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Speculation abounds as to the reasoning for Cyrus' release of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. One argument is that Cyrus was a Zoroastrian—a follower of the religion that defined and played a dominant role in Persian society until the rise of Islam—and would have felt a kindred spirit with the people of Judaism.
The Edict of Cyrus usually refers to the biblical account of a proclamation by Cyrus the Great, the founding king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, in 539 BC.It was issued after the Persians conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire upon the fall of Babylon, and is described in the Tanakh, which claims that it authorized and encouraged the return to Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem ...
According to the books of Ezra–Nehemiah, a number of decades later in 538 BCE, the Jews in Babylon were allowed to return to the Land of Judah, due to Cyrus's decree. Initially, around 50,000 Jews returned to the Land of Judah following the decree of Cyrus as described in Ezra, whereas some remained in Babylon.
Cyrus II "the Great" was a son of Cambyses I, who had named his son after his father, Cyrus I. [37] There are several inscriptions of Cyrus the Great and later kings that refer to Cambyses I as the "great king" and "king of Anshan". Among these are some passages in the Cyrus cylinder where Cyrus calls himself "son of Cambyses, great king, king ...
[7] [8] The exilic period saw the development of the Israelite religion towards a monotheistic Judaism. The exile ended with the fall of Babylon to the Achaemenid Empire c. 538 BCE. Subsequently, the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great issued a proclamation known as the Edict of Cyrus, which authorized and encouraged exiled Jews to return to Judah.
According to the biblical account, Cyrus sent the Jewish exiles back to Israel from Babylonian captivity. [8] Although the Jews never rebelled against the Persian occupation, [ 9 ] they were restive under the period of Darius I consolidating his rule, [ 10 ] and under Artaxerxes I , [ 11 ] [ 12 ] without taking up arms, or reprisals being ...
Freeing a non-Jewish slave was seen as a religious conversion, and involved a second immersion in a ritual bath . Jewish authorities of the Middle Ages argued against the Biblical rule that provided freedom for severely injured slaves. [77]
Nonetheless, it has been seen as a sign of Cyrus's relatively enlightened approach towards cultural and religious diversity. The former Director of the British Museum , Neil MacGregor , said that the cylinder was "the first attempt we know about running a society, a state with different nationalities and faiths – a new kind of statecraft".