NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Cyrus Cylinder

The Cyrus Cylinder, also known as the ‘Cyrus the Great Cylinder’, is an artifact of the Persian Empire, consisting of a declaration issued by the emperor Cyrus the Great inscribed in Babylonian (Akkadian) cuneiform on a clay cylinder. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and beyond in Western Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. ... Cyrus the Great (Old Persian: KÅ«ruÅ¡,[1] modern Persian: Ú©ÙˆØ±ÙˆØ´ Ø¨Ø²Ø±Ú¯, Kurosh-e Bozorg) (c. ... Akkadian (liÅ¡Änum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... The cuneiform script is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. ...

It was discovered in 1879 by the Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam in the foundations of the Esagila (i.e., the Marduk temple of Babylon) and is kept today in the British Museum in London.^[1] It has been suggested that Assyrian people be merged into this article or section. ... Hormuzd Rassam (1826-1910) was an Assyriologist and traveller, born at Mosul of Christian parents. ... The Esagila temple of the raising of the head was a temple dedicated to Marduk, the protector god of Babylon. ... Marduk (Sumerian spelling in Akkadian: AMAR.UTU solar calf; Biblical: Merodach) was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon permanently became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi (18th century... Babylon (in Arabic: Ø¨Ø§Ø¨Ù„; in Syriac: Ü’Ü’Ü™Ü in Hebrew:×‘×‘×œ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 80km south of Baghdad. ... The British Museum in London, England is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Historical Context

On October 12 (Julian calendar; October 7 by the Gregorian calendar) 539 BC, Persian troops entered the city of Babylon, without meeting resistance. On October 29, Cyrus himself entered the city, assuming the titles of "king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four corners of the world." The Cyrus Cylinder was placed under the walls of Babylon as a foundation deposit, following a long Babylonian tradition. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (813x358, 53 KB)[edit] Summary The Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great (superimposed on modern borders). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (813x358, 53 KB)[edit] Summary The Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great (superimposed on modern borders). ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and came into force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... Babylon (in Arabic: Ø¨Ø§Ø¨Ù„; in Syriac: Ü’Ü’Ü™Ü in Hebrew:×‘×‘×œ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 80km south of Baghdad. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sumer (or Å umer) was the earliest known civilization of the ancient Near East, located in the southern part of Mesopotamia (southeastern Iran) from the time of the earliest records in the mid 4th millennium BC until the rise of Babylonia in the late 3rd millennium BC. The term Sumerian applies... For the Egyptian writer, see Abbas Al-Akkad. ... Foundation deposits are ritual mudbrick lined pits or holes dug at specific points under Ancient Egyptian temples or tombs, which were filled with ceremonial objects, usually amulets, scarabs, food, or ritual miniature tools, and were supposed to prevent the building from falling into ruin. ...

Description and Content

The text consists of two fragments, known as "A" (lines: 1-35, measures: 23 x 8 cm) and "B" (36-45, 8,6 x 5,6 cm). "A" has always been in the British Museum; "B" had been kept at Yale University, but has been transferred to the British Museum.^[2] â€œYaleâ€ redirects here. ...

The contents of the cylinder which categorizes as the royal foundation, falls into six parts:^[3]

The characteristic passages of this Cyrus inscription are: Nabonidus (Akkadian NabÃ»-nÄÊ¾id) was the last King of Babylon, who ruled the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 556 BC to 539 BC. His reign was characterized by his lack of interest in the politics and religion of his kingdom, preferring instead to study the older temples and antiquities in... Cambyses II (Persian Kambujiya), was the name borne by the son of Cyrus the Great. ...

The Cylinder as a Charter of Human Rights

The Cyrus Cylinder has been described as the world’s first charter of human rights,^[5]^[6]^[7], and "predating the Magna Carta by more than one millenium".^[8] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Young Shashi Tharoor Shashi Tharoor (Born 9 March 1956 in London) is the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information. ... The Cyrus Cylinder. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ...

It was translated into all official U.N. languages in 1971.^{[citation needed]} A replica of the cylinder is kept at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in the second floor hallway, between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council chambers.^[9] This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ...

Passages in the text have been interpreted as expressing Cyrus’ respect for humanity, and as promoting a form of religious tolerance and freedom.^[10] By this argument, Cyrus' generous policies, support for local religions and stated opposition to repression and tyranny did win him support from his subjects.^[11]

However, there are many scholars who disagree with the concept of the Cylinder as a Charter of Human Rights, and have argued that such a concept is alien to the historical context. They also point out that Mesopotamia has a long tradition dating back to the third millennium BC of Kings making similar declarations when beginning their reigns and thus Cyrus' own declaration was neither unique nor the first.^[12]^[13]"

Biblical significance

The Bible records that some Jews returned to their homeland from Babylon, where they had been settled by Nebuchadrezzar, to rebuild the temple following an edict from Cyrus (Ezra 1. 1-4). This appears to be confirmed by the Cyrus Cylinder^[14]: Cyrus the Great figures in the Old Testament as the patron and deliverer of the Jews. ... An engraving inside an onyx-stone-eye in a Marduk statue that might depict Nebuchadrezzar II Nebuchadrezzar II, more often called Nebuchadnezzar (), was a ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c. ...

Although it does not mention Judah or the Jews, the last phrase of line 32 has been interpreted as a reference to Cyrus' policy of allowing deportees to return to their original lands. However, this view has been challenged by Amelie Kuhrt, who argued that the people referred to are not deportees but people associated with the returned god images' cult^[17].

Editions and Translations

The latest edition of the Akkadian language text is: Akkadian (liÅ¡Änum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ...

1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The American archaeologist James Bennett Pritchard (October 4, 1909 – January 1, 1997) explicated the interrelationships of the religions of ancient Israel, Canaan, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

^ Muhammad Dandamaev, "The Cyrus Cylinder", in E. Yarshater (ed.) Encyclopedia Iranica vol. VI, 1993, p. 521
^ Cyrus Cylinder: a Declaration of Good Kingship The British Museum.
^ Wisehöfer, J., Ancient Persia from 550 BC to 650 AD, 2006 1996 , pp. 44-45.
^ Wisehöfer, J., Ancient Persia from 550 BC to 650 AD, 2006 1996 , p. 45.
^ Interview with United Nations Under-Secretary Shashi Tharoor
^ Abbas Milani. Lost Wisdom. 2004. Mage Publishers. p.12. ISBN 0934211906
^ U.N. chief awarded Cyrus cylinder The Iranian.com; Retrieved January 12, 2007
^ Abbas Milani. Lost Wisdom. 2004. Mage Publishers. p.12. ISBN 0934211906
^ United Nations Press Release 14 October 1971 (SG/SM/1553/HQ263)
^ WHAT IS NEW HORIZONS AND WHY, Center For Inquiry West (CFI) Website, Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ Schaff, Philip, The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. III, Cyrus the Great
^ A. Kuhrt "The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid imperial policy" in Journal of Studies of the Old Testament 25 pp. 83-97; B. van der Spek, "Did Cyrus the Great introduce a new policy towards subdued nations? Cyrus in Assyrian perspective" in Persica 10 pp. 273-285; M. Dandamaev A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire, pp. 52-53; J. Wisehöfer, Ancient Persia from 550 BC to 650 AD, 2006 1996 , p. 82.
^ British Museum, The Cyrus Cylinder
^ Dandamaev, "Cyrus II (the Great)", p. 319, in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
^ Older translations used to give "Nineveh" instead of "[Babylon]". The relevant passage is fragmentary, but I. Finkel has recently concluded that it is impossible to interpret it as "Nineveh" (I. Finkel, "No Nineveh in the Cyrus Cylinder", in NABU 1997 [1].).
^ Cyrus Cylinder translation, adapted from Schaudig 2001.
^ A. Kuhrt, "The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid Imperial Policy", p. 86-87, in Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 25 (1983).

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | History of Iran | Achaemenid dynasty | Collection of the British Museum Encyclopædia Iranica is a project of Columbia Universitys Center for Iranian Studies to create a comprehensive and authoritiative English language encyclopedia about the history and culture of Iran and Persia. ... The British Museum in London, England is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... Abbas Milani on C-SPAN 2 Abbas Malek-Z Milani (born 1949) is an Iranian-American historian, Iranologist, and author. ... Abbas Milani on C-SPAN 2 Abbas Malek-Z Milani (born 1949) is an Iranian-American historian, Iranologist, and author. ... Philip Schaff (January 1, 1819-1893), was a Swiss-born, German-educated theologian and a historian of the Christian church, who, after his education, lived and taught in the United States. ... The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge is a 1914 religious encyclopedia, published in thirteen volumes. ...

Contents

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