Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire, arguably the greatest empire of the Ancient Near East. Cyrus wasn't only a hero to the Persians. In the Hebrew Bible, Cyrus is the only non-Jew that God calls His "anointed one" or "messiah." But does Cyrus really deserve his reputation as the "liberator" of the Jews from Babylon or is it all a piece of ancient propaganda?

The incomparable Lloyd Llewelyn-Jones joins Helen and Dave to discuss the glory of the Persian Empire and how Cyrus was interpreted by biblical authors. For more great stuff from Lloyd, check out his latest books:

• Persians: The Age of the Great Kings
• The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
• Ancient Persia and The Book of Esther: Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew Bible

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Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos