King Cyrus Allows Exiled Judeans to Return to Jerusalem and Rebuild the Temple
Cyrus's earlier aid to the exiled priests of Marduk during Nabonidus’ reign, gained their support to later assist him in dethroning Nabonidus in a peaceful transition.
Cyrus chose to turn this success into a larger strategy allowing local residents to return to their ancestral ground and freely practice their religions under his reign. This policy is recorded in what is known as the Cyrus Cylinder discovered in 1879 during excavations in Babylon and reads as follows:
“I Cyrus returned the [images of] the gods to the sacred centers... I gathered all their inhabitants and returned [to them] their dwellings.”
As part of this King Cyrus allowed the exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple in 539 BCE.
Ezra 5:13-15
King Cyrus of Persia, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that the House of G-d should be rebuilt (in Jerusalem)...
Overview
Cyrus Cylinder
“I Cyrus returned the [images of] the gods to the sacred centers . . .
I gathered all their inhabitants and returned [to them] their dwellings.”
In the Bible
King Cyrus of Persia, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that the house of God should be rebuilt (in Jerusalem)...
"...בִּשְׁנַ֣ת חֲדָ֔ה לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֖א דִּ֣י בָבֶ֑ל כּ֤וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא֙ שָׂ֣ם טְעֵ֔ם בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לִבְּנֵֽא (בירושלים)."
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