Understanding the Peoples of the Biblical World: The Persians. In this lesson we explore the Persian Empire which although aggressive and expansionist, allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple. We will look into their motivations for this religious tolerance. We will also explore some of their inventions and contributions and also consider some practical lessons we can learn from them.

1. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Understanding the People of
the Biblical World
One of God’s
“Rosetta Stones”
for Understanding God’s Word

2. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Persians

3. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Oversimplified Timeline of the Bible
(+ or - 100 years)
2000 BC
Abraham
1500 BC
Moses
1000 BC
David
500 BC
Babylonian
Captivity
4 BC
Birth of
Jesus
Elamites Persians

4. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Genesis 10
NoahShemElam
22 The sons of Shem: Elam,
Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and
Aram.

5. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Who were the Elamites?
•As descendants of Shem, they were
of the same lineage as the Arabs
and Jews.
•They were darker skinned than the
other inhabitants of the Iranian
plateau.

6. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld

7. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Iranian
Plateau

8. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Their language
family is called
Elamo-Dravidian.

9. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld

10. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Many Great Inventions and
Significant Firsts Are
Attributable to The
Persians!

11. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Inventions we
can thank the
Persians for:
The Brick
6000 B.C.

12. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Inventions we can thank the
Persians for:
The
Windmill
1700 B.C.

13. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Inventions we can thank the
Persians for:
Tulips

14. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Inventions we can thank the
Persians for:
Spinach

15. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Persian Games
Chess Backgammon

16. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Other Persian Firsts… The Cyrus
Cylinder is
considered
the first
declaration of
religious
tolerance.

17. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Other Persian Firsts…
They developed the
first system of
taxation in 500 B.C.

18. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Other Persian Firsts…
They introduced
the domestic
chicken to Europe
in 500 B.C.

19. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Other Persian Firsts… They developed
the first ice
house in 500 B.C.
and invented ice
cream in 400 B.C.

20. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
They invented
polo in 500
B.C. as well.
Other Persian
firsts…

21. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Rise of Persia on
the World Stage

22. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Early History
Shrouded in Mystery

23. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
A New Religion
Sparked a Change
in the CultureZarathustra

24. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Ahura-
Mazda
vs.
Ahriman

25. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Cyrus the
Great
Ruled from 550-
529 B.C.

26. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld

27. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Cyrus the
Great and the
Jews

28. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Isaiah 44
24 "This is what the LORD says— your
Redeemer, who formed you in the
womb: I am the LORD, who has
made all things, who alone stretched
out the heavens, who spread out the
earth by myself…

29. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld 28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my
shepherd and will accomplish all that
I please; he will say of Jerusalem,
"Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple,
"Let its foundations be laid." '

30. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Isaiah 45
1 "This is what the LORD says to his
anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand
I take hold of to subdue nations
before him and to strip kings of their
armor, to open doors before him so
that gates will not be shut:

31. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
2 I will go before you and will level
the mountains; I will break down
gates of bronze and cut through bars
of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures
of darkness, riches stored in secret
places, so that you may know that I
am the LORD, the God of Israel, who
summons you by name.

32. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of
Israel my chosen, I summon you by
name and bestow on you a title of
honor, though you do not
acknowledge me. 5 I am the LORD,
and there is no other; apart from me
there is no God. I will strengthen
you, though you have not
acknowledged me,

33. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld 6 so that from the rising of the sun to
the place of its setting men may
know there is none besides me. I am
the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create
darkness, I bring prosperity and
create disaster; I, the LORD, do all
these things.

34. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Ezra 1
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, in order to fulfill the word of
the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the
LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king
of Persia to make a proclamation
throughout his realm and to put it in
writing:

35. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Ezra 1
2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia
says: " 'The LORD, the God of
heaven, has given me all the
kingdoms of the earth and he has
appointed me to build a temple for
him at Jerusalem in Judah.

36. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Ezra 1
3 Anyone of his people among you—
may his God be with him, and let
him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and
build the temple of the LORD, the
God of Israel, the God who is in
Jerusalem.

37. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Ezra 1
4 And the people of any place where
survivors may now be living are to
provide him with silver and gold,
with goods and livestock, and with
freewill offerings for the temple of
God in Jerusalem.' "

38. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Magi
•The Magi were the hereditary
priesthood of the Medes.
•One of the Titles given to Daniel
was “Rab Mag,” chief of the Magi.

39. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Magi
•It is likely that Daniel inserted
scrolls of the Hebrew scriptures
into the library of the Magi, which
explains how a group of Zoroastrian
magi knew of a prophecy
concerning Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)

40. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Darius I
Ruled from 521–
486

41. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Darius I

42. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Darius I
Xerxes

43. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Darius I
Xerxes
???

44. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Xerxes
Ruled from 486 -
465 B.C.

45. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Artaxerxes I
Longimanus
Ruled from 464–
424 B.C

46. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Some practical lessons we can learn
from the Persian Kings:
A Lesson from Cyrus:
God is not content to have less
than your complete and
exclusive devotion.

47. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Important Question

48. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Some practical lessons we can learn
from the Persian Kings:
A Lesson from Darius I and
Xerxes:
Inflexibility causes trouble
for you.

49. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Important Question

50. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Some practical lessons we can learn
from the Persian People:
Your beliefs determine the
trajectory of your life.

51. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Important Question

52. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Other People we need to know:
The Greeks

53. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Other People we need to know:
The Romans