Washington ( CNN ) -- An ancient Persian symbol of freedom , tolerance and coexistence has joined documents like the Declaration of Independence , the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation Proclamation in Washington . The Cyrus Cylinder represents the spirit and ideals of Cyrus , the leader of the Achaemenid Empire in the sixth century B.C . After peacefully conquering Babylon in 539 B.C.and declaring his principles on the cylinder , Cyrus freed the Jewish population of Babylon from long bondage and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem . The Cyrus Cylinder inspired many throughout history -- in particular 18th century Enlightenment philosophers , historians and politicians in Europe and America -- as a source of their thinking on human rights , settling conflicts and leadership . Thomas Jefferson reportedly owned two copies of the Cyropaedia , Xenophon 's biography of Cyrus , and carried it for inspiration and guidance . Today -- far from ancient Persia and the Enlightenment , in a different , far more divided Middle East -- the United States is struggling to open a window to resolve long-lasting tensions with Iran , tensions entwined closely with the fate of Israel , America 's principal ally in the region . `` The Cyrus Cylinder sets up a model to run a multifaith , multifaceted , diverse society , leaving a model of the Middle East as a unit and what it could ideally be , '' said Neil MacGregor , director of the British Museum , in a recent TED Talk . The 2,600-year-old , football-sized clay cylinder is on loan from its permanent display at the British Museum in London for a five-city tour that began Saturday in Washington . `` In the Jewish tradition King Cyrus is known as the divinely anointed figure who enabled the Jews to restore their sacred institutions , '' said Rabbi Sarah Bassin , executive director of the foundation NewGround , a Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change . `` Many in exile chose not to return to Jerusalem and the Holy Land because they felt comfortable and safe with the lives they had in the Persian lands , '' Shared values and common heritage that draw people together are subject to interpretation and can also push people apart . Yet , Bassin argues , `` Israel 's identity is woven with the ancient stories of the Bible that happened throughout its borders , and now it 's helpful to emphasize these core narratives that contain examples of cooperation and coexistence as a reminder that a different paradigm is possible . '' Rabbi Marc Gopin , director of the Center for World Religions , Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University , suggests a country should be defined by the values of its culture and history rather than the policies of its government . `` Disputes should attack issues , not civilizations , '' Gopin said . An expert on Arab-Israeli diplomacy , Gopin said such an approach creates more `` nuanced '' relations . Ping pong diplomacy . Nuances are seen in President Dwight Eisenhower 's cultural exchange program in the 1950s , which sent American jazz musicians , dancers and other artists to countries with strained diplomatic ties with the U.S. during the height of the Cold War . That paved the way for Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev 's visit to the U.S. in 1959 . And an invitation from China to a U.S. national ping pong team in the early 1970s led to President Richard Nixon 's visit in 1972 -- the first by a U.S. president since the Communist takeover in 1949 . `` Exchange derives the history of values globally , and the social empathy that comes from cultural exchange is better than one thousand negotiations , '' Gopin said . Cultural exchanges are going on between the U.S. and Iran , even with the ongoing conflict over its nuclear ambitions . The U.S. wrestling team was welcomed in Tehran last month . Eight Iranian art experts have planned a visit to the U.S. as part of a State Department cultural exchange program , which coincides with the arrival of the Cyrus Cylinder . `` When you 're engaging with Iran , you should communicate based on those shared values , '' Gopin said . `` We all love the same values . Yet , we happen to have disagreements , so what should we do about those disagreements ? Which is the point that ultimately leads to arguments and diplomacy . '' `` If Iranians see a single , even small indication that today , the United States is going to talk and act wisely , I can assure you that talking to the United States or any other nation around the world is welcomed by the Iranians , '' Mohammad Khazaee , the Iranian ambassador to the U.N. , told CNN last week . With the Cyrus Cylinder tour coming to the U.S. during a pivotal time in the relations of U.S. and Iran , the wisdom of Cyrus could guide diplomats to build constructively upon shared values . `` Each time a leader brings out the best things in the people they are fighting , magical things happen , '' Gopin said . The Cyrus Cylinder is on display at the Smithsonian 's Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art through April 28 . It will be in Houston from May 3 through June 14 ; New York from June 20-August 4 ; San Francisco from August 9-September 22 ; and Los Angeles from October 2-December 2 .
The century - old Cyrus cylinder is on five - day tour of U.S . The clay cylinder is a declaration of peace and coexistence from Persian King Cyrus . Cyrus ' philosophy guided many Western thinkers as well as Thomas Jefferson .