Cyrus


Cyrus the Great

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped - Isaiah 45:1

(circa 600-530 B.C.)

Cyrus overthrew the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The Cyrus Cylinder suggests he typically allowed the peoples he conquered to reestablish their worship at their homes. (Hillsdale College - Ancient Christianity)

Jewish History

Zedekiah's opposition to Babylon eventually led the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem in the fifth month (July/August) (Jeremiah 39:1-10) of 587 or 586 B.C. The captivity lasted until c.538-535 B.C., when Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their homeland.

(The ESV Study BibleTM, English Standard Version (ESV) by Crossway Bibles, 2007. Page 1369; Ezra 1)