Where did the people in the Bible known as Medes come from?

Answer 1

Some thoughts:

The Medes came from the lineage of Jepheth (Noah's son), with many similarities to the Persians (religion, race and language)who lived to their south. They left no written history themselves, but what is known comes from The Bible, Assyrian records and Greek historians. Archeology first notes their presence on the Iranian Plateau, west and south of the Caspian Sea, with the Zagros Mountains serving as a border between Media and Assyria. They were nomadic, and were known for the fine horses they raised, and their metal work in bronze and gold. The Bible first mentions them during the time of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III who lived during the reign of King Jehu(around 904-877 BCE)(2 Kings 17:6/2 Kings 18:11). By 634 BCE they became a major enemy of the Assyrian empire and finally joined with Babylon to destroy it (fulfilling prophecy:Zephaniah 2:3/Nahum 2:8-13/Nahum 3:18+19), and then split it's territory between Babylon and Media, with their capitol in Ecbatana(Ezra 6:2).

The Nabonidus Chronicle later mentions that the Persian ruler, Cyrus, overthrows the Median empire and the two forces merge to form the Medo-Persian Empire which God later used to overthrow Babylon as was prophesied(Daniel 8:3,20/Daniel 5:28/Daniel 6:8,12,15/Jeremiah 51:11). By 330 BCE, Alexander the great had conquered Media, occupying it. When he died young, it became part of the Seleucid Empire. Though they were still known as Medes in 33CE(Acts 2:1,5,9), by the 3rd century CE, they were part of the Iranian populace and no longer a distinct people.