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The Book of Isaiah calls Cyrus the Messiah ('God's anointed') five centuries before the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 45:1): "Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; " In this way, Second Isaiah shows the gratitude of the Jews for the decision of Cyrus to allow them to return to Jerusalem.

From a historical perspective, had Cyrus not allowed the return, Judaism might well have gradually been extinguished, so that there would be no base from which Christianity would develop.

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14y ago

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