This course introduces the history of the ancient Persia Empire (ancient Iran), from its founding under Cyrus the Great in 559 B.C. to about 330 B.C., the time of the conquest by Alexander the Great. It also includes a brief examination of the Old Persian language and writing system from this period. The Persian empire was vast and its history complex. Its numerous connections with the Old Testament are also considered. Students gain an expanded understanding of the place of Israel and the Old Testament in the context of the cultural world of the first millennium B.C.
This course orients students in the history of ancient Persia, particularly in relation to the Bible. This provides students with knowledge both of the historical connections between Persian and ancient Israel, but also some of the cultural distinctives of the Persian mindset.
The Persian empire was the largest empire to date in the ancient world. It marked the end of the Babylonian empire and set Israel free from its exile. The world changed. After the Persians came the Greeks, and it is impossible to understand fairly this movement to the newer, Hellenistic age apart from the transition that Persia constituted.
The history and thought of Persia are examined in light of the Bible. Historical references to Persia in the Bible are clarified by a direct acquaintance with the history of Persian.
Persia made direct contact with Israel, releasing them from exile, facilitating the rebuilding of the temple, etc. Knowledge of the Persians aids in our awareness of Israel’s activities toward its neighboring cultures.
As with other neighbors, familiarity with the culture of Persia provides insight into the cultural context of the Bible, aiding in the interpretation of the Old Testament. The course provides an awareness of the broader history and mindset of the peoples surrounding Israel, without which it is more difficult to understand the Bible.
This ancient land is part of the background of the Old Testament. Learning of its history and the thought patterns of its peoples broadens the thinking about the place of Israel in the ancient world.
As with other ancient Near Eastern cultures, knowledge of this ancient history illustrates that human nature continues unchanged over the millennia. Persia, with its various strengths and weakness, falls into this category. Awareness of this people gives us a fresh appreciation of the commonality of human nature from the ancient to the modern world.
Knowledge of history generally can alter the perspective on the present, including the nature of mankind. Seeing similarities between the moral and conceptual outlook of first-millennium Persian and our present age can alter our views of who we are.
