The Persian Empire
Mountain 4
Medo-Persia

Cyrus the Persian united the Medes and the Persians through conquest. By conquering the Medes in 550 B.C. he was able to bring together an alliance that would continue to conquer and rule for many years as one of the great world empires. This combined Medo-Persian Empire went on to defeat the combined armies of Babylon,, Egypt and Lydia thus making it the second or bear like beast in Daniel 7:5 and the three armies which it conquered are the three ribs in it's mouth.

Daniel 7:5

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

Babylon's fall was due to the Judgment of God against it for it's arrogant sins against God as mentioned on the Babylon map. God not only used the Persian Empire to judge Babylon but to also put His people back into Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. God had sent prophesy to Cyrus by name through the mouth and pen of Isaiah well over a hundred years before he ever became king of Persia.

Isaiah 44:28 & Isaiah 45:1-4

28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Because of the obedience of a humble heathen king, many of the Israelite people reentered their own land and started to rebuild the temple of God. Israel did remain a part of the Persian empire for many years.

Iran is the remainder of what was once the Persian Empire. The empire had several capitols during it's reign. They are not shown here.

The Persian Empire lies within the yellow outline on a modern geopolitical map.