Bible Fact · Isaiah 44:28 — 'Who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose.'
The Cyrus Cylinder
The Fact
The Cyrus Cylinder is a small clay barrel inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform, discovered in Babylon in 1879. It dates to 539 BC when Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. The inscription records his policy of allowing various peoples exiled by the Babylonians to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This policy directly corresponds to the biblical account in Ezra 1, where Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Remarkably, the prophet Isaiah had named Cyrus by name nearly 150 years before his birth, calling him God's 'shepherd' and 'anointed one' (Isaiah 44–45). The cylinder is now held in the British Museum and is considered one of the most important ancient documents in the world. It is often called the world's first charter of human rights, though primarily it demonstrates that the Bible's account of the return from exile is historically grounded.
Context
Isaiah 44:28 names Cyrus as the one who would order Jerusalem rebuilt — a prophecy written over a century before Cyrus was born, now confirmed by the cylinder.
Significance
The Cyrus Cylinder independently corroborates the biblical account of the Jewish return from Babylonian exile, and validates Isaiah's remarkable prophecy.
Reflection
God moved a pagan king to fulfill his promises. In what areas of your life do you need to trust that God is working through unexpected people and circumstances?