Persian EmpireYou ain’t seen nothing yet

History of Persian Empire

History of Persian Empire

History of Persian Empire

Achaemenid Dynasty (550-333 B.C.) Cyrus II (the Great) [550-530 BC]

Allowed Jews to return home Cambyses II [530-522 BC] Bardiya [522 BC] Darius I [522-486 BC]

Helped Jews rebuild the temple Xerxes I (the Great) [486-465 BC]

Esther’s husband Artaxerxes I [465-424 BC]

Allowed Jews to return under Nehemiah and Ezra

Persia under Cyrus (550-530)

Know very little about Persia before Cyrus

Cyrus the Great: Ruled 550-530 B.C. Among the greatest conquers ever

tolerance and favor

First united the Persians with the Medes (Medo-Persian Empire)

Conquered Babylon in 539

Cyrus’ strength + Nabonidus’ weakness

At his death, largest empire ever

Persia under Cyrus (550-530)

Cyrus policy of Toleration

Isaiah 44:24, 28: “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,    who formed you from the womb…who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,    and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’”

Isaiah 45: 1-5: “Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:2 “I will go before you and level the exalted places,[a I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places,that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.”

Cyrus policy of Toleration

Ezra 1:2-4: ““Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.””

Cyrus policy of Toleration

Cyrus policy of Toleration

“From [?] to Aššur and [from] Susa, Agade, Ešnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers on the other side of the Tigris, whose sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [i.e., in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings” (from the Cyrus Cylinder)

Persia under Cambyses (530-522 B.C.)

Not in the Bible Expanded Kingdom

to Egypt Territorial expansion

reached its height

Persia under Darius: 522-486 B.C.

Time of organization and strength

Organized 20 “satrapies,” or regions

Ezra 5-6 Neh 2:9 “I came to

the governors of the province Beyond the River”

Persia’s Accomplishments

Royal road 1,500 miles from N.

Africa to India Inns every 18 miles;

exchange horses and re-supply.

Darius’ Canal (Med and Red Sea) E/W 130 miles long

Persian Religion: Zoroastrianism

Zoroaster: founding prophet Date is disputed. 1000 B.C.?

Main beliefs Monotheism baked in dualism with a pinch of

panentheism Ahura Mazda = good God. Angra Mainyu = “evil spirit”

Good deeds are central Future judgment, resurrection, heaven and hell, new

creation, demons, angels

Persian Religion: Zoroastrianism

Influence on Judaism? Some parts, no

Good deeds, future judgment, etc. Other parts, maybe a bit

Heaven and hell Resurrection demons

Judaism didn’t adopt new beliefs apart from Scripture, but contact with Zoroastrianism gave Judaism new categories to re-read Scripture

Example: Resurrection