title: Triumphs of the Greatest Persian: Cyrus the Great Molds a New Persia
author: C. J. Kirwin
description: C. J. Kirwin grew up in Boston. He retired from a career as an industrial toxicologist. His extensive travels led him to an interest in ancient history. After a family member introduced him to Cyrus, Mr. Kirwin was surprised to find Cyrus so prominently represented in the Old Testament, which he had never read. After years of research he decided to integrate historical inconsistencies about Cyrus into a series of novels. Mr. Kirwin lives in Oklahoma with his wife, three daughters and four grandchildren.
zlib_text: THE EDICT OF CYRUS IN EZRA 1* 
  ELIAS J. BICKERMAN 
  ACOLE LIBRE DES HAUTES iTUDES 
  INTO 
  the enchanted palace of Orientalism, which changes 
  daily by the magic of new discoveries, a classicist enters with 
  reluctance - and at own peril. The present writer, however, 
  was led by his investigations of the formulae of Greek and Roman 
  state acts to examine the Persian document in Ezra 1. 
  I 
  There are in Ezra two ordinances of Cyrus concerning the 
  Return from the Captivity: one in Hebrew (Ezra 12-4), the 
  other in Aramaic (Ezra 6 3-5). Some scholars regard both in- 
  struments as two versions of the same royal edict; but, since a 
  comparison of the two texts discloses very great differences, 
  they conclude that one at least of the two ordinances cannot 
  * Sincere thanks are due to Professors H. L. Ginsberg and Saul Lieberman 
  for very helpful criticisms and suggestions; the mistakes that remain are mine. 
  The latest statement of the problem is given by R. H. Pfeiffer (Introduction to 
  the O