Have it occurred to you to ask something amazing. Cyrus is not from the twelve tribes of Israel? He is not even a Jew nor a Samaritan?, so why did the biblical prophets spoke about him? Why would the Lord even rouse him as a conqueror after His own heart’s desire? Why did he become the rapacious bird from the east who would subdue nations?
In fact, what Isaiah had attributed for him was even used by some claimants that they were actually the ones roused by God to be this bird of prey of the east. Yes, even as the argument to set up their own churches ignoring at the same time, the attributes of one subduing nations which are indeed applicable to Cyrus the Great because what had conquered is an empire and an empire, generally-speaking, is a composite of nations.
Could a pagan, be used by God to serve as an instrument for His holy purpose? But seriously, why not? God’s ways are mysterious. And He may use someone quite hard for us to understand but is really of His calling.
The greatness of Cyrus is enhanced by the fact that even Alexander the Great of Macedon and also conqueror of the enlarged Persian empire sought out the location of Cyrus’ tomb and monument and having located it in Mograb valley, restored it after having discovered its having been looted. Pasagardae, where the tomb is located and some part of Persepolis, in the Fars province of Iran. the capital of Cyrus’ empire, itself is now restored and a World Heritage Site.
Part of the inscription of the tomb according to Arrian read” Mortal I am, Cyrus, Son of Cambyses, Who founded the Persian Empire, and was king of Asia. Grudge me not then, my monument.” The same message with some variations were reported by Strabo and Plutarch.
The famous biblical story of the disembodied hand writing on the wall is considered to be the regency of Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus who was feasting with the Babylonian court when the message of judgement came for the fall of Babylon. But the conqueror identified in the story is Darius, the Mede not Cyrus the Great who is Persian. Darius’ character is in fact, identified with some other historical figures. However, the controversy included the fact that Darius may only be a throne name which is perhaps, a political accommodation which is common in Babylon, for some popular reasons to use “nicknames” which symbolizes something. For instance, Tiglath-Pileser is also known as “Pulu” and Ashurbanipal is also known as “Kandalunu” or other times as “Sardonipulu”. Perhaps, even the one who wrote the Book of Daniel mentioning Darius would have used this name to manifest something else and that Darius and Cyrus actually meant the same person. For example, the word Darius could be more acceptable to the Babylonians as a conquered people as a Mede and not as a Persian which Cyrus automatically suggests. Darius may have been the fusion of the Medo-Persian culture which had finally subjugated the Babylonian empire.
The name Belshazzar means “Baal protect the king” is actually a name of the Canaanite deity of birth and fertility and must therefore have spiritual significance although during the assigned time of the feast, the one who was actually reigning is not the recognized King of Babylon but was just the co-regent. In fact, he was not authorized by to preside over the said feast because only the real ruler, Nabonidus was the one with authority to do so. And yet, Nabonidus was actually in Harran presiding over the festivities in the temple of Sin, the Moon God, which were syncretized by the Arabs won over by the mission of Nabonidus who started proselytizing for Sin (Suen-Akkadian) among them and his mother, Queen Adagoppi who is herself a priestess of the moon god, Sin. In the Harran stele wherein both mother and son boasted about their missions which started in Telma, a “king of the land of the Medes” is mentioned. If this was an allusion to a mistaken notion of Cyrus, as a Mede, then this would explain why he is identified as Darius, the Mede. The festivities mentioned above is the origin of the Eid’l Fitr which is dependent on the moon’s phases. The Muslim Arabs or any Muslim for that matter would of course, deny any form of idolatry practiced among them but they are too myopic for the crescent moon in the minarets of their masjids and mosques and even their national flags. In fact, their red cross version of humanitarian practice of medicine for calamities and casualties of war is the red crescent. Isn’t that too obvious for us to miss.
Nabonidus wanted to preach against Marduk and replace him with Sin for the whole Babylonian empire but this was untenable for the Babylonians who were already content with the results they have under this god. The Babylonian pantheon of gods include the deified Nimrod (meaning “Let us rebel”) who is one of descendants Ham who violated the dignity of his father, Noah when he was asleep and naked. For this, Ham was cursed that his descendants will be slaves to the descendants of his brothers, Japheth (the eldest) from whom the Gentiles will come (including Magog and Meshech) and Shem (the middle child) from whom the people of God will come. The deified Nimrod, builder of the cities of Babylon and Nineveh had incest with Semiramis, the deified Eve who is his mother, and known as the Queen of Heaven ; the proto-type of Ishtar, Astarte and Aphrodite (Venus) to have their offspring, Tammuz, the god of birth and fertility. Tammuz in turn will have an incestuous relationship with Ishtar who is either mother or sister or both in the Babylon’s perverted religion. The devil has therefore poisoned the wells for the coming role of Our Lady as Queen of Heaven so that the sanctimonious people will turn away from her and disregard her role as Co-Redemptrix. In the history of salvation, Abraham will be called by God from Ur and Harran to turn away from the religion of Sin to cross the Euphrates to the other side of the river (Ebr) and be the origin of the Hebrew monotheism.
But then again, what are the attributes of Cyrus which made him be chosen by God. We propose that we study some of his extant quotations to reveal his character:
“All men have frailties and whoever looks for a friend without imperfections will never find one.” Someone who understands human nature so much such that he knows that no man could be considered a god. Only God is perfect.
“We love ourselves not withstanding our faults and we ought to love our friends in the like manner.” Someone who could forgive the failures of his friends; a real friend indeed.
“Diversity in counsel; unity in command.” Though in the counsel of war they may be differences in opinion, it is in the unity of the host which would ensure victory. Those whose opinion differ should listen to the one in command. Otherwise, the battle is already lost even before it has started.
“Success should show greater kindness, generosity and justice. Only people lost in darkness treat in as occasion for greater greed.” The true spiritual warrior is kind and generous but he is also just. But mercenaries are vicious, are focused on the spoils of war and would only fight if there is something to gain.
“O man whoever you are and wherever you come from, I know you will come. I am Cyrus who won for the Persians their empire. Do not therefore, begrudge me this bit of earth, that cover my bones.” This for me, isn’t just pride, it’s a just expression for something deserved.
And so finally you know why his people and even the people who conquered loved him for he was a just man. Historically, he freed slaves, understood diversity in beliefs and removed racial inequality which all existed in the Babylon he took for the Medes and especially the Persians. He was actually practiced natural law or the unwritten law of how mankind should treat each other. He worked for universal justice and was not just some woke warrior as we see them today. And considerably he was one worthy of being a prototype of our Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Daniel Santos
Tariq Sulayman
