Media

Media was an ancient kingdom located in western Iran, which played a significant role in biblical history. The Medes, along with the Babylonians, conquered the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC (Isaiah 13:17; Jeremiah 51:11, 28). Later, the Medes joined forces with the Persians to form the powerful Medo-Persian Empire. This empire, under the rule of Cyrus the Great, conquered Babylon in 539 BC (Daniel 5:28, 31). The Medes are mentioned in the book of Esther as one of the peoples under the rule of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) (Esther 1:3, 14, 18; 10:2). The Medes were also involved in the deportation of the Israelites from the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:6; 18:11). The prophet Daniel served in the Medo-Persian court (Daniel 6:8, 12, 15; 9:1; 11:1) and interpreted the handwriting on the wall, which announced the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:28). Medes were among the peoples present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9).