Chapter 49 Cyrus - King of Persia

At the same time, a small tribe of Persian shepherds embarked on a campaign to destroy the mighty empire of West Asia.Cyrus, the king of Persia, allowed the Jewish exiles to return to their own land.But most of the Jews were very happy with life in the comfortable city of Babylon and stayed where they were, and only a few who took their religious responsibilities seriously returned to the ruins of Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and make it a place for Jews all over the world. Absolutely the only center for worshiping Yahweh. As early as the seventh century before the birth of Jesus, there was a small Semitic tribe called the Chaldeans: Kaldi or Chaldeans - Annotation. , had left their home in the Arabian Desert and migrated north.

After several adventurous and unsuccessful attempts to invade Assyrian territory, the Chaldeans finally came to a mutual agreement with the mountain people living in the eastern part of the Mesopotamian plain. Together they defeated the Assyrian army and captured and destroyed the city of Nineveh. On the ruins of the old empire, the leader of Chaldea, Naboparasar, established his own kingdom, which some of our historians now call the Kingdom of Neo-Babylon, and also the Kingdom of Chaldea. His son, Nebuchadnezzar, greatly consolidated the borders he had inherited and made Babylon (as it had been 3,000 years ago) the center of the world's ancient civilization.

In the endless battles with the surrounding area, Nebuchadnezzar invaded and conquered the remnants of the old Jewish state that once belonged to Judah, and moved several Judah (or Jewish) colonies from the Mediterranean Sea to the banks of the Euphrates River. Fortunately, his relationship with his Jewish subjects is still harmonious, although it is sometimes mediocre. Like all other stern monarchs, Nebuchadnezzar had a great interest in fortune-telling, and a person who could perfectly realize his dreams would naturally be favored by the monarch. The prophet Daniel looked like such a man.

According to a book that bears his name (which was not written until four hundred years later), Daniel was a young prince of Judah who was plundered to Babylon with his three cousins. There they may be educated at the Chaldean court. These four boys were very loyal servants of Jehovah. They obeyed every detail of the divine law. For example, when they were offered unfaithful court food, they refused to eat it, and insisted that their meat and vegetables be prepared according to the details detailed in those ancient rules—how cattle and sheep should be slaughtered. , How to cook vegetables.

Fortunately, the Chaldeans were tolerant and easygoing, and the few young captives got everything they asked for. They are hardworking and studious children. They learned all that the schools of the kingdom of Babylon could teach them, and swore to be useful subjects in their host country. Just in the last year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, the old king had a dream. He called his "brain-tank warlocks" together and ordered them to realize his dreams. If they are fulfilled, they will be rewarded, but if they are not fulfilled, they will die.Of course, these "think tanks" first said to the king: "Tell us your dream, Your Majesty, and we will do our best to realize your dream."

"I have forgotten what dream I had," said the King, "but I know that I dreamed something. It is your duty to tell me what I have dreamed and what it means." The warlocks begged for forgiveness. They beg their rulers to be reasonable. "How can anyone tell another what they don't know?" cried the warlocks. But the tyrants of the West are not interested in such an answer. With nothing more to say, Nebuchadnezzar sent all these "brains" to the gallows. It seemed that he had a very bad temper that day. He not only ordered the killing of those who failed in duty, but also ordered the killing of all the warlocks and wizards in his palace.

An officer was sent to the residence of Daniel and his friends to execute them like their colleagues. But Daniel was like Joseph in many ways, and he was on good terms with the officers of the Babylonian court.He asked the captain of the guard for a few days' grace. Meanwhile, he was thinking about what he could do. He lay down and fell asleep, and soon the Lord showed him in a dream the dream which Nebuchadnezzar had so carelessly forgotten.