In a recent TED lecture that is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular in a distinguished series, the director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrated the fascinating history of a 2,600-year-old clay object known as the Cyrus Cylinder. The ancient artifact is unremarkable in appearance. It resembles thousands of cuneiform-inscribed tablets and objects from Mesopotamia housed in museums all over the world.
So why is a replica of this object displayed prominently at the U.N. Headquarters in New York? Why did more than a million people come out to catch a glimpse of the Cylinder when the British Museum loaned it for a three-month exhibit last year in Tehran? And why does the Cylinder continue to arouse so much excitement in the media?
MacGregor's captivating TED lecture seeks to identify the reason. The Cylinder bears one of the "great declarations of a human aspiration," comparable to the American Constitution and Magna Carta. Cyrus the Great and the Persian Empire he established (ca. 550-330 B.C.E.) bequeathed to history "a dream of the Middle East as a unit, and a unit where people of different faiths could live together."
We can applaud McGregor's eloquent appreciation of the religious and cultural tolerance that the Cyrus Cylinder symbolizes. But did Cyrus and his court that produced this impressive artifact really share the dream MacGregor ascribes to them? Can we rightfully call the empire promoted by the Cylinder a model of "a great multinational, multifaith, multicultural society"?
As most historians who specialize in early Persian history would readily point out, the chief objective of Cyrus and his successors was no different than that of other imperial powers: to maintain control of their vast empire and to exploit the wealth of its subjects. Palace reliefs at Persepolis and Susa express this "vision of peace" in dramatic visual form: Delegations from various peoples are shown solemnly bearing precious gifts up to the enthroned king.
Cyrus conquered Babylon and thereby inherited a world empire that owes its earliest contours to Assyria. Yet he did not dismantle this empire and restore sovereignty to the various kingdoms that had once existed. Instead he and his heirs expanded it. And in the process, they also reorganized it for the purpose of greater control, exploitation and expansion.
Influenced in great measure by the biblical image of Jews returning to their homeland under Persian hegemony, many assume that the rule of Persian kings was much more tolerant than that of the Assyrians. But recent research has demonstrated the significant lines of continuity between these two empires. The Persians engaged in the same mass deportations and harsh punishment of rebels for which the Assyrians are famous. The extent to which the Persian court involved itself in the affairs of its subject peoples was determined by concerns for the king's prosperity. In order to ensure that wealth flowed from the provinces into the imperial coffers, rulers sometimes practiced the politics of benefaction, granting favors to representative groups in return for loyalty and compliance.
The point is illustrated by the Cyrus Cylinder. Written long after the conquest of Babylon, it presents the Persian conqueror and his vast army peacefully marching into Babylon, without mentioning the bloody battles that they fought. By depicting Cyrus as one who rebuilt temples and sought the welfare of the population, it reflects the sectarian interests of the Babylonian priests of the god Marduk, whom the former king of Babylon, Nabonidus, had offended through his patronage of a different god named Su'en. Yet even while seeking to promote Cyrus as a benevolent liberator, the inscription does not go so far as to claim that he granted political sovereignty to its inhabitants. To the contrary. We are told that all bowed before him and kissed his feet, while the kings of the lands brought him "heavy tribute."
Given these and many other considerations brought forward by historians, it would be mistaken to identify the empire Cyrus built as a model for a peaceful Middle East and multicultural society. Likewise, it would be wrong to call the Cyrus Cylinder a charter for human rights or a paradigm of religious liberties. The fact that such noble aspirations have firmly fastened themselves to this ancient artifact, and that millions wait in line to view it, witnesses to the human need to anchor our highest ideals in objects that are physical and concrete, objects that have been retrieved from the ruins of a past civilization and that we can touch and see. Ironically, the attribution of these ideals to the Cylinder is due in large part to the Hebrew Bible: When the British Museum archeological team uncovered the artifact in 1879, the public in Europe could not help but viewing it, with wild enthusiasm, against the backdrop of the biblical books of Isaiah and Ezra, which portray this conqueror as a great liberator of the Jewish exiles.
The Persian Empire undeniably did accomplish many things of great consequence and enduring value for political thought. In addition to developing sophisticated systems of administration and creating a rich cosmopolitan cultural legacy, it forced its subjects and opponents to confront and reflect upon the nature of expansionistic, exploitative imperial power.
The impact of such reflections can be discerned first in the Classical literature of Greece. The Persian advance not only prompted the independent Greek city-states to unite for collective resistance but also elicited some of the most profound works of history, drama and philosophy that Western authors ever produced. Much of this Classical literature from fifth century B.C.E. Athens treats the problem of hubris, overstepping boundaries and laying claim to the territory of others. (Eventually, however, the Greek world would produce its own invincible conqueror -- one who supposedly developed his plans for world domination at the feet of notable Athenian philosopher.)
Meanwhile, in the small and relatively insignificant town of Jerusalem, authors were creating, under the auspices of the Persian Empire, what became biblical texts. These texts present a generally favorable image of the Persian kings. It was, after all, during their rule that the Temple in Jerusalem and the city itself were rebuilt, much of the Hebrew Bible was written and many of the most enduring institutions and practices of Jewish life emerged. But the biblical authors also reveal the dark underbelly of the Persian Empire. In several places we hear of the hardships endured by the community. For example, the Persian-appointed governor Nehemiah reports the complaints of people who lost their homes and children in order to pay imperial taxes. In a lengthy collective prayer, the community declares that they are slaves in their own land due to the oppressive tribute they owe the imperial government. And in response to the imperialist vision that Persia inherited from Assyria, the biblical authors articulate norms prohibiting Israel from expanding beyond its borders. The vision of national coexistence they set forth stands over against a Middle East controlled by a single power.
The values of tolerance that the Cyrus Cylinder has come to represent today must be held high. Yet in doing so, we must also heed the voices of those who opposed Persia's imperial reach. Otherwise, we lose sight of the danger posed by any power that would organize the world primarily for the purpose of greater control, exploitation and expansion.
Cyrus Cylinder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
British Museum - Cyrus Cylinder
Iran lays claim to British Museum's Cyrus Cylinder | World news ...
Neil MacGregor: 2600 years of history in one object | Video on TED ...
1. Historical Soundness -
NO ONE has ever successfully challenged the historical accuracy of the Bible. It refers to real people and real events.
2. Candor and Honesty -
THE Bible writers were honest men who wrote with openness of heart. Their candor gives their writing the clear ring of truth.
3. Internal Harmony -
THE Bible is such a book. Written under even more unusual conditions than those described above, its internal harmony is nothing less than profound.
4. Scientific Accuracy -
THE Bible is not a science textbook. Yet, when it comes to scientific matters, the Bible is noteworthy not only for what it says but also for what it does not say.
5. Fulfilled Prophecy -
THE Bible is filled with predictions, or prophecies. Its record, as documented by history, is clear. Bible prophecy is always right.
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200711/article_03.htm
for Jesus..
for the Jewish exiles...
and other lambs of God...
If each stone we roll away...
after the sacrifice...
or due to the pain and sin
and learning from the sacrifice..
If each stone
has a multitude of learning
and sharing
engraved upon it...
for the future...
we will learn.
I had already read and commented on this article...
I noticed for a moment that the scroll looked a bit like someone had taken a bit out of it..like corn..
I couldn't get anywhere with THAT..
today anyway...
BUT
I was thinking today of bunnies
and their place in Easter...
and their hard working..toiling..really..
that must have to do with God in some way..
and I've never been able to get to that connection
well enough to make me feel as if I've done my part for the bunnies..
Today, though, I got to thinking about how much WORK they put into those eggs..
there must be more to them..
what about faberge eggs..
messages in the eggs...
for one..
do the eggs have to do with Jesus' birth...
there are so many places we can go
with the egg symbolising messages and hidden message in our computerized world...
lets try..
for the bunnies.
if God were the painter of man...
and we were
born as humans..
each symbolised in the egg..
we would each be painted and coded to mean and accomplish something in our life and each one of us would have different attributes and markings..of course.
I wondered once if people who possessed the same shape mole or scar or freckling..when placed together might lead us to some understanding..and a world that worked on this..might be a world working towards a commonaility for world success and longevity?
represented
the one who rolled the stone away..
the one who could sneak up in the night..
and hop away
without getting caught...
would a bunny not
choose the painted egg..
the glorified..
LOOK AT ME!
egg...
to symbolise
all of the hens babies
(the baby chickens)
who would not be born
on Jesus' day of resurrection...
to allow them
like Jesus...
at Easter..
to be free
To not grow up
to holding the sins of the world..
symbolically...
as chickens do at Yom Kippur...?
Easter eggs..
are
traditionally
EMPTY.
carved their words on
rolling tablets..
to make them more portable...
those things would be difficult to carry otherwise..
this way you could just tie a bunch of them together
and pull them along behind you.
It points out that the Hebrew book of Isaiah in the Tanakh (Old Testament), honors Cyrus, the great Persian leader who freed the Jews from the Babylonian captivity and allowed them freedom of religion back in their homeland.
That's something that modern Israelis and modern Iranians ought to remember, and keep in mind.
No one is claiming Cyrus Persia was a mother Teresa's empire nevertheless one should consider how other powers before and after them went to wars with total annihilation goals in mind (Troy, Sardis, Judea ...), Persians never imposed their culture (Greeks did) or religion (Arabs did) or warfare ethics (Mongols did) on their Satrapies!
Iran is the mother country in Middle-East as China is in Far-East and there is no other power in that region who can fill Iran's shoe if one bother to see Iranians cultural influences on all territories from China's frontiers to Africa in one form or another and not to mention they're sitting in top of one of the richest finds in history of mankind, oil!
Odd proclamation.
Empires are of course, no bargain, but the author really misses the point here, while trying to make some other.
To make the dream a reality necessitates a radical change in human hearts and minds. This is a God-size challenge. No human leader is capable of renewing human hearts and minds in the way of peace.
BTW, an era of peaceful coexistence will be a reality during the thousand year reign of Jesus from Jerusalem.
Under the thumb o Persian Emperors and his satraps, naturally.
Humankind can be forever thankful that the flowering of Greek culture was saved from Persian imperialism at Marathon,Salamis, Thermopylae, Mycale and Plataea.
This time followed by a redirect to another historical time period.
Which part of my post you disagree with?
To the contrary, both the Persians and the Greeks had a LOT in common with each other.
Using the backdrop of Greco-Persian wars for propaganda purposes in the middle-east is a shame and a nonsense.
Strategically built astride the Euphrates River, ancient Babylon has been called “the political, religious, and cultural centre of the ancient Orient.” About 732BCE, the prophet Isaiah penned an ominous prophecy—Babylon would fall. Isaiah provided specifics: A leader named “Cyrus” would be the conqueror, the protective waters of the Euphrates would “dry up,” and the city’s gates would “not be shut.” (Isaiah 44:27–45:3) Some 200 years later, on October 5, 539BCE, the prophecy was fulfilled in all its details. Greek historian Herodotus (500BCE) confirmed the manner of Babylon’s fall.
A bold detail. Isaiah made a further startling prediction regarding Babylon: “She will never be inhabited.” (Isaiah 13:19, 20) To predict permanent desolation for a sprawling city occupying a strategic location was bold indeed. You would normally expect that such a city would be rebuilt if ruined. Although Babylon lingered on for a while after its conquest, Isaiah’s words eventually came true. Today the site of ancient Babylon “is flat, hot, deserted and dusty,” reports Smithsonian magazine.
It is awesome to contemplate the magnitude of Isaiah’s prophecy. What he foretold would be the equivalent of predicting the exact manner in which a modern city, such as New York or London, would be destroyed 200 years from now and then emphatically stating that it would never again be inhabited. Of course, most remarkable is the fact that Isaiah’s prophecy came true!
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200711/article_03.htm