The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning for the Middle East

by Neil MacGregor and John Curtis

Book Overview

The Cyrus Cylinder is one of the most famous objects to have survived from the ancient world. The Cylinder was inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform on the orders of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559-530BC) after he captured Babylon in 539BC. It is often referred to as the first bill of human rights as it appears to permit freedom of worship throughout the Persian Empire and to allow deported people to return to their homelands. It is valued by people...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714111872
• ISBN13: 9780714111872
• Release Date: July 2013
• Publisher: British Museum Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 9.0" x 10.9"