Who was Cyrus?
Cyrus was a Persian king. Ezra connects his rule with a decree allowing the rebuilding of God's house in Jerusalem. His place in this story does not mean that every action of an empire was good.
The decree opened a way for people to return and rebuild after exile. The passage names practical preparations as well as hope for a new beginning.
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What might people need when rebuilding their lives in a new place?
Explore Cyrus’s stories
View all storiesCyrus Allows the Exiles to Return
2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–11
A Persian king announces that the people of Yahweh may go to Jerusalem and rebuild his house.
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