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Persians

The empire that conquered Babylon in 539 BC and allowed the exiles to return.

Chart of Persian rulers mentioned in the Bible: Cyrus the Great, Darius I, Xerxes I (Ahasuerus), Artaxerxes I, and Darius the Mede, with dates, what each did, and Bible references, and a note that Darius the Mede's identity is debated.
Teaching chart. Dates are approximate. The portraits are imagined illustrations, not likenesses. Select the image to view it full size.

What the sources say, and how sure we are

  • The text says

    Cyrus of Persia lets the exiles return and rebuild the temple. Isaiah names Cyrus as the Lord’s anointed. Later Persian kings, including Darius, Ahasuerus (Xerxes), and Artaxerxes, appear in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.Ezra 1:1–4; Isa 45:1; Ezra 6:1–15; Neh 2:1; Esth 1:1

  • Outside evidence

    The Cyrus Cylinder records Cyrus’s capture of Babylon and his policy of returning peoples and their gods to their homelands. The Behistun inscription records Darius I’s rise to power about 520 BC. Aramaic was the language of the empire, and parts of Ezra are written in it.Cyrus Cylinder; Behistun Inscription; Ezra 4:8–6:18

  • Debated

    The Cyrus Cylinder does not mention the Jews. Scholars debate how far it parallels the decree in Ezra, and whether Persian religion shaped later Jewish ideas about angels, the afterlife, and the end times.Ezra 1:1–4

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