Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire
(Did you study him in any of your world history lessons? Me, nope! Guess I didn't go back far enough)
In March 1879, Hormuzd Rassam, an Assyrian archaeologist working for the British Museum, was excavating the ruins of Babylon in modern-day Iraq. Among the broken bricks and buried temples, he uncovered a small clay cylinder, about 22 centimeters long, inscribed with wedge-shaped Akkadian cuneiform script. At first glance, it seemed like another royal record, but soon scholars realized its extraordinary importance.
The text dates back to 539 BCE, when Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire, conquered Babylon.
The inscription describes how Cyrus entered the city peacefully, restored temples, and allowed displaced peoples to return to their homelands. Unlike typical conquest records that glorify violence, this cylinder spoke of tolerance, respect for local gods, and rebuilding communities. For this reason, many later called it the “first charter of human rights,” though historians see it more as a royal proclamation of legitimacy.
The discovery was astonishing because it connected archaeology with biblical history. The Book of Ezra describes Cyrus allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and the cylinder seemed to echo that policy. Today, the artifact rests in the British Museum, admired not only as a relic of ancient Persia but also as a symbol of enlightened rule.
This humble piece of clay, buried for centuries, became a voice from the past; reminding us that power can be expressed not only through conquest, but through mercy, restoration, and respect.
At the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand, the Cyrus Cylinder was recognized as one of the earliest documents on human rights in the world and inscribed on the World Heritage List. This significant step was approved by the member states of UNESCO.
The discovery was astonishing because it connected archaeology with biblical history. The Book of Ezra describes Cyrus allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and the cylinder seemed to echo that policy. Today, the artifact rests in the British Museum, admired not only as a relic of ancient Persia but also as a symbol of enlightened rule.
This humble piece of clay, buried for centuries, became a voice from the past; reminding us that power can be expressed not only through conquest, but through mercy, restoration, and respect.
At the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand, the Cyrus Cylinder was recognized as one of the earliest documents on human rights in the world and inscribed on the World Heritage List. This significant step was approved by the member states of UNESCO.
The first known declaration of human rights! Wow!
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