerance and

diplomacy

C. Abundance of natural resources

1. Metals

D. Cyrus the Great becomes Persia’s

first empire builder in 550 B.C.

Cyrus the Great

2. Allowed conquered peoples

to keep their customs and

religions

3. Allowed the Jews to return to their

homeland

Persian Kings In Bible History

Common NameB.C. Date

Name In Persian

Name In Bible

Bible References

Cyrus539-530

Koorush CyrusIsaiah 45, Daniel, Ezra 1-3

Cambysses

530-521

CambujiehAhasruerus

Ezra 4-6

Pseudo Smerdis

521Berooyeh Doroughi

Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:7-23

Darius the Great

521-486

Darryoosh Darius Ezra 5,6

Xerxes486-465

Khashayarshah

Ahasurerus

Esther 1-10

Artaxerxes I

464-423

Ardeshier Deraz Dast

Artaxerxes

Nehemiah 1 - 13, Ezra 7-10

II. Persian Rule and Religion

A. Cambyses was the son of Cyrus and was a terrible ruler only lasting five years and creating rebellions in

the empire including the conquered lands of Egypt

B. Darius succeeds Cambyses and for his first three years he has to put down

rebellions

Darius I

City of Persepolis

1. Darius was a former body guard of the king and had the

support of the military elite called the Ten

Thousand Immortals

2. Darius did have a secret police like

our CIA called, The Eyes and Ears of

the King

3. Darius and his son Xerxes only had one failure, their inability to

defeat the Greeks

Xerxes Son of Darius

Xerxes Hall of 100 columns >

4. Darius divided his kingdom into 20

provinces

1. He placed governors called Satraps in each

province

5.Built the Royal Road some 1677

miles long

6. Copied the use of coins from the

Lydian’s

C. Persian prophet and religious

reformer Zoroaster starts the Persian

religion Zoroastrianism

1. God of Truth and Light, Ahura Mazda

2. God of Evil and Darkness, Ahriman

3. Religious book called the Avesta

4. Developed concept of Heaven

and Hell from Judaism

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