539 BCE Cyrus the Great, made and buried after the Persian conquest of Babylon
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is usually concerned as one of the first human rights document in history but this has been disputed. It still is recognized as the same by UN.
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reflects a long tradition in Mesopotamia where kings began their reigns with declarations of reforms and respect for the religious and political traditions of Babylon.
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is propaganda by the Persian Empire
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declares Cyrus as chosen by Marduk, paints him as a god-fearing and righteous king
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denounces the previous king, Nabodinus. Discredits not only him but also his family line.
The cylinder says:
- The conquest was peaceful and the people welcomed Cyrus The Great
- Nabonidus was an illegitimate ruler who ruined his country
- Cyrus is the liberator
- Temples were restored (though there is no evidence of repairing or rebuilding of temples)^[Winn Leith, Mary Joan (1998). “Israel among the Nations: The Persian Period”. In Coogan, Michael David (ed.). The Oxford History of the Biblical World. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195139372]
It is said that the king was religiously tolerant unlike Assyrians and Babylonians but - even before his rule, worship of the Assyrian gods were not forcibly imposed. It did imply acceptance of Assyrian God Assur’s power however.