Hanson 300 Article

[Narukami]

Johnny - The Persian empire had many of these things, whereas the biblical Jews had few.

And speaking of the "biblical Jews" and the Persian Empire, a short digression...

The Persian king, Cyrus, understood the strategic importance of Judea in his world spanning empire and sent the Jews home.

Not only had Cyrus permitted the Judaeans to return
to the weed-covered rubble of their homeland, but
had even paid for the rebuilding in Jerusalem of their
obliterated Temple. Yahweh, the Judaeans' god, was
said to have hailed the Persian king in gratitude as
His "anointed," His "Christ," and asserted that for the
messiah of his chosen people the earth itself would
prove the limit. "I will break in pieces the doors of
bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron, I will give
you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in
secret places, that you may know that it is I, the
Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name."
--Tom Holland, Persian Fire, p147.

My how things have changed in 2500 years. :wink:

Narukami