Persia
“From Persian Parsa or Zend pars (pure, splendid); possibly related to 'horse'”
Summary
Persia (modern Iran/Fars) was the ancient empire that dominated the Near East from Cyrus's conquest of Babylon (539 BC) until Alexander's conquest (330 BC), playing a crucial role in biblical history by ending the Jewish exile and enabling the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple.
☩Geographic Extent
Persia proper (Fars/Farsistan) was a tract on the Persian Gulf bounded by Susiana (Elam) on the west, Media on the north, the Persian Gulf on the south, and Carmania on the east. However, the name more commonly applies to the entire Persian empire, which at its height extended from India to Egypt and Thrace, including all Western Asia between the Black Sea, Caucasus, and Caspian on the north to the Arabian desert and Indian Ocean on the south. The empire was divided into approximately twenty to thirty satrapies or provinces. Modern Persia (Iran) contains about 545,000 square miles, consisting mostly of an elevated plateau with mountain regions on the north, west, and south.
☩National Character and Religion
The Persians were of the same race as the Medes, both branches of the great Aryan stock. They were a people of lively and impressible minds, brave and impetuous in war, witty, passionate, and for Orientals notably truthful, possessing more intellectual capacity than the generality of Asiatics. Before Cyrus they were noted for simplicity of habits, contrasting strongly with Median luxuriousness, though this simplicity declined after the Median overthrow. Their religion was simple, differing from natural religion mainly in its Dualism. Like other Aryans, they worshipped one supreme God; they had few temples and no altars or images. Their language was closely akin to Sanskrit.
☩Persian Kings and Jewish Relations
Persian history for biblical purposes begins with Cyrus the Great (558-529 BC), who defeated Croesus and added Lydia to his dominions before conquering Babylon in 539/538 BC. Finding the oppressed Jews in Babylon, Cyrus determined to restore them to their land by the remarkable edict recorded in Ezra 1. His son Cambyses conquered Egypt (525 BC) and appears to be the Ahasuerus of Ezra 4:6. Darius I, appealed to by Jews wishing to resume temple construction, not only granted permission but assisted with royal revenues, enabling completion by his sixth year. Xerxes is probably the Ahasuerus of Esther, and Artaxerxes (464-424 BC) stood in friendly relation toward Ezra and Nehemiah.
☩Biblical Prophecies
Scripture contains numerous prophecies concerning Persia. Isaiah named Cyrus as God's 'shepherd' and 'anointed' who would accomplish divine purposes, declaring of Jerusalem 'She shall be built' and of the temple 'Your foundation shall be laid.' Daniel's vision portrayed the Medo-Persian empire as the breast and arms of silver in Nebuchadnezzar's statue, and as a ram with two horns representing Media and Persia that the goat of Greece would ultimately destroy. Jeremiah and Ezekiel pronounced judgments upon Persia, while prophetically linking it to future events. The collapse of the empire under Alexander's attack occurred in 330 BC.
Related Verses50 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Persia," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Persia," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Persia," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).