The Cyrus Cylinder, often considered one of the first declarations of human rights and religious tolerance, is rightly seen as emblematic of the culture of the Persian Empire before the invasion. Often called “Nestorian” by Westerners, these Iranian Christians not only had a prominent presence in ancient Iran’s capital-- the famous city of Ctesiphon whose architecture, and even pillaged bricks, helped shape Baghdad as the capital of the Islamic caliphate in its “Golden age,” but Nestorian bishops presided over schools that would, even in later centuries, send monks as far as India and China. Even in recent years, Shiite theologians close to the regime in Tehran have claimed that the Bible has been manipulated by Jews and Christians to eliminate any references to the final emergence of Mohammad as the expected new messiah and the last of the prophetic line.
Author: December 9, 2025
Published at: 2025-12-09 00:00:00
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