Cyrus the Great & Jewish Liberation

Our story begins in 586 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem and led the people of Judah into captivity. This event, known in Jewish history as the "Babylonian Captivity," is considered one of the darkest periods in the history of the Jewish people.

Nebuchadnezzar not only destroyed the holy city of Jerusalem but also demolished Solomon's Temple, which was the spiritual heart of the Jews, transferring its sacred objects to Babylon. Thousands of Jews, including nobles, priests, craftsmen, and scholars, were forcibly separated from their homeland and settled in Babylon.

This exile, which lasted nearly fifty years, was a harsh and bitter period for the Jewish people. They lived in exile, far from their holy land, waiting for the day when they could return home. Meanwhile, Jewish prophets like Ezekiel and Isaiah kept the hope of return alive in their people's hearts.

In 539 BCE, Cyrus II, known as Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, conquered Babylon and founded the largest empire in ancient history. Cyrus, who called himself not a conqueror but a liberator, held a completely different attitude toward conquered peoples.

Unlike previous rulers who forcibly compelled conquered peoples to adopt their culture and religion, Cyrus adopted a policy of tolerance and respect for cultural and religious diversity. This innovative approach is considered one of the main reasons for the success and stability of the Persian Empire.

Cyrus understood that ruling such a vast and diverse empire as Persia required winning the consent and loyalty of all peoples. He believed that respect for local beliefs and traditions was the best way to achieve this goal. This governmental philosophy is considered a turning point in the history of international relations and human rights.

One of Cyrus's first and most important actions after conquering Babylon was issuing the decree for Jewish liberation. This historic decree, recorded in the Book of Ezra in the Bible, not only granted permission for Jews to return to Jerusalem but also included orders to rebuild Solomon's Temple and return the sacred objects.

The text of Cyrus's decree as recorded in the Book of Ezra states: "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel."

This decree was significant not only religiously and culturally for the Jews but also legally and politically unprecedented. For the first time in history, a monarchy explicitly recognized the right of exiled peoples to return to their homeland and revive their religious and cultural identity.