THE CYRUS CYLINDER

The Cyrus Cylinder, a 6th-century BCE Persian artifact, connects significantly to biblical accounts of Cyrus the Great’s policies, particularly regarding the liberation of exiled peoples and religious restoration. While the Cylinder does not explicitly mention Jews or Jerusalem, its themes align with the biblical narrative of Jewish repatriation and Temple rebuilding under Cyrus’s decree.

COMPARISON WITH THE BIBLE

- CYRUS CYLINDER: “I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings”.- BIBLE: Cyrus permits Jews to rebuild the Temple, stating, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth […] let him go up to Jerusalem […] and rebuild the house of the Lord” (Ezra 1:2–3).

Policy of RETURN and Temple Restoration

The Cylinder records Cyrus’s order to return displaced peoples to their homelands and restore their temples, a policy mirrored in the Bible’s account of Jewish exiles returning to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–4). 1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom 2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

PROPHESY AND HISTORICAL VALIDATION

The Cylinder indirectly supports Isaiah’s prophecy (written c. 150 years before Cyrus’s reign) that Cyrus would act as God’s “shepherd” to rebuild Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28–45:1). The Cylinder’s account of Cyrus’s conquests and reforms aligns with Isaiah’s depiction of him as a divinely appointed leader.

IN SUMMARY

The Cyrus Cylinder provides external validation of the Bible’s historical framework, illustrating how Persian policies undergirded the Jewish return from exile. While not directly confirming specific biblical events, it reinforces the plausibility of Ezra’s account within the broader context of Cyrus’s reign.

SOURCES

Sources[1] Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology: Ongoing Saga of Cyrus Cylinder https://biblearchaeology.org/research/divided-kingdom/2877-the-ongoing-saga-of-the-cyrus-cylinder-the-internationallyfamous-grande-dame-of-ancient-texts[2] Cyrus the Great in the Bible - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great_in_the_Bible[3] What is the Cyrus Cylinder, and why does it matter? - BibleMesh https://biblemesh.com/blog/what-is-the-cyrus-cylinder-and-why-does-it-matter/[4] Does the difference between the Cyrus Cylinder and Ezra 1 show ... https://evidenceforchristianity.org/does-the-difference-between-the-cyrus-cylinder-and-ezra-1-show-the-bible-is-not-reliable/[5] Cyrus and the Advance of Human Rights - Story of Grace https://storyofgrace.org/2024/10/16/cyrus-and-the-advance-of-human-rights/[6] Cyrus Cylinder Confirms the Bible - Ministry Magazine https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1977/01/cyrus-cylinder-confirms-the-bible[7] The Cyrus Cylinder - Tyndale House https://tyndalehouse.com/explore/articles/the-cyrus-cylinder/[8] The Cyrus Cylinder and God's Message to Cyrus | Bible Commentator https://biblecommentator.com/cyrus-cylinder-isaiah/[9] The Cyrus Cylinder - Biblical Archaeology Society https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/the-cyrus-cylinder/[10] The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning - About https://about.asianart.org/press/the-cyrus-cylinder-and-ancient-persia-a-new-beginning/[11] Cyrus Cylinder - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Cylinder[12] Ezra 1:1-4 God moves the heart of Cyrus https://tiberiusrata.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/ezra-11-4-god-moves-the-heart-of-cyrus/[13] The Cyrus Debate Ironically Confirms the Truth of Jewish History in ... https://jcpa.org/the-cyrus-debate-ironically-confirms-the-truth-of-jewish-history-in-jerusalem/[14] Ezra, CHAPTER 1 - USCCB https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezra/1[15] The Cyrus Cylinder - Exploring Bible Lands https://www.exploringbiblelands.com/journal/2013/04/28/the-cyrus-cylinder[16] No Evidence Cyrus allowed the Jews to Return - Vridar https://vridar.org/2024/04/22/no-evidence-cyrus-allowed-the-jews-to-return/[17] Ezra 1:1-11 – Cyrus's Decree - Enter the Bible https://enterthebible.org/passage/ezra-11-11-cyruss-decree[18] How Cyrus' View of Religious Toleration May Have Inspired the ... https://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2013/07/how-cyrus-view-of-religious-toleration-may-have-inspired-the-american-constitution.html[19] Babylon: The Cyrus Cylinder https://image-database.nes.lsa.umich.edu/items/show/120[20] Ezra 1:1-4 - In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order... https://www.biblestudytools.com/ezra/passage/?q=ezra+1%3A1-4[21] The Cyrus Cylinder | Isaiah 45:1 - intertextual.bible https://intertextual.bible/text/the-cyrus-cylinder-isaiah-45[22] Ezra 1 - BiblePlaces.com https://www.bibleplaces.com/ezra1/[23] Did the "Cyrus Cylinder" influence Biblical authors? 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