Persia— now modern-day Iran— was a key country of power during biblical times. Learn about the role it played and the people who were tied to it. 

Ancient Persia was similar in size and location to modern-day Iran. From 550 to 330 B.C., however, the Persians ruled over a vast empire stretching from the Aegean Sea in the west to the Indus Valley in the east and from the modern nations of Turkey in the north to Egypt in the south.

Persia became a world power under Cyrus the Great who united the Medes and the Persians in 549 B.C. Three years later, in 546 B.C., he conquered Lydia and added the former Babylonian Empire in 539 B.C. Cyrus was also the king who permitted the exiled Jews in Babylonia to return to their homeland (2 Chr 36.20-22; Ezra 1). His son and successor, Cambyses II, added Egypt to the Persian Empire in 525 B.C. But it was Darius I (the Great) who expanded the empire to its greatest size and who efficiently organized it into states (satrapies), each with its own governor.

It was during the rule of Darius I (522-486 B.C.) that the temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt (Ezra 3--6). The legendary story of Esther is set in the time of Xerxes I (486-465 B.C.). Xerxes was one of Darius' sons, though Xerxes is called Ahasuerus in the story (Esth 1.2; 2.1; 3.1; 8.1). Artaxerxes I (465-423 B.C.) permitted two other groups of Jewish exiles to return to Palestine during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Unlike the Assyrians and the Babylonians before them, who uprooted and deported the people they conquered, the Persians were very tolerant of local religious beliefs. This policy resulted in several occasions where the exiles from Judah were encouraged to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple.

Persia's own religion developed out of the principles of Zoroaster, one of their prophets. Their belief in angels, Satan, paradise, and the struggle between good (represented by Ahura Mazda) and evil (represented by Ahriman) affected both Jewish people and Christians.

In 330 B.C., the Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.).