A friend just forwarded a link to a fascinating talk by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, about the Cyrus Cylinder. MacGregor took the Cyrus Cylinder from the British Museum to Iran when it was loan to the museum in Tehran.
What I learned was the use made of the Cyrus Cylinder by the Jews at the time of the Balfour Declaration, and the use made of it by the Shah of Iran.
MacGregor speaks of the Cyrus Cylinder as a “major player in the politics of the Middle East.”
Follow this link. The film is about 20 minutes old.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “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 the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.'” (2 Chronicles 36:22-23 ESV)
The Cyrus Cylinder in the British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Check some of our previous links to the Cyrus Cylinder here and here. Use the search box to locate others.
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Thanks for the hot tip. I very much enjoyed the modern twist on this age old artifact.