King of Persia • Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire who conquered Babylon in 539 BC. God stirred his heart to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, fulfilling prophecies spoken by Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Related: Zerubbabel, Returnees from Exile, Haggai, Zechariah, Exiles of Judah
Scripture: Ezra 1:1-4, Ezra 6:3-5, Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 45:1-4, 2 Chronicles 36:22-23