Western Tradition
Week One Primary Source Assignment.
Special instructions: Out of the five Roman numeral sections you see, choose THREE Roman numeral sections, reading those three sections
and answering the accompanying questions for those three sections.
I) The Code of Hammurabi
This is an extensive source, so I have provided the following link to a PDF document on the Web.
http://www.general-intelligence.com/library/hr.pdf
Questions for this source:
a) In the Code, why does Hammurabi feel justified in setting forth his law code?
b) What are some of the penalties? Do they strike you as too harsh to be fair?
c) What law amongst these laws stands out for you and why?
Your answer should be about 3-4 paragraphs in length.
II) Excerpt from the Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Negative Confessions
[THE FOLLOWING] WORDS SHALL BE SAID BY THE STEWARD OF THE KEEPER OF THE SEAL, NU, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, WHEN HE COMETH FORTH TO THE HALL
OF MAATI, SO THAT HE MAY BE SEPARATED FROM EVERY SIN WHICH HE HATH COMMITTED, AND MAY BEHOLD THE FACES OF THE GODS.
The Osiris Nu, whose word is truth, saith: Homage to thee, O great God, Lord of Maati! I have come unto thee, O my Lord, and I have
brought myself hither that I may behold thy beauties. I know thee, I know thy name, I know the names of the Forty-two Gods who live
with thee in this Hall of Maati, who live by keeping ward over sinners, and who feed upon their blood on the day when the consciences
of men are reckoned up in the presence of the god Un-Nefer. In truth thy name is Rehti-Merti-Nebti-Maati. In truth I have come unto
thee, I have brought Maati (Truth) to thee. I have done away sin for thee.
1) I have not committed sins against men.
2) I have not opposed my family and kinsfolk.
3) I have not acted fraudulently in the Seat of Truth.
4) I have not known men who were of no account.
5) I have not wrought evil.
6) I have not made it to be the first [consideration daily that unnecessary] work should be done for me.
7) I have not brought forward my name for dignities (i.e. nominated myself for honors).
8) I have not [attempted] to direct servants. [1]
9) I have not belittled God.
10) I have not defrauded the humble man of his property.
11) I have not done what the gods abominate.
12) I have not vilified a slave to his master.
13) I have not inflicted pain.
14) I have not caused anyone to go hungry.
15) I have not made any man to weep.
16) I have not committed murder.
17) I have not given the order for murder to be committed.
18) I have not caused calamities to befall men and women.
19) I have not plundered the offerings in the temples.
20) I have not defrauded the gods of their cake-offerings.
21) I have not carried off the fenkhu cakes [offered to] the Spirits.
22) I have not committed fornication with men, women or children.
23) I have not masturbated [in the sanctuaries of the god of my city].
24) I have not diminished from the bushel.
25) I have not filched [land from my neighbour’s estate and] added it to my own acre.
26) I have not encroached upon the fields [of others].
27) I have not added to the weights of the scales.
28) I have not depressed the pointer of the balance (i.e. also fixing scales).
29) I have not carried away the milk from the mouths of children.
30) I have not driven the cattle away from their pastures.
31) I have not snared the geese in the goose-pens of the gods.
32) I have not caught fish with bait made of the bodies of the same kind of fish.
33) I have not stopped water when it should flow.
34) I have not made a cutting in a canal of running water.
35) I have not extinguished a fire when it should burn.
36) I have not violated the times [of offering] the chosen meat offerings.
37) I have not driven away the cattle on the estates of the gods.
38) I have not turned back the god at his appearances.
I am pure. I am pure. I am pure. My pure offerings are the pure offerings of that great Benu which dwelleth in Hensu. For behold, I am
the nose of Neb-nefu (the lord of the air), who giveth sustenance unto all mankind, on the day of the filling of the Utchat in Anu, in
the second month of the season Pert, on the last of the month, [in the presence of the Lord of this earth]. I have seen the filling of
the Utchat in Anu, therefore let not calamity befall me in this land, or in this Hall of Maati, because I know the names of the gods
who are therein, [and who are the followers of the Great God].
Source: From the Book of the Dead Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 22
1) By reading this source, what aspects of society do you find that were most important to the Ancient Egyptians?
2) How does Egyptian morality compare with that of Judeo-Christian morality?
3) What parts of the confession stand out for you?
Your answer should be 3-4 paragraphs in length.
III) The Harem Conspiracy against Ramesses III (1167 BC)
Ramesses III ruled 1186 to 1155BC, and in 1167 was nearly murdered in a palace conspiracy that included members of his own harem of
wives and concubines. It is thought that this occurred because on of Ramesses wives, Teya, hoped to kill him and replace him with her
own son rather than the designated successor, Ramesses IV. The following records the charges against the 33 individuals (including 6
women) involved in the conspiracy.
Persons brought in because of the great crimes which they had committed, and placed in the court of examination before the great nobles
of the court of examination, that they might be examined by:
The overseer of the White House, Mentemtowe;
The overseer of the White House, Pefroi;
The standard-bearer, Kara;
The butler, Pebes;
The scribe of the archives, Mai,
The standard-bearer, Hori.
They examined them; they found them guilty; they brought their punishment upon them; their crimes seized them. White House: The
Treasury
The great criminal, Pebekkamen, formerly chief of the chamber.
He was brought in because of his collusion with Tiy and the women of the harem. He made common cause with them, and began bringing out
their words to their mothers and their brothers who were there, saying: “Stir up the people! Incite enemies to hostility against their
lord.” He was placed before the great nobles of the court of examination; they examined his crimes; they found that he ha committed
them. His crimes seized him; the nobles who examined him brought his judgment upon him.
The great criminal, Mesedsure, formerly butler.
He was brought in because of his collusion [with] Pebekkamen, formerly chief of the chamber, and with the women to stir up enemies to
hostilities against their lord. He was placed before the great nobles of the court of examination; they examined his crimes; they found
im guilty; they brought his punishment upon him. Mesedsure: a pseudonym meaning “Re hates him”
The great criminal, Peynok, formerly overseer of the king’s […] of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of his making common cause with Pebekkamen and Mesedsure, to commit hostility against their lord. He was
placed before the great nobles of the court of examination; they examined his crimes; they found him guilty; they brought his
punishment upon him. in the suite: while following. Part of the harem accompanied the king when he was travelling through Egypt.
The great criminal, Pendua, formerly scribe of the king’s […] of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of his making common cause with Pebekkamen and Mesedsure, the other criminal, formerly overseer of the king’s
[…] and the women of the harem, to make a conspiracy with them, to commit hostility against their lord. He was placed before the
nobles of the court of examination; they examined his crimes; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Petewnteamon, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of his hearing the words which the people discussed with the women of the harem, without reporting them. He
was placed before the great nobles of the court of examination; they examined his crimes; they found him guilty; they brought his
punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Kerpes, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the words which he had heard and had concealed. He was placed before the nobles of the court of
examination. They found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Khamopet, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the words which he had heard and had concealed. He was placed before the nobles of the court of
examination. They found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Khammale, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the words which he had heard and had concealed. He was placed before the nobles of the court of
examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Setimperthoth, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the words which he had heard and had concealed. He was placed before the nobles of the court of
examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Setimperamon, formerly inspector of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the words which he had heard and had concealed. He was placed before the nobles of the court of
examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Weren, who was butler.
He was brought in because of his hearing the words from the chief of the chamber, and when he had [withdrawn from] him, he concealed
them and did not report them. He was placed before the nobles of the court of examination; they found him guilty; they brought his
punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Eshehebsed, formerly assistant of Pebekkamen.
He was brought in because of his hearing the words from Pebekkamen; and when he had left him, he did not report them. He was placed
before the nobles of the court of examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Peluka, formerly butler and scribe of the White House.
He was brought in because of his collusion with Pebekkamen, having heard the words from him, without reporting them. He was placed
before the nobles of the court of examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him. Peluka: the Lycian.
The Luka were one of the Sea Peoples
The great criminal, the Libyan, Yenini, formerly butler.
He was brought in because of his collusion with Pebekkamen, having heard the words from him, without reporting them. He was placed
before the nobles of the court of examination; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him.
Wives of the people of the harem-gate, who united with the men, when the things were discussed; who were placed before the nobles of
the court of examination; they found them guilty; they brought their punishment upon them: six women.
The great criminal, Pere, son of Ruma, formerly overseer of the White House.
He was brought in because of his collusion with the great criminal, Penhuibin, making common cause with him to stir up enemies to
hostility against their lord. He was placed before the nobles of the court of examination; they found him guilty; they brought his
punishment upon him.
The great criminal, Binemwese, formerly captain of archers in Nubia.
He was brought in because of the letter, which his sister, who was in the harem, [in the suite], had written to him, saying: “Incite
the people to hostility! And come thou to begin hostility against thy lord.” He was placed before Kedendenna, Maharbaal, Pirsun, and
Thutrekhnefer; they examined him; they found him guilty; they brought his punishment upon him. Binemwese: a pseudonym, meaning
“Wicked in Thebes”
Persons brought in because of their crimes and because of their collusion with Pebekkamen, Peyes, and Pentewere.
They were placed before the nobles of the court of examination in order to examine them; they found them guilty; they left them in
their own hands in the court of examination; they took their own lives; and no punishment was executed upon them. they left them
in their own hands: The judges left the criminals to execute their own punishment
The great criminal, Peyes, formerly commander of the army.
The great criminal, Messui, formerly scribe of the house of sacred writings.
The great criminal, Perekamenef, formerly chief.
The great criminal, Iroi, formerly overseer of the […] of Sekhmet.
The great criminal, Nebzefai, formerly butler.
The great criminal, Shedmeszer, formerly scribe of the house of sacred writings.
Total, 6. Collusion, or the knowledge of a crime about to be committed without reporting it to the authorities was considered a
lesser crime, and the accused were allowed to take their own lives.
Persons who were brought in, because of their crimes, to the court of examination, before Kedendemia, Maharbaal, Pirsun, Thutrekhnefer,
and Mertusamon.
They examined them concerning their crimes; they found them guilty; they left them in their place; they took their own lives.
Pentewere, who bore that other name.
He was brought in because of his collusion [with] Tiy, his mother, when she discussed the words with the women of the harem, being
hostile against his lord. He was placed before the butlers, in order to examine him; they found him guilty; they left him in his place;
he took his own life.
The great criminal, Henutenamon, formerly butler.
He was brought in because of the crimes of the women of the harem; having been among them, and having heard (them), without reporting
them. He was placed before the butlers, in order to examine him; they found him guilty, they left him in his place; he took his own
life.
The great criminal, Pere, formerly scribe of the king’s […] of the harem, [in the suite].
He was brought in because of the crimes of the women of the harem; having been among them, and having heard (them), without reporting
them. He was placed before the butlers, in order to examine him; they found him guilty; they left him in his place; he took his own
life.
Persons upon whom punishment was executed by cutting off their noses and their ears, because of their forsaking the good testimony
delivered to them. The women had gone; had arrived at their place of abode, and had there caroused with them and with Peyes. Their
crime seized them.
This great criminal, Pebes, formerly butler.
This punishment was executed upon him; he was left (alone); he took his own life.
The great criminal, Mai, formerly scribe of the archives.
The great criminal, Teynakhte, formerly officer of infantry.
The great criminal, Oneney, formerly captain of police. This seems to have been an attempt by Peyes and the women from the
harem to pervert the course of justice. Mai and Pebes had been appointed members of the court trying the conspirators. The officers,
Teynakhte and Oneney, may have been in charge of the prisoners and let them out to visit the judges.
cutting off their noses and their ears: a shameful mark, at times in conjunction with deportation
the good testimony: the king’s instructions
at their place of abode: at the place of abode of the accused
caroused: lit. made a beer-hall.
Person who had been connected with them; they had contended with him, with evil and violent words; he was dismissed; punishment was not
executed upon him:
The great criminal, Hori, who was standard-bearer of the infantry. Hori too may have been one of the judges. In this record he is
called Xrw, meaning fallen or miserable, rendered as great criminal by Breasted, despite being found innocent. This may be indicative
of a principle of presumed guilt.
Questions for this Source:
a) Discuss the participants in the conspiracy. Who judged them of their crimes? What were their roles in attempting to assassinate
the Pharaoh? What were their punishments?
Your answer should be about 3-4 paragraphs in length.
IV) Accounts of the Campaign of Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians, against the Kingdom of Judah, 701 BCE
The following are two accounts of Sennacherib (r. 705-681) and his campaign against the Kingdom of Judah, which refused to acknowledge
his rule. The first account is from Sennacherib himself, and other accounts come from the Bible, which gives the Israelites’ side of
the story.
________________________________________
From The Sennacherib Prism
In my third campaign I marched against Hatti. Luli, king of Sidon, whom the terror-inspiring glamor of my lordship had overwhelmed,
fled far overseas and perished…. As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to his strong cities, walled
forts, and countless small villages, and conquered them by means of well-stamped earth-ramps and battering-rams brought near the walls
with an attack by foot soldiers, using mines, breeches as well as trenches. I drove out 200,150 people, young and old, male and female,
horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered them slaves. Himself I made a prisoner in
Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. I surrounded him with earthwork in order to molest those who were his city’s
gate. Thus I reduced his country, but I still increased the tribute and the presents to me as overlord which I imposed upon him beyond
the former tribute, to be delivered annually. Hezekiah himself, did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30
talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, antimony, large cuts of red stone, couches inlaid with ivory, nimedu-chairs
inlaid with ivory, elephant-hides, ebony-wood, boxwood and all kinds of valuable treasures, his own daughters and concubines. . .
From The Hebrew Bible, 2 Kings 18-19
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went on an expedition against all the fortified cities of Judah
and captured them. Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Leave me, and I
will pay whatever tribute you impose on me.” The king of Assyria exacted three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold
from Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hezekiah paid him all the funds there were in the temple of the Lord and in the palace treasuries…That
night the angel of the Lord went forth and struck down 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. Early the next morning, there they were, all
the corpses of the dead. So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp and went back home to Nineveh. When he was worshiping in the
temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adram-melech and Sharezer slew him with the sword and fled into the land of Ararat.
From The Hebrew Bible, 2 Chronicles 32
But after he had proved his [Hezekiah’s] fidelity by such deeds, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came. He invaded Judah, besieged the
fortified cities, and proposed to take them by storm. . . .His officials said still more against the Lord God and against his servant
Hezekiah, for he had written letters to deride the Lord, the God of Israel. . . They spoke of the God of Israel as though he were one
of the gods of the other peoples of the earth, a work of human hands. But because of this, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of
Amos, prayed and called out to him. Then the Lord sent an angel, who destroyed every valiant warrior, leader and commander in the camp
of the Assyrian king, so that he had to return shamefaced to his own country. And when he entered the temple of his own god, some of
his own offspring struck him down there with the sword.
Questions for these sources:
a) What do both accounts describe? How do events play out?
b) What are the similarities between the Assyrian account and the Biblical account?
c) What are the differences between the Assyrian account and the Biblical account?
Your answer should be about 3 paragraphs in length.
V) Herodotus, On the customs of the Persians (circa 400s BC/E)
Now the Persian nation is made up of many tribes. Those which Cyrus assembled and persuaded to revolt from the Medes were the principal
ones on which all the others are dependent. These are the Pasargadae, the Maraphians, and the Maspians, of whom the Pasargadae are the
noblest. The Achaemenidae, from which spring all the Perseid kings, is one of their clans. The rest of the Persian tribes are the
following: the Panthialaeans, the Derusiaeans, the Germanians, who are engaged in husbandry; the Daans, the Mardians, the Dropicans,
and the Sagartians, who are nomads.
The customs which I know the Persians to observe are the following: they have no images of the gods, no temples nor altars, and
consider the use of them a sign of folly. This comes, I think, from their not believing the gods to have the same nature with men, as
the Greeks imagine. Their wont, however, is to ascend the summits of the loftiest mountains, and there to offer sacrifice to Zeus,
which is the name they give to the whole circuit of the firmament. They likewise offer to the sun and moon, to the earth, to fire, to
water, and to the winds. These are the only gods whose worship has come down to them from ancient times. At a later period they began
the worship of Urania, which they borrowed from the Arabians and Assyrians. Mylitta is the name by which the Assyrians know this
goddess, whom the Arabians call Alitta, and the Persians Mitra.
To these gods the Persians offer sacrifice in the following manner: they raise no altar, light no fire, pour no libations; there is no
sound of the flute, no putting on of chaplets, no consecrated barley-cake; but the man who wishes to sacrifice brings his victim to a
spot of ground which is pure from pollution, and there calls upon the name of the god to whom he intends to offer. It is usual to have
the turban encircled with a wreath, most commonly of myrtle. The sacrificer is not allowed to pray for blessings on himself alone, but
he prays for the welfare of the king, and of the whole Persian people, among whom he is of necessity included. He cuts the victim in
pieces, and having boiled the flesh, he lays it out upon the tenderest herbage that he can find, trefoil especially. When all is ready,
one of the Magi comes forward and chants a hymn, which they say recounts the origin of the gods. It is not lawful to offer sacrifice
unless there is a Magus present. After waiting a short time the sacrificer carries the flesh of the victim away with him, and makes
whatever use of it he may please.
Of all the days in the year, the one which they celebrate most is their birthday. It is customary to have the board furnished on that
day with an ampler supply than common. The richer Persians cause an ox, a horse, a camel, and an ass to be baked whole and so served up
to them: the poorer classes use instead the smaller kinds of cattle. They eat little solid food but abundance of dessert, which is set
on table a few dishes at a time; this it is which makes them say that “the Greeks, when they eat, leave off hungry, having nothing
worth mention served up to them after the meats; whereas, if they had more put before them, they would not stop eating.” They are very
fond of wine, and drink it in large quantities. To vomit or obey natural calls in the presence of another is forbidden among them. Such
are their customs in these matters.
It is also their general practice to deliberate upon affairs of weight when they are drunk; and then on the morrow, when they are
sober, the decision to which they came the night before is put before them by the master of the house in which it was made; and if it
is then approved of, they act on it; if not, they set it aside. Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberation, but in
this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine. When they meet each other in the streets, you may know if the
persons meeting are of equal rank by the following token: if they are, instead of speaking, they kiss each other on the lips. In the
case where one is a little inferior to the other, the kiss is given on the cheek; where the difference of rank is great, the inferior
prostrates himself upon the ground. Of nations, they honor most their nearest neighbors, whom they esteem next to themselves; those who
live beyond these they honor in the second degree; and so with the remainder, the further they are removed, the less the esteem in
which they hold them. The reason is that they look upon themselves as very greatly superior in all respects to the rest of mankind,
regarding others as approaching to excellence in proportion as they dwell nearer to them; whence it comes to pass that those who are
the farthest off must be the most degraded of mankind. Under the dominion of the Medes, the several nations of the empire exercised
authority over each other in this order. The Medes were lords over all, and governed the nations upon their borders, who in their turn
governed the States beyond, who likewise bore rule over the nations which adjoined on them. And this is the order which the Persians
also follow in their distribution of honor; for that people, like the Medes, has a progressive scale of administration and government.
There is no nation which so readily adopts foreign customs as the Persians. Thus, they have taken the dress of the Medes, considering
it superior to their own; and in war they wear the Egyptian breastplate. As soon as they hear of any luxury, they instantly make it
their own: and hence, among other novelties, they have learnt unnatural lust from the Greeks. Each of them has several wives, and a
still larger number of concubines. Next to prowess in arms, it is regarded as the greatest proof of manly excellence to be the father
of many sons. Every year the king sends rich gifts to the man who can show the largest number: for they hold that number is strength.
Their sons are carefully instructed from their fifth to their twentieth year, in three things alone—to ride, to draw the bow, and to
speak the truth. Until their fifth year they are not allowed to come into the sight of their father, but pass their lives with the
women. This is done that, if the child die young, the father may not be afflicted by its loss.
They hold it unlawful to talk of anything which it is unlawful to do. The most disgraceful thing in the world, they think, is to tell a
lie; the next worst, to owe a debt: because, among other reasons, the debtor is obliged to tell lies. If a Persian has the leprosy he
is not allowed to enter into a city, or to have any dealings with the other Persians; he must, they say, have sinned against the sun.
Foreigners attacked by this disorder, are forced to leave the country: even white pigeons are often driven away, as guilty of the same
offence. They never defile a river with the secretions of their bodies, nor even wash their hands in one; nor will they allow others to
do so, as they have a great reverence for rivers. There is another peculiarity, which the Persians themselves have never noticed, but
which has not escaped my observation. Their names, which are expressive of some bodily or mental excellence, all end with the same
letter—the letter which is called San by the Dorians, and Sigma by the Ionians. Any one who examines will find that the Persian
names, one and all without exception, end with this letter.
Thus much I can declare of the Persians with entire certainty, from my own actual knowledge. There is another custom which is spoken of
with reserve, and not openly, concerning their dead. It is said that the body of a male Persian is never buried, until it has been torn
either by a dog or a bird of prey. That the Magi have this custom is beyond a doubt, for they practice it without any concealment. The
dead bodies are covered with wax, and then buried in the ground.
The Magi are a very peculiar race, different entirely from the Egyptian priests, and indeed from all other men whatsoever. The Egyptian
priests make it a point of religion not to kill any live animals except those which they offer in sacrifice. The Magi, on the contrary,
kill animals of all kinds with their own hands, excepting dogs and men. They even seem to take a delight in the employment, and kill,
as readily as they do other animals, ants and snakes, and such like flying or creeping things. However, since this has always been
their custom, let them keep to it. Buying and selling in a marketplace is a custom unknown to the Persians, who never make purchases in
open marts, and indeed have not in their whole country a single market-place.
Questions for this source:
a) What are the religious customs of the Persians? How might they differ from Greek Religion?
b) How do the Persians view the world around them? How do they view other countries? Do they view them positively, negatively,
or both?
c) What practices do the Persians employ when coming to decisions? Why do you think they might employ such practices?
d) What Persian practices stand out for you and why?
Your answer should be about 4-5 paragraphs in length.
VI) The decrees of Cyrus on the religion of Babylon and the return of the Jews to the Holy Land
From The Kurash Prism:
I am Kurash [ “Cyrus” ], King of the World, Great King, Legitimate King, King of Babilani [Babylon], King of Kiengir and Akkade, King
of the four rims of the earth, Son of Kanbujiya, Great King, King of Hakhamanish, Grandson of Kurash, Great king, King of Hakhamanish,
descendant of Chishpish, Great king, King of Hakhamanish, of a family which always exercised kingship; whose rule Bel and Nebo love,
whom they want as king to please their hearts.
When I entered Babylon as a friend and when I established the seat of the government in the palace of the ruler under jubilation and
rejoicing, Marduk, the great lord [chief god of the city], induced the magnanimous inhabitants of Babylon to love me, and I was daily
endeavoring to worship him…. As to the region from as far as Assura and Susa, Akkade, Eshnunna, the towns Zamban, Me-turnu, Der as
well as the region of the Gutians, I returned to these sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris the sanctuaries of which have been
ruins for a long time, the images which used to live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I also gathered all their
former inhabitants and returned them to their habitations. Furthermore, I resettled upon the command of Marduk, the great lord, all the
gods of Kiengir and Akkade whom Nabonidus had brought into Babylon to the anger of the lord of the gods, unharmed, in their former
temples, the places which make them happy.
From The Hebrew Bible, Ezra 1:1-8:
In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord inspired King Cyrus
of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
“All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in
Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with
him! Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, and
goods, together with free will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’ Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the
priests and Levites—everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so—prepared to go up to build the house of the Lord in
Jerusalem. All their neighbors gave them help in every way, with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, and with many precious gifts besides
all their free-will offerings. King Cyrus, too, had the utensils of the house of the Lord brought forth which Nebuchadnezzar had taken
away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his god. Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought forth by the treasurer Mithredath, and
counted out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
From the Book of Isaiah, God’s plan for Cyrus
44:24 “This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD,the Maker of all things,who stretches out
the heavens,who spreads out the earth by myself,25 who foils the signs of false prophetsand makes fools of diviners,who overthrows the
learning of the wiseand turns it into nonsense,26 who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be
rebuilt,’and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,and I will dry up your streams,’28 who says
of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherdand will accomplish all that I please;he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’45 “This is what the LORD says to his anointed,to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold
of
to subdue nations before himand to strip kings of their armor to open doors before himso that gates will not be shut:2 I will go before
youand will level the mountains[b];I will break down gates of bronzeand cut through bars of iron.3 I will give you hidden
treasures,riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,the God of Israel, who summons you by name.4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,of Israel my
chosen,
I summon you by nameand bestow on you a title of honor,though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sunto the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.I am the LORD, and there is no other.7 I form the light and create darkness,I bring prosperity
and create disaster;I, the LORD, do all these things.8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it
down.Let the earth open wide,let salvation spring up,let righteousness flourish with it;I, the LORD, have created it.
45:13 I will raise up Cyrus[c] in my righteousness:I will make all his ways straight.He will rebuild my cityand set my exiles free,but
not for a price or reward,says the LORD Almighty.”
Questions for these sources:
1) Based on what you have learned in class, what was the state of Babylonian religion under Nabodinus (the last Chaldean King)?
How does the text put this into context?
2) What were Cyrus’ actions with regard to reforming Babylonian religion?
3) What did Cyrus do for the Jews with regard to their captivity in Babylon? How does the account of Isaiah discuss Cyrus’ role
in restoring the Jews to their homeland?
4) How would these actions have benefitted Cyrus?
Your answer should be about 5 paragraphs in length.
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