The Letter Of Cyrus The Great Concerning The Jews

The letter of Cyrus the Great concerning the Jews was a letter Cyrus wrote stating his plans of helping the Jews return to their kingdom and promising them to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. He kept his word and made sure that the temple was built and if anyone opposed he threatened them with death. Cyrus’s strategy of conquest was unique because it allowed people that he conquered to have a sense of freedom, even though they were being ruled over. They didn’t have to confirm to Persian culture and religion by force. Rather he allowed the different groups that he conquered like the Babylonians, Egyptians, and others to continue their own religious practices as long as they pay taxes, and gave their sons to be soldiers to the Persian army. This strategy worked because it raised the question, why wouldn’t you want to be a part of the empire? If Cyrus had not let the Jews return to their land and helped them rebuild their temple then, he was not fulfilling the “sense of freedom” that he had established in his empire to the Jews.
One way Cyrus helped the Jews tremendously was that he generously funded the rebuilding of their temple. He stated in the
He says, “the priests shall also offer these sacrifices according to the laws of Moses in Jerusalem; and when they offer them they shall pray to God for the preservation of the kings and his family that the kingdom of Persia may continue.” (Letter of Cyrus). Perhaps Cyrus knew of how powerful God was to the Hebrews and knew if his generosity was of a blessing to the Hebrews he and his empire will be blessed as well. The scriptures there’s a verse stating this promise in Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3). Coincidently one can infer this possibility however it is not for