Cyrus the Great figures in the Old Testament as the patron and deliverer of the Jews. In the first year of his reign he was prompted by God to make a decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews as cared to might return to their land for this purpose. He sent them back with he sacred vessels which had been taken from the First Temple and money with which to buy building materials. Cyrus II of Persia (600 or 576 BC-530 BC) was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, conquered most of Southwest Asia and Central Asia, parts of Europe and the Caucasus. From the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, Cyrus the Great created the largest empire the world had yet seen. The reign of Cyrus the Great lasted between 29 and 31 years. Cyrus respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered. He is recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as his influence on both Eastern and Western civilizations. Cyrus the Great died in battle, fighting the Massagetae in 530 BC.
