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