Bible Archeology Discoveries

The Cyrus Cylinder
Discovered: Babylon (Modern Iraq - 1879)
From: (c. 539 BC)
Current Home: British Museum

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The Cyrus Cylinder is a document issued by Cyrus the Great, consisting of a cylinder of clay inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform script. It was discovered in the ruins of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon. The cylinder was created in 539 BC, by order of Cyrus the Great, when he took Babylon from Nabonidus, destroying the Neo-Babylonian empire.

The first part of the writying tells a story of Cyrus' deeds. It tells of Nabonidus, the last Babylonian king, who is said to have forbidden the cult of Marduk, among others, and to have oppressed his subjects. The subjects made complaints to the gods, and Marduk found Cyrus in order to make him the world's ruler.

In the second part, Cyrus begins with his titles and continues saying that he took care of Marduk's cult at Babylon, and that he had “allowed them to find rest from their exhaustion, their servitude”. He also tells that he restored the cults in all the former kingdoms which are now part of his, and that he released the former deported persons.

Many believe that this document confirms the historicity of the Bible, with Marduk representing Yahweh. In the Bible, Yahweh gives Cyrus the power to create his kingdom and leads him to release captive Jews and help them to rebuild their temple. The cylinder shows Cyrus saying: “the gods who dwelt there I returned to their home and let them move into an eternal dwelling. All their people I collected and brought them back to their homes.” This could be confirming the release of captive Jews.

"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up."
2 Chronicles 36:22-23

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Notable Finds

Much of what is described in Bible text is lost to history, requiring readers to assume the historicity of the scriptures.

However, many of the places and events described in the Old and New Testaments are periodically corroborated by archeological finds.

Some finds simply help us to better understand things from the ancient world. However, others provide important evidence as to the truth of scripture regarding things about which there had previously been skepticism.

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