The biblical backstory of Iran

Iran is back within the headlines. The word “Iran” doesn’t appear within the Bible, however the names of preceding peoples and empires occupying that land today are written into the biblical narrative. This is the story …

The Name “Iran”

Modern-day Iran consists of many peoples speaking many languages, however the important language is named Persian, or Farsi. The name “Iran” derives from “Aryan” and means “land of the Aryans.” The term “Persia” originates from “Parsa,” the name of the region in southwest Iran where the Persian Empire began. This name involves us from Greek and was adopted by Western languages. “Persia” was the name utilized by outsiders, while “Iran” is the name within the local language. For centuries, the land was often called Persia, and in 1935 the name Iran was officially adopted. For over two thousand years, Persia (Iran) was ruled by successive Shahs, until the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Iranians within the Old Testament

Iranians traditionally descend from two of the grandsons of Noah: Madai and Elam. The stories of Daniel and Esther are set in what’s now Iran, and the names of Persian kings appear in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Medes

Madai, the third son of Japheth mentioned in Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5, is traditionally seen because the ancestor of the Medes. The city of Achmetha (now called Hamadan) and the encompassing land of Media recall him. The Medes are mentioned within the Old Testament books of two Kings, 1 Chronicles, Ezra, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. The land of Media is now northwest Iran, and the province of Hamadan gets its name from Media.

Elamites

Elam, the son of Shem mentioned in Genesis 10:22 and 1 Chronicles 1:17, is traditionally seen because the ancestor of the Elamites. The land of Elam was named after him. Elam was an ancient kingdom east of the River Tigris and along the northwest coast of the Gulf. In Genesis 14, we examine Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, who battled Abraham. The land of Elam and the Elamites appear within the books of Ezra and Isaiah. The Elamites built the traditional city of Shushan, which is mentioned over thirty times within the Old Testament books of Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site often called Susa. The land of Elam is now southwest Iran, and the fashionable Iranian province of Ilam gets its name from Elam.

Israelites in Media

Jews ended up within the lands of what we now call northern Iraq and northern Iran following successive waves of expulsion and compelled resettlement. In the 730s and 720s BC, the northern tribes were taken when “the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and within the cities of the Medes” (2 Kings 18:11–12).

Jews in Elam

During the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylonia, Jerusalem was besieged in 597 BC. Around this time, Jeremiah was a prophet. Shortly afterwards, Judah was conquered, and Jerusalem was destroyed in or about 586 BC. The people of Judah were taken into captivity and resettled in Babylon and in numerous parts of the empire, including Elam.

Daniel

The book of Daniel is about in Shushan in Elam (Daniel 8:2), in what’s modern-day southwest Iran, in the course of the Babylonian Empire. The story begins in Daniel chapter 1, within the third yr of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, and continues into chapter 5 under his grandson, King Belshazzar.

King Cyrus

“The writing was on the wall” for King Belshazzar (Daniel 5:25–29), and in 539 BC he was deposed by King Cyrus the Persian (Daniel 5:30–31), who had defeated the Medes to create the Medo-Persian Empire. Cyrus captured Elam and the good city of Shushan, which became his latest capital.

Return from Exile

King Cyrus was tolerant of the nationalities and cultures in his empire. During his reign, in or about 538 BC, King Cyrus the Great decreed that the Jewish exiles could return to their homeland (2 Chronicles 36:22–23). The story of the return is then told within the book of Ezra. Not all Jews returned, and the continuing ancient Jewish communities in places akin to Iraq, Iran, Georgia, and Bukhara descend from those that remained.

King Darius

King Cyrus was succeeded by his grandson, Darius the Persian. The Bible states that “Daniel prospered within the reign of Darius, and within the reign of Cyrus the Persian” and that the law of the Medes and Persians was implemented (Daniel 6:8). Darius found the decree from King Cyrus within the royal archives in Ecbatana, “the capital within the province of Media” (Ezra 6:2 NRSV), and he allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, which was accomplished within the sixth yr of his reign, in or about 516 BC (Ezra 6:15). After Darius died, he was succeeded by his son, King Xerxes.

Esther

The story behind the Book of Esther unfolds in Persia under King Xerxes, also called Ahasuerus, who was king of the Medes and the Persians and had his capital in Shushan (Esther 1:2) in Elam. He replaced his wife, Queen Vashti, with the Jewess Esther, who, together with Mordecai, thwarted Haman’s plot to kill the Jews and preserved the Jewish communities across Persia. The Jewish Feast of Purim, commanded in Esther 9:26–32, remains to be practised by most Jewish communities all over the world and recalls these events, which took place in ancient Iran.

Artaxerxes

King Xerxes of Persia was succeeded by Artaxerxes I, which forms the background to much of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. King Artaxerxes appears within the fourth chapter of Ezra. The story of Ezra the scribe begins within the seventh chapter of Ezra, when Artaxerxes commissioned him to go away Babylon, go to Jerusalem, and take charge of the civil affairs of the Jewish nation.

The book of Nehemiah opens with the phrase: “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it got here to pass within the month Chisleu, in the 20 th yr, as I used to be in Shushan…” (Nehemiah 1:1 KJV). Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia (Nehemiah 1:11) at Shushan in Elam. He told the king of his sorrow in regards to the state of Jerusalem, and the king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem with letters of secure passage to rebuild town partitions (Nehemiah 2:1–9).

Later History

The later history of Persia isn’t told within the Bible. The empire of the Medes and Persians was overthrown by Alexander the Great. After his empire broke up, the region got here under the Seleucid Empire, which in turn was overthrown by the Parthians.

The Wise Men

When we come to the New Testament, the people of Persia once more appear within the story. It isn’t known obviously where the clever men who visited Jesus, mentioned in Matthew 2:1–12, got here from. Some suggest that, because the word “Magi” is Persian in origin, perhaps they got here from Persia (now Iran), and maybe they were Medes or Zoroastrian priests from Parthia. Certainly, each the Medes and the Zoroastrians had an important popularity in precedent days for astronomy and astrology. Fourth-century depictions of the Magi within the Middle East show them in Persian costume, but whether this was based on knowledge or tradition isn’t known. Other theories suggest they got here from Petra, Arabia, or Mesopotamia.

Persians at Pentecost

At Pentecost, local and diaspora Jews from all around the Middle East got here to Jerusalem, as described within the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. They are listed as “Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites …” (Acts 2:8–11).

The interesting thing about this list is that the primary three groups mentioned represented far-flung Jewish communities of Persia. The Parthians, Medes, and Elamites were all from areas beyond the Roman Empire and beyond the River Tigris, in what’s now modern-day Iran. Parthians were from Parthia (now northeast Iran), Medes from Media (now northwest Iran), and Elamites from Elam (now southwest Iran). Returning home to Parthia, Media, and Elam, a few of these Jewish believers began messianic congregations, and there was a continuous presence of historic Christian communities in Iran ever since.

Early Church

As the early Church grew, so did the Church in Persia. The Church historian Origen stated that the Apostle Thomas, together with Bartholomew, went to Parthia, and Thomas was often called the “Apostle to the Parthians” before happening to India. Today, churches in Iraq, Iran, and India that claim descent from St Thomas are often called Mar Thoma churches.

Growth of Islam

The Parthians were overthrown by the Sassanians in AD 224, who were conquered by the Islamic Caliphate in AD 651. From then on, Islam – mainly in its Shi’ite form – slowly grew because the dominant religion of the region. Historic Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian minorities remain in Iran, although since 1948 many Jews have settled in modern-day Israel (see Isaiah 11:11–12).

Tombs

Iran has the tombs of the Persian kings who feature within the Bible. The tomb of Cyrus the Great is situated in Pasargadae, in Fars Province in Iran, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tombs of the later Persian kings – Xerxes I, Darius the Great, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II – are cut into the mountain near Naqsh-e Rostam, near Persepolis in Fars Province.

Iran also reputedly has the tombs of some biblical figures. In Susa (ancient Shushan) is a site believed to be the tomb of the prophet Daniel. In Hamadan (ancient Ecbatana) is a site believed to be the tomb of Esther and Mordechai. These are visited by pilgrims from different Abrahamic faiths. Marco Polo even claimed to have visited the tombs of the Magi in Saba (Saveh), near Tehran, although whatever he saw has not survived.

Summary

Persians are found throughout much of the Bible, and a few biblical accounts are set in what’s now Iran. There has been an ancient Jewish presence because the time of exile and an ancient Christian presence since Pentecost, each of which proceed today. Historic Orthodox Churches have existed for a lot of centuries as minority communities, and there are places of pilgrimage necessary for Jews and Christians.

Today, there may be an important revival amongst Iranians, with growing interest within the Bible, and plenty of are coming to Christ inside and outdoors Iran. Sadly, in times of war with the West, it is usually the local Jewish and Christian communities within the Middle East – who otherwise live in peace with their neighbours – who bear the brunt of reprisals and persecution, as scapegoats or through association with political conflicts to which they will not be party.