Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[ergo sum]

Why stop there?

In 539 B.C., the combined forces of the Medo-Persian regime came against Babylon. In a brilliant move, Cyrus (of whom Isaiah had prophesied – 44:28-45:1-7) diverted the Euphrates river (which flowed under Babylon’s walls), and slipped his soldiers into the city by night via the river bed. He took the banqueting Babylonians utterly by surprise (cf. Dan. 5). Apparently the city suffered little damage at this time. The Chaldeans became subjects of the Persians, and for two decades things went rather smoothly. In 520 B.C., however, the Babylonian citizens revolted, and another Persian ruler, Darius, was forced to deal with the rebellion. This account is recorded in the history written by Herodotus (c. 484-425 B.C.) (III.150-160).