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The Medo-Persian Empire (Pt.8) (Dan 2.39)

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The Medo-Persian Empire (Pt.8) (Dan 2.39) Dr. Joseph Speciale, Instructor A ministry of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Lee Swor, Pastor The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 • One year after his return to Babylon, Cyrus left to expand his empire by conquering Egypt (although some histories state his son Cambyses II subjected Egypt) • The Persian empire then extended to the Indian Ocean in the east, the Black Sea to the north, Cyprus and Egypt to the west, and Ethiopia to the south • Cyrus established three capitals- Babylon, where he lived for 7 months during the winter; Susa, where he lived for 3 months during the spring, and Ecbatana, where he lived for 2 months during the summer (Cyropaedia, 8.6.19-23) • Cyrus returned to Persia for the 7th time in his old age and appointed his son Cambyses II as king and his other son Tanaoxares (Bardiya) as the satrap of Media, Armenia, and Cadusia • He counseled Cambyses on being king and bid Tanaoxares to obey Cambyses and support him, and for both sons to honor each other (Cyropaedia, 8.7.1,11-17) Note: Cyrus also had several daughters, the most notable was Atossa who married Darius I (the son of Hyspastes, one of Cyrus’ officers) and was mother to Xerxes I. • Cyrus stated his belief in the immortality of the soul- that it departs the body at death and death is like sleep • He exhorted his sons to learn from history if not from him and instructed them not to house his body in gold or silver but to simply bury it in the earth • As he sensed that his death was near, he called his family to him one last time, and shortly after he bid them all farewell and covered himself, he died (i.e.- (Cyropaedia, 8.7.18-28) (i.e.- in 530 BC at about the age of 54 years old) The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 • As soon as Cyrus died, his children fell into dissension, states and nations began to revolt, and everything began to deteriorate. • Present day Persians are less reverent, dutiful, just, and brave (Cyropaedia, 8.8.2,27) CHARACTERISTICS OF CYRUS (According to Xenophon’s Cyropaedia) 1) He possessed exceptional self-discipline, restraint, and modesty 2) He was a bountiful giver and believed in richly rewarding his men 3) He was extremely loyal to the throne and to his Persian culture and countrymen 4) He was a brilliant field general and military tactician 5) He had battlefield ethics and demonstrated mercy to enemy civilians 6) He was a gifted orator 7) He believed in making friends and not enemies 8) He possessed wisdom, strength, gentleness, beauty, and presence (3.1.41) 9) He was younger than Cyaxares (4.5.32) cf. (Dan 5:31) 10) He had a great memory and called all his men by name (5.3.46) 11) His men likened him to a shepherd and to a father The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 Version 1 of history, represented by Version 2 of history, represented by Herodotus’ The Histories Xenophon’s Cyropaedia Cyrus was born around 600 BC, the son of Cambyses I, Cyrus was born around 584 BC, the son of Cambyses I, king of Persia and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Persia and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media; king of Media; Astyages was Cyrus’ maternal grandfather Astyages was Cyrus’ maternal grandfather Astyages has no male heir to the throne Astyages had a son named Cyaxares II; There is no Mede named Cyaxares II Cyaxares was Cyrus’ uncle; Cyaxares had no male heir to the throne Astyages tried to kill his grandson Cyrus when he was Astyages helped train his grandson Cyrus when he was born 12 years old Cyrus and Astyages were antagonists Cyrus and Astyages adored each other Cyrus became king of Persia in 559 BC following the Cyrus was confirmed as the king of Persia by his father death of his father Cambyses I in battle against Cambyses I around 536 BC when he returned to Persia Astyages from Babylon to get his parents’ approval to marry the daughter of Cyaxares II Cyrus became king of the Medo-Persian empire by Cyrus became king of the Medo-Persian empire by CONFLICT- he warred against and defeated the Medes CONSENT- he was in the royal Median bloodline (Histories, 1.214) through his mother Mandane, Cyaxares had no male heir to the throne, and Cyaxares gave him the kingdom as a dowry when he married his daughter (Cyropaedia, 8.6.11; 8.7.1) Cyrus became king of the Medo-Persian empire Cyrus became the king of the Medo-Persian empire following the defeat of Astyages in 550 BC following the death of Cyaxares II in 536 BC The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 Version 1 of history, represented by Version 2 of history, represented by Herodotus’ The Histories Xenophon’s Cyropaedia Cyrus reigned for 20 years (i.e.- 550 BC- 530 BC) and Cyrus reigned for 6 years (i.e.- 536 BC- 530 BC) and died in BATTLE died in BED The Persians became the dominant power by exerting The Persians become the dominant power through force Cyrus and exerting influence • These are just a sample of the many differences between Herodotus’ Histories and Xenohphon’s Cyropaedia • Since Herodotus (484 BC- 425 BC) and Xenophon (430 BC- 354 BC) both lived generations after Cyrus, they did not witness the events of the life Cyrus • Their information was based on oral history (i.e.- how people interpreted history as they saw it or heard of it), and what documented history existed at the time (that could no doubt have been altered to the benefit of the Persian empire) • Both the Histories and the Cyropaedia contain biases and embellished information, and exclude or diminish other details • But the two presentations of Medo-Persian history can be examined under the light of scripture to determine truth from error and fact from fiction The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 The history of the Medo-Persian empire and Cyrus based on the Bible • The Bible does not contain all the information that can be known about the history of the Medo-Persian empire and Cyrus, but what information it contains is RIGHT (Psa 119:128) and it is ALL we need (2 Pet 1:3) • The “pieces of the puzzle” that make up the Biblical picture of the true history of the Medo-Persian empire and Cyrus are the 113 different scripture references containing all the relevant terms • Some of which have already been examined and presented in the pre-Cyrus history of the Medo-Persian empire 1) MADAI appears 2x (Gen 10:2; 1 Chr 1:5) 2) MEDE appears 1x (11:1) 3) MEDES appears 14x (5:28; 6:8,12,15; 9:1; 2 Kin 17:6; 18:11; Ezr 6:2; Est 1:19; Isa 13:17; Jer 25:25; 51:11,28; Acts 2:9) 4) MEDIA appears 6x (8:20; Est 1:3,14,18; 10:2; Isa 21:2) 5) MEDIAN appears 1x (5:31) 6) PERSIA appears 29x (8:20; 10:1,13,20; 11:2; 2 Chr 36:20,22-23; Ezr 1:1-2,8; 3:7; 4:3,5,7,24; 6:14; 7:1; 9:9; Est 1:3,14,18; 10:2; Eze 27:10; 38:5) 7) PERSIAN appears 2x (6:28; Neh 12:22) The Revised Roman Empire- Daniel 2:39 8) PERSIANS appears 5x (5:28; 6:8,12,15; Est 1:19) 9) CYRUS appears 23x (1:21; 6:28; 10:1; 2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezr 1:1-2,7-8; 3:7; 4:3,5; 5:13-14,17; 6:3,14; Isa 44:28; 45:1) cf. (Isa 41:2-3; 45:13; 46:11) 10) DARIUS appears 25x (5:31; 6:1,6,9,25,28; 9:1; 11:1; Ezr 4:5,24; 5:5-7; 6:1,12-15; Neh 12:22; Hag 1:1,15; 2:10; Zec 1:1,7; 7:1) 11) AHASUERUS appears 31x (9:1; Ezr 4:6; Est 1:1-2,9-10,15-17,19; 2:1,12,16,21; 3:1,6-8,12; 6:2; 7:5; 8:1,7,10,12; 9:2,20,30; 10:1,3) 12) ARTAXERXES appears 15x (Ezr 4:7-8,11,23; 6:14; 7:1,7,11-12,21; 8:1; Neh 2:1; 5:14; 13:6) • The following summary is based on scripture passages that refer to a time, or written at a time, following 584 BC (i.e.- the birth of Cyrus) • The first are those that prophesy of and/or give details about Cyrus himself Isa 44:27-28 27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Please visit our website at: www.kjbstudy.com for access to over 1,500 audio lessons as well as outlines, study guides, and presentations.
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