The Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great who conquered Babylon in 536 BC. Cyrus issued the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Under Darius the second Temple of Zerubbabel was completed; and under Xerxes, or Ahasuerus, the events recorded in the Book of Esther in the Bible happened; under Artaxerxes the Jewish state was reformed by Ezra, and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt by Nehemiah. The capital of the Persian Empire was Shushan. The Empire lasted a little more than 200 years, and came to an end in 330 BC.
Kings
Kings of Babylon in Biblical times
The Babylonian Empire became a world power in 625 BC after the fall of Assyria. Babylon continued its reign until 536 BC. Nebuchadnezzar, its greatest king, reigned in the days of Daniel and took the southern Kingdom of Judah into captivity after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Babylon was finally captured by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus as predicted by the prophet Daniel, and the Babylonian Empire came to an end in 536 BC.
Kings of Assyria in Biblical times
The Assyrian Empire is important to biblical history for devastation the kingdom of Israel and taking the 10 northern tribes into captivity in 722 BC.
04 Holy Spirit in the Old Testament: Judges & Kings
One of the main themes in the Old Testament regarding the Holy Spirit is that God empowers Israel’s leaders through His Spirit to bless the nation and keep His covenant promises.
1&2 Kings Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament books of 1&2 Kings.
Chronology of Ezra-Nehemiah
Chronology of the post exile: Ezra-Nehemiah
King David’s family tree
This chart summarizes the King David’s family tree, based on what we know from Scripture. This is a work in progress. Please contact me if you find errors, omissions or broken links.
When God calls – but I’m afraid 1 Kings 6
What if God has called me to something and I’m just plain afraid to follow? The path he’s put before me seems to frightening or overwhelming? What then? Handout When God calls: 5 ways to run your race well Follow God’s call with humble faith and obedience (1 Kings 19:19-21). Trust God to equip you […]
When God calls – rethink greatness 2 Kings 5
How do we silence that inner voice that says whatever I am doing it’s not enough? To tackle that question, we’ll look at a series of contrasts between how the world measures greatness and how God measures greatness from the story of Elisha, Naaman and Gehazi in 2 Kings 5.
When God calls – burn your ox 01 2 Kings 2:1-18
If every day is part of God’s plan for you, how do you live it out? That’s the question we explore in this series. Rather than how to find your calling, this series examines how to live your calling well by looking at how the prophet Elisha lived his calling. Handout When God calls: 5 […]
