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Where is Persia in the Bible?

Persia, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was a major world power that ruled over a vast territory from the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. Persia appears in 23 verses across 5 books of the Bible.

Persian and Median soldiers in traditional costume (Medians are wearing rounded hats and boots; Apadana Hall, 5th c. BCE bas relief)
Persian and Median soldiers in traditional costume (Medians are wearing rounded hats and boots; Apadana Hall, 5th c. BCE bas relief) · © Arad, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What happened at Persia?

Persia, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was a major world power that ruled over a vast territory from the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. In the Bible, Persia is mentioned in the context of the Jewish exile and the subsequent return to Jerusalem. The Babylonian Empire, which had destroyed Jerusalem and taken the Jews into captivity, fell to the Persians under Cyrus the Great (2Chr. 36:20, 22-23; Ezra 1:1-2). Cyrus issued a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). The Persian kings Darius I and Artaxerxes I also played significant roles in supporting the rebuilding efforts (Ezra 4:24; 6:14). The book of Esther is set in the Persian capital of Susa during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), and it describes how Esther, a Jewish woman, became queen and saved her people from a plot to destroy them (Esther 1:3, 14, 18; 10:2). The prophets Ezekiel and Daniel also mention Persia in their visions and prophecies (Ezek. 27:10; 38:5; Dan. 8:20; 10:1, 13, 20; 11:2). Persia is portrayed as a powerful empire that God used to fulfill His purposes for His people, even though the Persians themselves were not followers of the God of Israel.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Persia appear in the Bible?

Persia is referenced in 23 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Ezra 10Daniel 52 Chronicles 3Esther 3Ezekiel 2

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Persia.

CyrusJerusalemMediaJeremiahGreeceDarius

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Persia?

Persia appears in 23 verses across 5 books, most often in Ezra, which accounts for 10 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Persia?

Ezra, Daniel, 2 Chronicles, Esther, Ezekiel.

Where can I read every verse about Persia?

This page lists 23 of them. Protos carries all 23, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Ezra with Persia explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

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