IRAQ -- VERY INTERESTING -- DID YOU KNOW

[freedom44]

BTW- Persians are still around in modern day Iran, not Iraq.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ir.html

IRAN:

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/iz.html

IRAQ:

Ethnic groups:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%

Languages:
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian

[Stewart_B]

I believe that the Persian empire (of the bible) encompassed the present day Iraq and Iran. Whats your point...semantics ?

[VOA]

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.

Knox Seminary professor and pastor R.C. Sproul had a really good series of
lessons on Jonah on his radio show ("Renewing Your Mind") a few months ago.

Lots more interesting stuff in that humble bit of the Bible than the whale incident,
that's for sure!

[freedom44]

The Kings and every single historical, cultural, and ethnical tie is to Iran, no one argues that point so to say that 'Iraqis' somehow magically appear in 2004 on FreeRepublic and lay claim to Iran's historical greatness.

Arabs lived in deserts and ate sand while the Persians ruled empires.

[VOA]

This is an eBook written by Donald Wiseman's father during his tour of duty in
Iraq in the 20's. He describes the work of the archaeologists during that
era and the absolutely amazing discoveries they made.

IIRC, in some article about how the Baghdad museum had not really been looted,
there was a mention that even after all the years of archeology digs in
Iraq...there are still TONS of sites and artifacts to be dug out of the ground of Iraq.

All this after all the bombing, shooting, and desecration of the country
by Saddam and his buddies, including using some archeology sites for the mass graves.

[Stewart_B]

Persia was Iraq and Iran, whats so hard to understand.

[mel]

It is indeed interesting, thanks

[Stewart_B]

I thought so too.

[freedom44]

The Persians were and ARE 'Iranians', NOT Iraqis.

Persians controlled modern day Iraq, as they did virtually all of the region.

Cyrus the Great ( Kourosh in Persian, Kouros in Greek )

Cyrus (580-529 BC) was the first Achaemenian Emperor. He founded Persia by uniting the two original Iranian Tribes- the Medes and the Persians. Although he was known to be a great conqueror, who at one point controlled one of the greatest Empires ever seen, he is best remembered for his unprecedented tolerance and magnanimous attitude towards those he defeated.

Upon his victory over the Medes, he founded a government for his new kingdom, incorporating both Median and Persian nobles as civilian officials. The conquest of Asia Minor completed, he led his armies to the eastern frontiers. Hyrcania and Parthia were already part of the Median Kingdom. Further east, he conquered Drangiana, Arachosia, Margiana and Bactria. After crossing the Oxus, he reached the Jaxartes, where he built fortified towns with the object of defending the farthest frontier of his kingdom against nomadic tribes of Central Asia. The victories to the east led him again to the west and sounded the hour for attack on Babylon and Egypt. When he conquered Babylon, he did so to cheers from the Jewish Community, who welcomed him as a liberator- he allowed the Jews to return to the promised Land. He showed great forbearance and respect towards the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of other races. These qualities earned him the respect and homage of all the people over whom he ruled.

As Prof. Richard Frye of Harvard said (in The Heritage of Persia, p10-151):

"In the victories of the Persians... what was different was the new policy of reconciliation and together with this was the prime aim of Cyrus to establish a pax Achaemenica..... If one were to assess the achievements of the Achaemenid Persians, surely the concept of One World, .... the fusion of peoples and cultures in one 'Oecumen' was one of their important legacies"

The victory over Babylonia expressed all the facets of the policy of conciliation which Cyrus had followed until then. He presented himself not as a conqueror, but a liberator and the legitimate successor to the crown. He took the title of "King of Babylon_ King of the Land". Cyrus had no thought of forcing conquered people into a single mould, and had the wisdom to leave unchanged the institution of each kingdom he attached to the Persian Crown. In 537 BC he allowed more than 40,000 Jews to leave Babylon and return to Palestine. This step was in line with his policy to bring peace to Mankind. A new wind was blowing from the east, carrying away the cries and humility of defeated and murdered victims, extinguishing the fires of sacked cities, and liberating nations from slavery.

Cyrus was upright, a great leader of men, generous and benelovent. The Hellenes, whom he conquered regarded him as 'Law-giver' and the Jews as 'the annointed of the Lord'.

Prior to his death, he founded a new capital city at Pasargade in Fars. and had established a government for his Empire. He appointed a governor (satrap) to represent him in each province, however the administration, legistlation, and cultural activities of each province was the responsibility of the Satraps. Accoding to Xenophon Cyrus is also reputed to have devised the first postal system, (Achaemenide achievements).

His doctrines were adopted by the future emperors of the Achaemenian dynasty. Darius I (521-486 BC) brought together skills and craftsmen from all over the empire in building the city of Perse

http://oznet.net/cyrus/cyframe.htm

[freedom44]

Iran

Background:

Known as Persia until 1935

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

[Stewart_B]

I know this isn't registering with you.....ancient Persia encompassed the area where Iraq and Iran are. They are both descended from that empire (same peoples). You can do any kind of mental contortions you wish but the fact remains Iraq was part of the Persian empire in biblical times.... period.

[freedom44]

Iraqis are Arabs, semites and trace their history to the ancient Arabs and share absolutely no common ancestory as Iranians who are indo-Europeans and come from the Arya tribe in Europe.

Hence the fact that Iranians speak Farsi, have much lighter skin-tone, European facial structure, and trace their entire history to the Persian Empire, while Iraqis who speak Arabic, have darker skin tone, Arabic facial structure, and trace much of their history of Babylonia.

[Stewart_B]

LOL...I understand where you are coming from now.
Lost tribes of Israel migrated to Europe and all that stuff.
LMAO...live long and prosper.

[freedom44]

Apparently you have no clue on the Iranian v. Arab perjudice nor the history of the Mid-east.

Good luck in your studies.

[JennysCool]

NEVER believe any internet thing with copious question marks and exclamation points. I wonder who's writing this stuff?

[nutmeg]

FYI

[cherry]

I remember learning about Mesopotamia as a kid.....as I recall, it was a beautiful, succulent land with massive gardens.......

I always have pictured Mesopotamia to be very similar to the first scenes in Thomas Cole's series of paintings called "The Voyage of Life"...

[LisaMalia]

Just wondering...GEOGRAPHICALLY speaking....how much of this actually took place in what is now Iraq.

[Finalapproach29er]

Sammy is back with Van Halen! Tour possible this fall. They kissed and made up.

[freedom44]

Next time you meet an Iraqi call him a Persian, he's likely to get extremely angry to say the least.

Iraqis are devout Arabs and have a deep hatred of Iranians (Persians), and Iranians have a deep prejudice of Arabs.

There is no love, culture, heritage, history, between the two.

Arabs are a totally separate people from the Biblical Prophecies of the Bible.

I thought everyone knew Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes are Persians and direct descendents of Iranians.