region

Persia

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History

Persia in the strict sense is Persis or Parsa, the modern province of Fars in south-western Iran, a highland behind the Persian Gulf with its old capitals Pasargadae and Persepolis; in the Bible and in common use it is the empire that the kings of this land ruled. The Persians, an Iranian people, had settled there by the seventh century BC under kings who traced themselves to Achaemenes, and were at first subjects of the Medes, their kinsmen. The empire of the Medes and Persians, as Daniel and Esther name it, reigned "from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces".

Cyrus II, the Great, overthrew the Median king Astyages about 550 BC, took Lydia and in 539 Babylon, where the Cyrus Cylinder records his restoration of exiled peoples and their gods. The Bible sees him as the Lord's shepherd and anointed, "Cyrus king of Persia", whose decree in his first year let the Jews go up to Jerusalem and build the house of the LORD; Daniel "prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian". Cambyses took Egypt in 525; Darius I (522–486), whose inscription at Behistun tells of his rise, built Persepolis and a palace at Susa, organised the satrapies and confirmed the decree of Cyrus found at Ecbatana, so that the temple was finished in his sixth year, 515 BC.

The Ahasuerus of Esther, who reigned at Shushan, is usually identified with Xerxes (486–465), the invader of Greece. Under Artaxerxes I (465–424) Nehemiah, his cupbearer, was sent in his twentieth year, 445 BC, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and Ezra came with the king's letter in his seventh year, 458 BC, though some scholars put Ezra under Artaxerxes II, in 398. The Jews of the empire lived under the Persian peace for two centuries, in Judah, in Babylonia and at Elephantine, where their Aramaic papyri survive. Persian words and institutions mark the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Daniel, which also sees "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" and foretells a king of Greece who will overthrow it.

Alexander defeated Darius III at Issus and Gaugamela and burned Persepolis in 330 BC. Persia rose again under the Parthians and then the Sasanians (224–651), who fought Rome and Byzantium until the Arab conquest. Fars is today a province of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Shiraz as its capital; the ruins of Persepolis and the tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae are UNESCO sites, and Iran still has a small Jewish community that traces itself to the exile.

Scripture: 2 Chr 36:20–23; Ezra 1:1–4; Ezra 4:5–7; Ezra 6:1–3; Ezra 6:14–15; Ezra 7:1; Neh 1:1; Neh 2:1; Esth 1:1–3; Esth 1:14; Esth 1:19; Isa 41:2; Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1; Ezek 27:10; Ezek 38:5; Dan 5:28; Dan 6:28; Dan 8:20; Dan 10:13; Dan 10:20; Dan 11:2

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (27)

2 Chr 36:20

And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:

2 Chr 36:22

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 Chr 36:23

Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

Ezra 1:1

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

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 1:8

Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

Ezra 3:7

They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

Ezra 4:5

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4:7

And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

Ezra 4:9

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

Ezra 4:24

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 6:14

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Ezra 7:1

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

Ezra 9:9

For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

Esth 1:3

In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

Esth 1:14

And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)

Esth 1:18

Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.

Esth 1:19

If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

Esth 10:2

And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

Ezek 27:10

They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.

Ezek 38:5

Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

Dan 8:20

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

Dan 10:1

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

Dan 10:13

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Dan 10:20

Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

Dan 11:2

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

King James Version