Persepolis, known in ancient times as Parsa, was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, located in present-day Iran. Although not directly mentioned in the Bible, Persepolis holds significant historical and cultural relevance to the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of the Persian Empire's influence over the Jewish people during the post-exilic period.

Historical Context

Persepolis was founded by Darius I (Darius the Great) around 518 BC and served as a symbol of the Achaemenid dynasty's power and wealth. The city was constructed on a grand terrace, with impressive palaces, halls, and monumental staircases, reflecting the empire's architectural and artistic achievements. Persepolis was a center for ceremonial events, including the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Biblical Connections

While Persepolis itself is not mentioned in the Bible, the Achaemenid Empire, under which it flourished, plays a crucial role in the biblical narrative. The Persian kings, particularly Cyrus the Great, are noted for their interactions with the Jewish people. Cyrus is famously recognized for his decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, as recorded in the Book of Ezra:

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.'" (Ezra 1:1-3)

Cultural and Religious Significance

The Persian Empire, with Persepolis as its ceremonial heart, was characterized by a policy of tolerance and respect for the diverse cultures and religions within its vast territories. This policy is evident in the biblical accounts of the Persian kings' favorable treatment of the Jewish people, allowing them to practice their faith and rebuild their sacred institutions.

The influence of Persian culture and administration is also seen in the biblical books of Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel, which provide insights into the lives of Jews in the Persian Empire. Esther, a Jewish queen of Persia, played a pivotal role in saving her people from destruction, as recounted in the Book of Esther. Nehemiah, serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was instrumental in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, demonstrating the cooperation between the Jewish community and the Persian authorities.

Archaeological Insights

The ruins of Persepolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offer valuable archaeological insights into the grandeur of the Achaemenid Empire. Excavations have revealed intricate bas-reliefs, inscriptions, and artifacts that provide a glimpse into the empire's administration, culture, and religious practices. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical context in which the biblical events unfolded.

In summary, while Persepolis is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, its historical and cultural significance during the Achaemenid period provides a backdrop for understanding the interactions between the Persian Empire and the Jewish people, as well as the broader narrative of God's providence and faithfulness in the biblical account.Persepolis

mentioned only in 2 Macc. 9:2, was the capital of Persia proper, and the occasional residence of the Persian court from the time of Darius Hystaspes, who seems to have been its founder, to the invasion of Alexander. Its wanton destruction by that conqueror is well known. Its site is now called the Chehl-Minar , or Forty Pillars. Here, on a platform hewn out of the solid rock the sides of which face the four cardinal points, are the remains of two great palaces, built respectively by Darius Hytaspes and his son Xerxes, besides a number of other edifices, chiefly temples. They are of great extent and magnificence, covering an area of many acres.

PERSEPOLIS

per-sep'-o-lis (2 Maccabees 9:2; Persepolis, Persaipolis, in Ptolemy Persopolis; original Persian name unknown; Pahlavi Stakhr, now Ictakhr and Shihil Minar, "Forty Turrets"):

1. Location:

The ruins of Persepolis lie about 35 miles Northeast of Shiraz and some 40 miles South of the ruins of Pasargadae.

2. History:

The magnificent palace of which such striking remains are still visible (Takht i Jamshid) was built by Darius and Xerxes of white marble and black stone. The city was captured, pillaged and burnt by Alexander in 324 B.C., most of the inhabitants being massacred or enslaved. Much of the treasure of the Persian kings was found there. Curtius says the palace was never rebuilt. Antioehus Epiphanes (166 B.C.) tried but failed to plunder the temple (of Anaitis, Anihita?) there (2 Maccabees 9:2; perhaps this is the incident referred to in 1 Maccabees 6:1;, and Polyb. xxxi.11). At Persepolis were the sepulchers of the Achemenian kings (except Cyrus). Long and important inscriptions of Darius and Xerxes are found at Persepolis and the neighboring Naqsh i Rustam, in cuneiform characters and in the Aehaemenian Persian, Assyrian and neo-Susian tongues (published by Spiegel, Rawlinson and Weisbaeh). Clitarehus first among Europeans mentions the city. The writer of this article visited it in 1892. Not now inhabited.

LITERATURE.

Inscriptions (as above), Arrian, Curtius, Polybius, Pliny, Diod. Siculus, medieval and modern travelers.

W. St. Clair Tisdall

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... A ROYAL CHARIOT]. Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph of the bas-relief
from Persepolis now in the British Museum. The first person ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... Persepolis, and Susa; Persian architecture and sculpture; court life, the king and
his harem"Revolutions in the palace"Xerxes I., Sekudianos, Darius II ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of.htm

Book 11 Footnotes
... of Persia, is attested to by the writers of the affairs of Alexander the Great,
when they agree that he found Cyrus's sepulcher at Pasargadae, near Persepolis. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 11 footnotes.htm

Hiram, the Inspired Artificer
... lily-work. At Persepolis there still stands a pillar, the cornice of which
is carved with three rows of lily leaves. These pillars ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hiram the inspired artificer.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... His choice lay between Susa and Persepolis, between Ecbatana and Babylon, according
as the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter induced him to pass ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... of the sepulchers of the kings of Persia at this tower, or those perhaps of the
same sort that are now commonly called the ruins of Persepolis, continued so ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... one of which was consigned to the archives of the empire, the other laid up in the
treasury of a fortress, either Shapigan, Shizigan, Samarcand, or Persepolis ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

Persepolis
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia PERSEPOLIS. ... xxxi.11). At Persepolis were
the sepulchers of the Achemenian kings (except Cyrus). ...
/p/persepolis.htm - 7k

Persia (30 Occurrences)
... Its chief cities were Persepolis and Pasargadae. Along the Persian Gulf the land
is low, hot and unhealthy, but it soon begins to rise as one travels inland. ...
/p/persia.htm - 20k

Persecutors (14 Occurrences)

/p/persecutors.htm - 10k

Perseus

/p/perseus.htm - 8k

Persian (4 Occurrences)
... Alvand, Persepolis, Naqsh i Rustam, etc., and one at Suez, the latter mentioning
his conquest of Egypt and the construction of the first (?) Suez canal: Adam ...
/p/persian.htm - 45k

Architecture
... It is characteristically Egyptian, and is also seen at Persepolis (Gwilt's Encyclopedia,
22), and although neither might have been bor rowed from the other ...
/a/architecture.htm - 28k

Nineveh (23 Occurrences)
... Other cities which had perished, as Palmyra, Persepolis, and Thebes, had left ruins
to Mark their sites and tell of their former greatness; but of this city ...
/n/nineveh.htm - 52k

Teresh (2 Occurrences)
... King Ahasuerus. Oppert compares the name with Tiri-dates, the name of the
governor of Persepolis in the time of Alexander. Another ...
/t/teresh.htm - 8k

Macedonia (23 Occurrences)
... Babylon, Susa, Persepolis and Ecbatana were taken in turn, and Alexander then pressed
eastward through Hyrcania, Aria, Arachosia, Bactria and Sogdiana to India ...
/m/macedonia.htm - 40k

Attitudes (1 Occurrence)
... The same custom prevailed not only among the Persians, as is evident from the Book
of Esther and the monuments at Persepolis, but also in Babylonia, Assyria ...
/a/attitudes.htm - 20k

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