2,500-year-old charter of rights to revisit Iran [Cyrus the Great]

Smccdi/News.Indep.Co.uk ^ | 9/11/04 | Louise Jury

[freedom44]

The British Museum is to lend Iran one of its most famous antiquities, which is regarded as the first charter of human rights, 30 years after its loan to the Shah triggered a fierce diplomatic row.

The inscriptions on the clay drum known as the Cyrus Cylinder detail the conquest of the Babylon of Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar by the 6th-century BC Persian king, Cyrus the Great. It was the Iraq/Iran war of the time.

The victory made Cyrus the leader of the first world empire, stretching from Egypt to China. Cyrus proved a model ruler. He describes on the cylinder measures of relief for the inhabitants of Babylon and the return to their homelands of people held by the former kings, thought to have included the Jews.

The cylinder, which would have been used as a foundation stone to a building, was found in Babylon, in modern Iraq, by a British Museum dig in the 19th century.

It has only left once since, for the loan in 1971. Its return visit to the National Museum of Tehran in 2006 will follow a generous loan by the Iranians, who are to send 50 antiquities for the British Museum's exhibition on the splendours of Ancient Persia, planned for September next year.

In the past 30 years relations between British and foreign museums have been transformed, with loans between countries now commonplace. But research by The Art Newspaper has shown that in the very different climate of 1971, the loan prompted a furious row.

The Shah had expressed his desire to borrow the cylinder through the British ambassador, but the suggestion was rejected by the Foreign Office. Officials were furious when they found that the British Museum, with the agreement of its trustees, had gone ahead anyway.

One official, in recently released papers from the National Archives, said the museum should not act this way to "countries with ultra-nationalistic ambitions". Another said: "If the [British] Museum find they have dug a pit for themselves, it will be for them to climb out."

The Shah made the cylinder the star exhibit in a museum set up to mark the 2,500th anniversary of Cyrus's establishment of the Persian monarchy in Persepolis. Facing criticism for his autocratic rule, he used it to argue that Persia had been the birthplace of human rights.

The British ambassador later suggested it should be presented to Iran to gain diplomatic and military co-operation from the Shah's government. The museum refused.

Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, said yesterday the story showed the importance of its independence from government.

[freedom44]

Iran ping & GGG list ping.

[nuconvert]

bump

[uglybiker]

PING

[UnklGene]

Cyrus cylinder

[freedom44]

[freedom44]

Now that I put the crown of kingdom of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four directions on the head with the help of (Ahura) Mazda, I announce that I will respect the traditions, customs and religions of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors and subordinates look down on or insult them until I am alive. From now on, till (Ahura) Mazda grants me the kingdom favor, I will impose my monarchy on no nation. Each is free to accept it , and if any one of them rejects it , I never resolve on war to reign. Until I am the king of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four directions, I never let anyone oppress any others, and if it occurs , I will take his or her right back and penalize the oppressor.

And until I am the monarch, I will never let anyone take possession of movable and landed properties of the others by force or without compensation. Until I am alive, I prevent unpaid, forced labor. To day, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights.

No one could be penalized for his or her relatives' faults. I prevent slavery and my governors and subordinates are obliged to prohibit exchanging men and women as slaves within their own ruling domains. Such a traditions should be exterminated the world over.

I implore to (Ahura) Mazda to make me succeed in fulfilling my obligations to the nations of Iran (Persia), Babylon, and the ones of the four directions.

-Cyrus the Great.

[Windsong]

Hmm, what were Cyrus' spiritual beliefs?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks freedom44. I remember the "Life" magazine cover with the cavalry parade photo; perhaps that was the issue with the interview with the Shah as well. Been a while, and I was 12 or 13 at the time.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[jonathonandjennifer]

Thank you for the post. Very interesting. So, if his empire streched to China, visits to the Americas at that time become more believable.

[kanawa]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1208233/posts

[tang-soo]

You wanna get freaked out - read Isaiah 45-45 which was written about 200 years before the fall of Babylon. Then understand that Cyrus diverted the Euphrates to gain entrance to the city of Babylon. This is the encounter written in Daniel 5 (handwriting on the wall) which tells of the night Babylon fell into Medo-Persian hands. Josephus tells the story of how the elder Daniel approached the victorius Cyrus with the scrolls written 200+ years earlier by Isaiah and showed him how it was foretold how he would defeat Babylon but also name his name.

Isaiah 44

26) who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,'

27) who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,'

28) 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." '

Its important to know that Cyrus was the only gentile of the OT to be referred to as annointed by God. Josephus claims that Cyrus was so overwhelemed by this that he issued the decree to reconstruct the Temple in Jerusalem - giving them not only the decree, but the money and material to do so. Years later, Nehamiah was given the decree by Artaxerces (spelling) to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem - leading to the prophecy listed in my tagline. Check it all out - its an incredible story.

If you wish to hear a great lecture on this subject - its free, you can do so here. This is a link to Chuck Missler - the former CEO of Western Digital and wonderful Bible scholar. This is a five part (approx 30 minutes each) serie on the prophecy of Daniel's 70 weeks. aka Daniel chapter 9 vs 24-27.

[freedom44]

http://www.farsinet.com/wisemen/magi.html

Wise Men and Women Still Seek Him Today
Magi (Majusian)

From old Persian language, a priest of Zarathustra (Zoroaster). The Bible gives us the direction, East and the legend states that the wise men were from Persia (Iran) - Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar - thus being priests of Zarathustra religion, the mages. Obviously the pilgrimage had some religious significance for these men, otherwise they would not have taken the trouble and risk of travelling so far. But what was it? An astrological phenomenon, the Star?

Matthew 2:1 - "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi [*] from the east came to Jerusalem." (* Footnote: Traditionally Wise Men). Matthew 2:7 - Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Matthew 2:16 - When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, was erected in 329 by Queen Helena in the area it was believed to be where Jesus was born. In 614, The Church was saved from destruction by the Persian rampage because of the mosaic of the Magi dressed in Persian Garb on the floor of this church.

Magi, priestly caste in ancient Persia. They are thought to have been followers of Zoroaster, the Persian teacher and prophet, and they professed the doctrines of Zoroastrianism. By the 1st century AD, the magi were identified with wise men and soothsayers. Encarta Concise Encyclopedia - Religion & Philosophy.

The Holy Epiphany - by Lwis Williams
While oftentimes conflicting lore muddles the story of the Magi, those bearing gifts for the Christ child are Caspar of Tarsus, Melchior of Persian and Balthasar of Saba. Weary from desert travel, the Magi humbly offer their gifts. Caspar is young, European and offers gold. Gold finances the Holy Family's coming flight to Egypt and also symbolizes Christ's immortality and purity. For his generosity, Caspar receives the gifts of charity and spiritual wealth. Melchior is middle-aged, Persian and offers myrrh. Myrrh is a fragrant gum, which the ancient Israelites believed to strengthen children. This symbol of Christ's mortality was blended with wine and offered to him on the cross, and also mixed with aloes to wrap his body for the tomb. Melchior receives the gifts of humility and truth. Balthasar is elderly, Ethiopian and offers frankincense. Frankincense is a resin used in incense for worship and also symbolizes prayer and sacrifice. Balthasar receives the gift of Faith. And Christ, humbling himself to become man, offers us the greatest gift of all, the light that forever burns in the darkness.

Wise Men of the East, also called Magi, or Three Kings of the Orient. In Matthew, noble pilgrims followed a star to Israel to pay homage to the newborn Christ Child (See Pilgrim). They asked King Herod the Great for assistance in finding the child. Herod could not help them but asked the men to return with news of the child. Warned in a dream, they did not return to Herod. Encarta Concise Encyclopedia - Religion & Philosophy.

[Sam the Sham]

Reading Esther, Daniel, and Nehemiah, the "tyrannical enslavers" of Marathon emerge as strict but fair and occasionally generous.

The Persians were a noble, honorable people while every Greek was whoring for Persian gold.

[FITZ]

It will be very good for the world and especially the Middle East when the Persians become nationalists and recover their ancient history and ethnic pride --- that will cause them to throw off the Arab religion that keeps them repressed.

[tang-soo]

Thanks for the update. I should have mentioned that it's
believed by many that the Magi were descended from the court of pagan seers during the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

[marron]

The ancient religion of Persia crosses paths with both Judaism and Christianity, through Cyrus who is considered righteous, and through the magi who came to worship at the birth of the Christ.

For Zoroastrianism to have given way to Christianity or Judaism, with which it had much in common, or to have absorbed elements of these faiths would have been a natural progression. To have been strangled as it was by Islam seems to me one of the great tragedies of the middle east. It turned what was once one of the vibrant civilizations of the world into just another muslim backwater. What good remains in modern Persian culture is not thanks to Islam but in spite of it.

[F14 Pilot]

lol

[F14 Pilot]

Do you know that there were no SLAVES in ancient Persia?

The workers who working on the monuments were not slaves as the workers in Egypt & Greece were.

The Persian empire had to pay to those who work and it is now believed that those worked on ancient monuments were ART students of Imperial Persian universities.

[Just mythoughts]

Isaiah 45 says that the LORD anointed Cyrus (verse 1)

verse 4 says; For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel Mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though "thou hast not" know Me.
("thou has not" should be "when thou didst not".)


Paul writes in ICorinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: (examples) and they are written for our admonition (warning) upon whom the ends of the world (age) are come.

Iran in the news constantly, makes one wonder "if" the activity will be for the positive replay or a negative replay. Iran hasn't exactly been on the "positive" path since our own Carter interfered with them.