Persia

Persia, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was a major world power that ruled over a vast territory from the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. In the Bible, Persia is mentioned in the context of the Jewish exile and the subsequent return to Jerusalem. The Babylonian Empire, which had destroyed Jerusalem and taken the Jews into captivity, fell to the Persians under Cyrus the Great (2 Chr. 36:20, 22-23; Ezra 1:1-2). Cyrus issued a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). The Persian kings Darius I and Artaxerxes I also played significant roles in supporting the rebuilding efforts (Ezra 4:24; 6:14).

The book of Esther is set in the Persian capital of Susa during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), and it describes how Esther, a Jewish woman, became queen and saved her people from a plot to destroy them (Esther 1:3, 14, 18; 10:2). The prophets Ezekiel and Daniel also mention Persia in their visions and prophecies (Ezek. 27:10; 38:5; Dan. 8:20; 10:1, 13, 20; 11:2). Persia is portrayed as a powerful empire that God used to fulfill His purposes for His people, even though the Persians themselves were not followers of the God of Israel.