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Biblical Sites, Ancient Wonders, the Last ‘Garden of Eden’: Here’s What Trump Just Threatened to Bomb in IranBiblical Sites, Ancient Wonders, the Last ‘Garden of Eden’: Here’s What Trump Just Threatened to Bomb in Iran
tulc(thought this was interesting)Currently, there are 22 cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iran. Among them is the ancient royal city of Persepolis, in the southwest of the country, which was once the capital of the Achaemenid empire in the sixth century BCE. UNESCO describes it as “among the world’s greatest archaeological sites” and having “no equivalent.” The city was founded in 518 BCE by Darius the Great and includes a number of remarkable palatial buildings, terraces, and an architecturally remarkable throne hall.
If Darius the Great sounds familiar, it might be because—according to the biblical book of Ezra—it was Darius who actually funded the restoration of the (second) Israelite temple in Jerusalem. In doing so, Darius was following a decree offered by another Persian king, Cyrus the Great. Cyrus was responsible for sending the Israelites back home to the Holy Land in the first place after he successfully conquered Babylon (Baghdad) in 539 BCE. For his momentous role in Israelite history, the Bible actually calls Cyrus God’s anointed one, the Messiah: “Thus says the Lord to his Anointed (Messiah), to Cyrus whom I took by his right hand” (Isa 45:1).” Cyrus’ tomb, which was once visited by Alexander the Great, is in Pasargadae, Iran.