Israel's Enemy: God's "Anointed"?

What if I told you that modern Iran, ancient Persia, is responsible for one of the greatest liberation stories in the Bible? This video reveals the hidden history of Persia and Israel, centered on Cyrus the Great, the king named by the prophet Isaiah 150 years before he was born. Watch to learn how a foreign ruler toppled Babylon, freed the Jewish exiles, and authorized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, and why this ancient episode matters for history and biblical studies today.

What you will learn in this video
1. Who Cyrus the Great was and how he built the Achaemenid Empire
2. How Cyrus conquered Babylon and the dramatic historical accounts behind that conquest
3. The decree that allowed tens of thousands of Jewish exiles to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple
4. The prophetic texts in Isaiah and how they relate to historical events
5. Why ancient Persia is not the same as modern Iran and what the 2500 year gap means for interpreting this history

Why this story matters
This is a tale of political strategy, religious tolerance, and astonishing prophecy fulfillment. Cyrus introduced an empire wide policy that allowed conquered peoples to maintain their customs and worship, a model that helped preserve Jewish identity and religion after exile. For readers of the Bible, the appearance of Cyrus by name in Isaiah is one of the clearest examples of prophecy aligning with history.

Call to action
If you found this deep dive enlightening, please like this video and subscribe for more explorations of the stories that shaped our world. Tell us in the comments what surprised you most and what you would like us to cover next.

Sources and references
1. EBSCO Research Starters Cyrus the Great and the Persian Empire
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starte...

2. Patterns of Evidence The Miraculous Way God Used King Cyrus to Rebuild Jerusalem
https://www.patternsofevidence.com/20...

3. Got Questions Who was Cyrus in the Bible
https://www.gotquestions.org/Cyrus-Bi...

4. The Map as History Judea in the Persian Empire
https://www.the-map-as-history.com/bi...

5. Britannica Cyrus the Great Biography and Facts
https://www.britannica.com/biography/...

6. Jewish Virtual Library Cyrus
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...

7. Jewish Center for Public Affairs The Cyrus Debate Ironically Confirms the Truth of Jewish History in Jerusalem
https://jcpa.org/the-cyrus-debate-iro...

8. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints The Persian Empire the Return of the Jews and the Diaspora
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s...