Ezra 1:1 In
the first year of Cyrus King of Persia
The
Cyrus Cylinder resides in the British Museum.
The cylinder is called by some historians
the first charter of human rights.
Tomb
of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. The tomb was
visited by Alexander the Great during his reign.
The
Behistun Inscription - (Columns) in the foothills
of the Zagros Mountains of Iran.
History
Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus
II of Persia and Cyrus the Elder, was the founder
of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty.
In historical artifacts discovered in the ancient
ruins of Babylon and Ur, Cyrus identifies himself
as King of Iran, where he reigned from 559 BC
until his death. The Cyrus Cylinder
The Cyrus Cylinder is an artifact consisting of a declaration issued by the
emperor Cyrus of Persia inscribed in Babylonian (Akkadian) cuneiform on a
clay cylinder. It was discovered in 1879 by the British archaeologist Hormuzd
Rassam in the foundations of the Esagila (Temple of Babylon) and is kept
today in the British Museum in London. This ancient record states:
“I am Cyrus, king of the world, great
king, legitimate king, king of Babylon, king
of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four rims of
the earth.” – Cyrus Cylinder
The cylinder validates many aspects of the
biblical record as Cyrus states “he captured
Babylon.” He names the city of Susa (capital
referred to in the books of Daniel and Esther)
as well as stating “inhabitants were
returned to their dwellings”.
“From Babylon and from Susa,
I returned the images of the gods, who had
resided there to their places. I gathered all
their inhabitants and returned to them their
dwellings.” – Cyrus Cylinder
Tomb of Cyrus
the Great
The most important monument in Pasargadae is
undoubtedly the tomb of Cyrus the Great. It has
six broad steps leading to the sepulchre, the
chamber of which measures 3.17 m long by 2.11
m wide by 2.11 m high, and has a low and narrow
entrance.
Both Strabo and Arrian (Greek
Historians) give descriptions of his tomb,
based on reports
of men who saw
it
at the time of Alexander the Great's invasion.
Over the years, the tomb of Cyrus the Great
has been slightly restored to reduce the natural
damage it had received in time.
Isaiah's Prophecy
of Cyrus Fulfilled Isaiah 44: 28"Ye
shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed
places thereof. That saith of Cyrus,
He is my shepherd, and shall perform all
my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou
shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation
shall be laid. Thus saith the LORD
to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations
before him."
Isaiah gave a prophecy that Cyrus would take
Babylon, free the Jews and help them rebuild
their own temple in Jerusalem 200 years before
Cyrus even existed. This prophecy of Cyrus
is even more staggering when you consider that
Herodotus stated that King Aystages ordered
Cyrus to be killed when he was born.
Herodotus on The Life of Cyrus
"For I (Cyrus) seem to have been born by providential
fortune" - Herodotus Histories Book
1
"When Aystages heard this he rejoiced, and
calling Cyrus spoke to him: My son, I did
you wrong by reason of a vision in a dream
which has not come to pass, buy you are yet
alive by your own destiny; now therefore
go in peace to the land of the Persians"
- Herodotus Histories Book 1
Scriptures Ezra 1:2 Thus saith Cyrus
king of Persia, The
LORD God of heaven hath given me all the
kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged
me to build
him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Ezra 1:7 Also Cyrus
the king brought forth
the vessels of the house of the LORD, which
Nebuchadnezzar had
brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put
them in the house of his gods
Daniel 1:21 And Daniel
continued even unto the first year of king
Cyrus.
