Ayatollah As NOT Part of Empire of Cyrus II of Persia

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

                           Ayatollah Ali Khamenei;  Supreme leader of Iran                                         (born April 19, 1939 in Mashad, Iran-86 years old)

                           Cyrus II The Great  of Persia in 559 BCE

Somebody said that the problem is that Iran's Ayatollah wants the greatness that Cyrus II the Great had.  He thinks they are part of the ancient empire, even at this late date.  He doesn't know about Cyrus, evidently.  

Cyrus the Great II was the Persian king who died in 529 BCE.  He was a conqueror, as many were back then.  He overran the Babylonian Empire, and this included Eretz Yisrael.  The thing about Cyrus is that we Jews thought he was related to Queen Esther and King Ahasueros.  Why?

    Returnees rebuilding 2nd Temple being released by Cyrus

The story I am about to tell is said to have happened later in the Persian Period and before 330 BCE, however.  Why?  In 2nd Temple times, the scroll of Esther was already apparently included in the canon.  Its reading on Purim was made obligatory, and a special talmudic tractate was written on the relevant regulations.  it became one of the favorite objects of Jewish folk-art.  So it could have happened before 529 BCE.  

Babylonians had attacked Judah and took away people in 597 BCE and again in 586 BCE.  Nebuchadnezzar II  had taken over the holdings of the Assyrians.  They went to the river in Babylon where they met up with Jews from a previous raid by the Assyrians.  This meant that that there were members of the 10 Tribes of Jacob along with the newer Jewish hostages and constituted a large Israelite (Jewish)  population.    

Cyrus followed  very enlightened policy towards his subject peoples, so in 538 BCE, about 60 years later, had granted permission to the exiles of Judah in Babylon to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple.  This is recorded in (Ezra 1:1-44) and II Chron.36:22-23).  For this kind act, so out of place, the Jewish exiles regarded Cyrus as a Divine agent (someone selected by G-d to help them). This thought is found in (Is.44:28;45:I)

Many of the exiles remained in Babylon even after Cyrus permitted a return to their homeland, Judah. There were Persian towns made up entirely of Jewish populations such as Nehardea, Nisibis, and Mahoza.  The Jews of Babylon remained in constant touch with the Jews of Judah  and even supplied some of their leaders, such as Hillel.                                        

In fact, during the Roman occupation, the Babylonian Jews rose against the emperor Trajan (98-117), the revolt being bloodily suppressed by his commander, Lucius Quietus in 116.  Under both Persian and Parthian rule, the Jews of Babylon enjoyed an extensive measure of internal autonomy, being headed by an EXILARCH of Davidic descent who was the king's representative, while the community was governed by a council of elders.  

The great literary creation of the Jews of Babylon, the Babylonian TALMUD, reflects a society preponderantly based on agriculture and crafts.  They were learned in Jewish studies and had produced works of literary merit, such as Ezekiel, Daniel and Tobit.  

                             Queen Esther and her son, Darius

King Darius I reigned from 522-486 BCE and had inherited the throne from Cyrus !!!  At the beginning of his reign, he permitted Zerubbabel and the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to resume reconstruction of the Temple.  

Now, Esther (Hadassah) was the daughter of Abihail (father) and written about in Megillat Esther) of the Bible. According to the biblical book of Esther, Esther was the daughter of Abihail. She was raised by her cousin, Mordecai, who adopted her as his own daughter after her parents died. Persian Queen Esther (492 B.C.–c. 460 B.C.), born as a Jewish exile named Hadasseh, eventually became the queen of Persia, which during her lifetime was the greatest empire in the known world.

This book is about the deliverance of the Jews of Persia in the time of King Ahasuerus. It's why people in the synagogues read from the Scroll of Esther and when we have the festival of Purim and eat hamentaschen (3 cornered filled cookies).  We are happy, wear costumes, and get a little shicker (tipsy).

 Esther herself finds out that Haman, (possibly related later to Hitler....same goals in life) wants to kill all the Jews in the world and the king is emperor over a huge part of their continent.  She is in good with her husband, so she tells him of the plot and figures it's a good time to tell him that she is also Jewish.  He has Haman hung along with his sons so puts an end to the goal of that family.  

So we find that Cyrus was the grandson of Queen Esther.  This history will not be found in Islamic writings;  only Jewish ones.  Amazing, isn't it?  The empire he admired was led by a Jewish leader, and Cyrus had his father, Darius, to copy.  

Also amazing is that good relations continued between Israel and Iran with the Shah of Iran that the Ayatollah had overthrown.  

 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini "got rid of" or overthrew the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and this was known as the Iranian Revolution or the Islamic Revolution.  

It's important to note that while they acknowledge and respect Cyrus, the Islamic Republic of Iran's primary focus is on its Islamic heritage, and there is a distinction between respecting ancient Iranian history and promoting pre-Islamic nationalist movements. Some sources suggest that the Iranian government has taken steps to discourage excessive celebration of pre-Islamic figures like Cyrus, particularly when these celebrations are perceived as being linked to the former monarchy or as undermining the Islamic Republic. 

According to Iranian leaders, their desire is not to eliminate all Jews, but rather to see the demise of the State of Israel, which they refer to as the "Zionist regime". So they want to drop an Atom bomb on Israel and  destroy it.  

Here's why they hold this view:

• Ideological opposition to the state of Israel: Iranian leaders view Israel as an "illegitimate regime" and a "colonial outpost" established and supported by Western powers.
• Support for the Palestinian people: Iran's declared goal is to eliminate Israel's "imposed regime" and allow Palestinians to self-determine their fate and form a new government where Muslims, Christians, and Jews can coexist.  This is what Israel already has created until the Hamas under Iran came along.  
• Anti-Western sentiment: Israel is seen as a close ally of the United States, which the Iranian regime views as an obstacle to its goal of removing American influence from the Middle East.
• Strategic goals in the region: Iran seeks to assert its leadership within the Muslim world and expand its influence by positioning itself as a strong opponent of Israel. (war between Iran and Saudi Arabia--religion of shi'i,sunni)
• Internal political purposes: The Iranian government faces internal challenges such as economic difficulties and political unrest, and presenting Israel as an external enemy can serve to unite the population and distract from these internal issues.
• Historical context: Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran and Israel had friendly relations, but the revolution brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power, who viewed Israel as an enemy. 

It's important to note that many Iranians do not support their government's anti-Israel stance and desire a more peaceful approach. 

Iranians;  you have your chance now.  Step up.  Feel the fresh air.  The window is open for just a short time.  The mental disease characterized by a fear of going outside is called agoraphobia. It's an anxiety disorder where people fear situations where escape might be difficult or help might not be available, especially if they have a panic attack.  You may never get another chance.  

Resource:

https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/bible/old-testament/esther#:~:text=Persian%20Queen%20Esther%20(492%20B.C.,empire%20in%20the%20known%20world.

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Tanakh, Stone Edition; pages 1752 under writings

When Judah Was Captured By the Persian Empire and Who Was Living There

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                     

The Persian Empire took control of Judea in c.539 BCE when Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonian Empire, which had previously controlled the region; this event is often referred to as the "Persian conquest of Babylon" and marked the beginning of the Persian period in Judea, also known as the "Province of Yehud" within the Persian Empire.  

The Persian period in Judea lasted from 538–332 BCE or from 586 to 516 BCE by Gentile historians. During this time, the Persian Empire ruled the region, which included the province of Judah, now known as Yehud (land of Jews).                       

Judea was made up of the tribe of Judah and a few of the Benjamites andSimeonites who joined them at the time of the Assyrian attack in 721 BCE when 10 of the 12 tribes were captured and taken away. Judea contained the city of Jerusalem.                       

     The Triumph of Mordecai by Pieter Lastman, 1624, Esther's cousin and uncle.

One of the important Benjamites was a man named Mordecai who  lived  in the 400sBCE who was a palace official in Shushan, Persia, the capital, during the  reign of King Xerxes who we know as King Ahasueros,  husband of our famous Queen Esther.  

Mordecai is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He is described in Tanna Devei Eliyahu as being the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin and member of the Sanhedrin. Jair was an Israelite hero of the Exodus Period;  he captured a group of villages in Northern Gilead from the Amorites which were thence forward known as the "villages of Jair."  (Num. 32:41).  Another Jair was an Israelite judge known later originating from Gilead, probably a descendant.  

Mordecai was also the cousin, uncle and guardian of Esther, who became queen of Persia under the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Mordecai's loyalty and bravery are highlighted in the story as he helps Esther foil the plot of Haman, the king's vizier, to exterminate the Jewish people. His story is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates his victory.

Mordecai discovered that the Jewish extermination was fixed by lot for the month of Adar 13, but the Jews escaped, resisting their persecutions on that date and in Shushan, also on the next day.  Purim, the holiday, is celebrated then on Adar 14.   Adar is the 12th month of the Jewish religious year, 6th of the civil;  falling in February to March.  Adar is an Assyrian origin name.  

Xerxes I commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BCE until his assassination in 465 BCE. Darius I was thought to be his father. He is known to us as Ahasueros.   

He was the son of Darius the Great and Atossa, a daughter of Cyrus the Great. Jewish history has Darius and Cyrus related as father and son.  We might assume that Darius was the son or grandson of Esther and Ahasueros with the connection to the tribe of Benjamin through Esther.  

The tribe of Benjamin was considered to be quite special, stemming from the 12th and youngest son of Jacob and 2nd son of Rachel who died in childbirth, raised by her sister and handmaidens.  They had land between Ephraim and Judah which included Jerusalem.  Saul, 1st king of Israel, was a Benjamite.  Their territory was a bone of contention between Israel and Judah after the division  of the kingdom and eventually, was partitioned between the two, mostly with Judah.  

Cyrus II died in 529 BCE as king of Persia.  He had overrun the Babylonian Empire which included Eretz Yisrael.  In 538 he was known to grant permission  to the exiles of Judah in Babylon  to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-44;  II Chronl. 36-22-23)  The Jewish exiles regarded Cyrus II as a Divine agent (Is.44:28:45:1).

Darius ((son of Xerxes I)-He was the eldest son of the Persian king Xerxes I and his wife Amestris. His younger brothers were Hystaspes and Artaxerxes, and his younger sisters were Rhodogune and Amytis.) reigned from (522-486 BCE) and had inherited the throne of Cyrus. In 465 BC, Darius may have ascended to the throne as King of Persia after his father was murdered in a conspiracy carried out by Artabanus and Aspamitres the eunuch, who were confidential advisers of Xerxes. Afterwards, they deceived Artaxerxes into believing that it was his older brother, Darius, who murdered his father. Darius was then taken to the palace of Artaxerxes and put to death.

  At the beginning of his reign, Xerxes/Ahasueros permitted Zerubbabel, grandson of king Jehoiachin (598-597 BCE) and the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to resume reconstruction of the Temple.  It seems the Jews had their own views of Darius and Cyrus II from other history records.  

Mordecai with his niece and cousin, Hadassah AKA Esther of the scroll of (Megillat Esther).  

Hadassah was a young Jewish woman, niece and cousin of Mordecai, the Benjamite, so she was no doubt also of his tribe of Benjamin. She was the daughter of Abihail.   Abihail was the father of Queen Esther and uncle of Mordecai (Esther 2:15; Esther 9:29).   

 It's the Jewish name for Esther, who became Queen Esther, wife of king Ahasueros, who learned of Haman's plot to kill all Jews in the kingdom through his wife, Esther.  He also learned that he himself was also to be assassinated along with the Jews.  Ahasueros saw to it that Haman was hanged and his position as Chief Minister was filled by Mordecai.  According to the Book of Esther, Esther entered the beauty contest not out of personal desire to be queen, but because she was "taken" into the king's harem, meaning she was essentially forced to participate as part of a royal decree, with the goal of ultimately using her position to protect her Jewish people from a potential threat; she did not reveal her Jewish identity to the king during the contest, following her uncle Mordecai's instructions to conceal her heritage.  Evidently things were that bad !                     

Ahasueros's 1st wife and Persian Queen was Vashti.According to the Aggadah (or Haggadah), a book of Jewish tradition and folklore, Vashti was the daughter of the  Babylonian king Belshazzar. The night that Belshazzar was killed (Daniel 5), Vashti was captured by the conquering Persians and given to Xerxes as a wife. According to various legends, Vashti’s refusal to appear before the king was due to modesty (she was told to appear nude), fear for her husband’s life (she figured she would be mobbed by the drunken crowd and the king would be killed), loathing for her husband (whom she considered to have non-royal blood), or the fact that she herself had leprosy. Another tradition says that Vashti was not simply banished from the king’s presence but was executed. It’s important to note that none of these details are in the biblical account, and there is no way to confirm their veracity.  According to Babylonian records, the last king of Babylon was Nabonidus who reigned from 556 to 539 BCE whose eldest son, Belshazar, acted as viceroy during his fathers lengthy stays in Arabia.  Belshazzar is also mentioned in Herodotus and Xenophon that Babylon fell on a feast-day.  

The king divorced her after she had refused to dance at his banquet for the entertainment of his guests.  This is when, after being a divorced king, he realized the need for another spouse, so held a beauty contest where Esther competed and won. Vashti was a hard act to follow, but Esther was supposed to be very beautiful.    

Resource:

https://bible-history.com/map-babylonian-captivity/susa

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abihail#:~:text=Abihail%20was%20the%20daughter%20of,Esther%20and%20uncle%20of%20Mordecai.

Haman, The Ancient Hitler

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

                              Haman, the Persian;  the First Anti-Semite

   Xerxes I  c. 518 – August 465 BCE), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BCE until his assassination in 465 BCE. He was the son of Darius the Great and Atossa, a daughter of Cyrus the Great.

                                          Esther, Queen of Persia married to King Ahasueros.

The Persian king in the Biblical Book of Esther is commonly thought to be Xerxes.  

King Xerxes or as we read of him, Ahasueros,  the famous king of the Persian Empire, had made Haman a Chief Minister of his.  He was called the "Agagite" which indicated his descent from Agag, king of Amalek. 

They were an ancient people existing no more, but who were mentioned several times in the Bible, who were always hostile to the people of Israel, even while they were on the Exodus.  They would attack the last people who were slower moving or older.

The Amalekites were a nomadic folk themselves wandering between Southern Eretz Yisrael and Canaan.  They also attacked the Israelites in the desert near Rephidim shortly after the Exodus, annihilating the weak and weary again.  Finally, they were defeated by the Israelite army under Joshua (Exod.7:8-13;  Deut. 25: 17-19).  To know the origin of the Amalekites, we must first understand their father, Amalek. And to do that… we must understand his father, Esau. Esau was a twin of Jacob, who tricked Esau out of his birthright and blessing—he’d rightfully earned as the oldest son. (from Christian source) Amalek is described in Genesis 36:16 as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau", from which it is surmised that he ruled a clan or territory named after him.

Israel consequently regarded Amalekites as an eternal foe, the extermination of which was a national mission (Exod.17o: 13-16), incompletely carried out later by Israel's 1st King Saul (I Sam.15).  During the period of the Judges (12th-11th cents. BCE), Amalekites penetrated Western Eretz Yisrael at various points and their presence was a standing threat to the peace of the country.  

In the Bible, David fought the Amalekites in the battle described in 1 Samuel 30. David and his men defeated the Amalekites and recovered everything they had taken, including David's two wives. 

In David's time, Amalek invaded Southern Judea, burning the town of Ziklag.  David fought and defeated them heavily, only 400 escaping. (I Sam.30).                                      

                The Amalikites Defeated, Exodus 17:8-13

 In the reign of Hezekiah (720-690 BCE) the tribe of Simeon overwhelmed the Amalekites and settled in their territory, whereas they had been living in Judea.  

The name remained in rabbinic literature as a symbol of everlasting enmity to Israel, and Haman "the Agagite" (Est.3:1) is regarded as a descendant of Agag.   

Saul Spares King Agag - 1 Samuel 15:11-9 -Illustrated Bible ...

Agag had been captured in battle by King Saul who spared his life.  The prophet, Samuel, regarded this as a transgression of the Divine command to wipe out the Amalekites and hewed Agag into pieces (I Sam.15).                                

Right after Haman was elevated to his position of power as a Chief, everyone in the kingdom" would bow down and prostrate themselves before Haman."  To enhance the homage paid to himself, Haman wore the image of a deity around his neck.  This step lent a religious significance to the ceremonious bowing. Yet there was one person who bowed to no men and who acknowledged no deities.  

 Mordecai, Esther's cousin or uncle and foster-father, is honoured by King Ahasuerus after Haman was exposed.

This was Mordecai, "and Mordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself."  Mordecai was known to be a Jew, so this gave Haman reason to rant against all the Jews, "And Haman sought to kill all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom as Xerxes or Ahasueros or Achashverosh.  

And when he sought to sell his plan for the "final solution"of the Jews in Persia to the king, Haman had only to point to their Jewishness:  "Their laws are different from every other peoples."  All other people were polytheistic, and Jews were monotheistic.  Jews also refused to sacrifice people to their god. 

Now the Jews realized that they were hated simply because they were Jewish.  It was a revelation to them since so many had become Hellenized.  They realized that their religion meant more to them than before.  Where once they had been so casual about their Jewishness that they could enjoy a party celebrating their own physical and spiritual downfall, not events had brought about a fresh appreciation of Jewish life.                                        

The same awareness should have also happened at the end of WWII and the Holocaust where 6 million Jews were slaughtered in the name of Hitler.             

Behind it all is Iran's Ayatollah and his henchman of Lebanon, Bashar Assad who is now in Russia.  

It's happening again with Israel being threatened by Hamas terrorists, Hezbollah terrorists of Lebanon, and the Houthis terrorists of Yemen, amounting to 7 fronts whereby the IDF is fighting.  

Our story is one of a uniquely Jewish struggle to maintain a passionate sense of identity amidst a host culture that was at times welcoming and at time, threatening.  When Jewish lives were threatened specifically because they were Jewish lives, the Jews of Persia realized that not only did they want to live, but more than anything else they wanted to live as Jews.  

If you are not familiar with the Esther story, Esther tells her husband of Haman's plan which was already in play, killing many Jews, to kill all, and that she was Jewish.  Ahasueros was so mad that the had Haman hung with all his 10 sons.  We have remembered this history of ours with the holiday of Purim, a happy holiday of being saved from extermination.  According to the Book of Esther, Haman had ten sons. However, Talmudic scholars disagree on the exact number of Haman's sons. 

Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Around the Year with the National Jewish Outreach Program by Simon Apisdorf/intro. by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/why-amalekites-special-enemies-israel.html

Our History: From Slavery in Egypt's Empire to Slavery in Persian Empire

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

It all started with Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah in the Hebrew year of

2080, which was about 1671 BCE.   They left the city of their fathers, Ur OF THE CHALDEES, which told them that they were immigrants in that city of Ur and had come from the Chaldeans.  They did not want others to think they were natives of Ur.  

Chaldea and people from there, the Chaldeans (Kasdim in Hebrew) were a Semitic tribe which migrated to Southern Babylonia and adopted the ancient Babylonian culture.  Chaldea was a small country in southern Babylonia, which is now southern Iraq. It was located between the Persian Gulf, the Arabian desert, and the Euphrates delta. Chaldea existed from the late 10th or early 9th century BCE to the mid-6th century BCE. The country and its people were absorbed into the indigenous population of Babylonia. The Chaldean Empire collapsed after the death of King Nebuchadnezzar II. 

Our history of slavery in Egypt began in the Hebrew calendar of 2332 or 1428 BCE  after one pharaoh okayed our living in Egypt through Jacob's family who had sheep and promised to also watch over the pharaoh'scattle as well.  The next pharaoh felt there were too many of these Israelites or Ivrim, and placed them in bondage. The time from living in Egypt and being freed by Moses was 400 years.   

Moses freed his newly found people as he had been raised by a princess,the daughter of the present pharaoh who found him in a river basket during a time of slaughtering male Ivrim babies by the pharaoh. He took them ona 40 year exodus back to their homeland we call the Exodus, and on theway, wrote 5 books now called the Torah given to him at Mt. Sinai in theHebrew year of 2448 or 1312 BCE.   

The Ivrim,  now called the Jewish people, entered the land to becomeIsrael in the Hebrew year of 2488 or 1272 BCE.  Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel in about 1030 to 1010 BCE, followed by David and thenhis son, Solomon from 961 BCE to 920 BCE.  

Solomon built the Temple, the first Temple, in the Hebrew year of 2935 or825 BCE.  It was later destroyed by the Babylonians and the Ivrim weretaken as slaves in the Hebrew year of 3338 or 422 BCE. Actually, we havethe dates of 597 BCE and again 586 BCE as dates that Nebuhadnezzar'sBabylonians had attacked the 10 tribes.   Dates figuring from Jewishhistorians go along with these dates.  

Before that in 721 BCE, the 10 northern tribes of Israel were stolen away by the Assyrians leaving Judea and its surrounding lands of Samaria.  

Now, getting to our main history of Purim events:  we come to the Hebrew year of 3405 or 355 BCE.  This is when 10,000 scholarsand leaders were exiled to Babylonia from the Hebrew year of 3327 / 434 BCE when they destroyed the 1st Temple the nextyear and exiled the Jews by the Hebrew year of 3338 or 422 BCE of the Jewish  period  of history when Babylonian Exile started.  This was done  by Nebuhadnezzar and the Babylonians.  

                    Persian Empire Era 

The Persians conquered the Chaldeans, ending their ethnic identity. They gradually gained supremacy over the native inhabitants and gave their name to the entire area.  In other words, Media and Persia joined forces to conquer Babylonia in the Hebrew date of 3388 or 372 BCE.  (Attempts were made, initially under Merodach-Baladan, to overthrow Assyria, and they finally succeeded in the 7th century BCE under Nabopolassar and his son, Nebuchadnezzar, who established an empire extending from Assyria to the Egyptian border by the Hebrew date of 3338 or 372 BCE). 

Cyrus became king of the Persian Empire in Hebrew time of 3390 or 371 BCE.  He was also believed to be the son or grandson of Queen Esther and King Ahasueros.  It was Darius I (522-486 BCE) who inherited the throne of Cyrus.  It was he who permitted Zerubbabel and the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to resume reconstruction of the Temple.  Darius III led his Persian warriors.  

                            The Persian Empire (Today's Iran)  In modern Iran, the Persians make up the majority of the population. They are native speakers of the modern dialects of Persian, which serves as the country's official language.                                  

 

Esther became queen of Persia in 3404 or 356 BCE.  She was the niece of Mordecai.  Mordecai became the new prime minister in 3405  or 355 BCE after he exposes Hamans' plot to kill all the Jews of the Persian Empire.   Their empire lasted from 3390 on Hebrew calendar or 371 BCE when Achashverosh (Ahasueros) took his throne  in 3401 or 360 BCE.  Haman became Prime Minister of Persia.  Slavery wasn't enough for Haman;  he wanted all Jews dead.  Up till now, slaves worked for people, making their lives easier.

 This was conquered by the Persians in 539   The fame of the Chaldeans as astrologers made the terms synonymous long after their empire had vanished.  Aramaic has been called Chaldaic or Chaldee, but this is a misnomer.                            

We continue to remember this history with our holiday of Purim.  We're not the only people who remember such history.  Saddam Hussein declared himself to be the NEW NEBUCHADNEZZAR and attacked Israel, but was defeated in the Gulf War which ended on Purim 5751 or 1991 CE. The Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991), was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until his overthrow in 2003.

Iraq used to be called Mesopotamia but was conquered by the Arabs in 637 CE.  It's Jewish population had been on their side wanting deliverance from Sassanid persecution.  Jews had been expelled from Arabia and settled in Kufa.  Iraq gained their independence in 1932 when they were  persecuting the Jews in a pogrom in 1941.  Most Jews finally left during Israel's saving grace of Operation Ezra and Nehemiah.  123,500 reached Israel since 1948.  

Resource:

Edited on 2 dates at 7:23pm on 1/20/2025

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Around the year with the National Jewish Outreach Program by Shimon Apisdorf/intro by Rabbi Ephraim Z.. Buchwald