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Understanding the People of the Biblical World

One of God’s “Rosetta Stones”

for Understanding God’s Word

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The Persians

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d An Oversimplified Timeline of the Bible (+ or - 100 years)

2000 BC

Abraham

1500 BC

Moses

1000 BC

David

500 BC

Babylonian Captivity

4 BC

Birth of Jesus

Elamites Persians

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d Genesis 10NoahShemElam

22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

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d Who were the Elamites?•As descendants of Shem, they were of the same lineage as the Arabs and Jews.•They were darker skinned than the other inhabitants of the Iranian plateau.

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The Iranian Plateau

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Their language family is called

Elamo-Dravidian.

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Many Great Inventions and Significant Firsts Are Attributable to The Persians!

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d Inventions we can thank the Persians for:

The Brick6000 B.C.

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d Inventions we can thank the Persians for:

The Windmill1700 B.C.

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d Inventions we can thank the Persians for:

Tulips

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d Inventions we can thank the Persians for:

Spinach

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d Persian Games

Chess Backgammon

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dOther Persian Firsts… The Cyrus 

Cylinder is considered the first 

declaration of religious tolerance.

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dOther Persian Firsts…

They developed the first system of 

taxation in 500 B.C.

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dOther Persian Firsts…

They introduced the domestic 

chicken to Europe in 500 B.C.

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dOther Persian Firsts… They developed 

the first ice house in 500 B.C. and invented ice 

cream in 400 B.C.

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d

They invented polo in 500 B.C. as well.

Other Persian firsts…

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The Rise of Persia on the World Stage

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An Early History Shrouded in Mystery

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A New Religion Sparked a Change

in the CultureZarathustra

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Ahura-Mazda

vs. Ahriman

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Cyrus the Great

Ruled from 550-529 B.C.

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Cyrus the Great and the

Jews

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d Isaiah 4424 "This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself…

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d28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please;  he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." ' 

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dIsaiah 45

1 "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of  to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

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d2 I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.  3 I will give you the treasures of darkness,  riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. 

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d4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 

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d6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

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d Ezra 11 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 

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d Ezra 12 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 

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d Ezra 13 Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 

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d Ezra 14 And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.' " 

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d The Magi•The Magi were the hereditary priesthood of the Medes.•One of the Titles given to Daniel was “Rab Mag,” chief of the Magi.

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d The Magi•It is likely that Daniel inserted scrolls of the Hebrew scriptures into the library of the Magi, which explains how a group of Zoroastrian magi knew of a prophecy concerning Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)

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Darius IRuled from 521–

486

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dDarius I

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dDarius I

Xerxes

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dDarius IXerxes

???

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Xerxes Ruled from 486 - 

465 B.C.

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Artaxerxes ILongimanus

Ruled from 464–424 B.C 

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d Some practical lessons we can learn from the Persian Kings:

A Lesson from Cyrus: God is not content to have less

than your complete and exclusive devotion.

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Have you ever tried to make God just a part of your

life?

An Important Question

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d Some practical lessons we can learn from the Persian Kings:

A Lesson from Darius I and Xerxes: 

Inflexibility causes trouble for you.

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Does inflexibility ever mess you

up?

An Important Question

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d Some practical lessons we can learn from the Persian People:

Your beliefs determine the trajectory of your life.

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Have false beliefs ever led you down

a wrong path?

An Important Question

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d Other People we need to know:

The Greeks

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d Other People we need to know:

The Romans