The Cyrus Cylinder – World’s first Charter of Human Rights
The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay artifact, inscribed with a declaration from Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great after his conquest of Babylon (modern day Iraq) in 539 BCE. It is written in Akkadian cuneiform script. It was created and used as a foundation deposit following the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, when the Neo-Babylonian Empire was invaded by Cyrus and incorporated into his Persian Empire.
The Cyrus Cylinder is considered the world’s first Charter of Human Rights, promoting religious tolerance and freedom, exemplifying Cyrus’s innovative governance and respect for diverse cultures.
The text on the Cylinder praises Cyrus, sets out his genealogy and portrays him as a king from a line of kings. The Babylonian king Nabonidus, who was defeated and deposed by Cyrus, is denounced as an impious oppressor of the people of Babylonia and his low-born origins are implicitly contrasted to Cyrus’ kingly heritage. The victorious Cyrus is portrayed as having been chosen by the chief Babylonian god Marduk to restore peace and order to the Babylonians.
The Cylinder’s text has traditionally been seen by biblical scholars as corroborative evidence of Cyrus as a benefactor of the citizens of Babylonia and his policy of repatriation of the Jewish people following their Babylonian captivity (an act that the Book of Ezra attributes to Cyrus), and restoration of temples and cult sanctuaries across Mesopotamia and elsewhere in the region.
