Epilogue to Chronicles: The Proclamation of Cyrus

2 Chronicles 36:22–23

Late 6th–4th Century BCE

22And in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, when the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah was fulfilled, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his realm by word of mouth and in writing, as follows: 23“Thus said King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and has charged me with building Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any one of you of all His people, the Lord his God be with him and let him go up.”

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Credits

Reprinted from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures by permission of the University of Nebraska Press. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.

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What Is the Book of Chronicles?

6th–4th Century BCE

The book of Chronicles retells the history of Israel from its beginnings until the end of the exile.

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Overview of the Biblical Story from Creation through the Exile

Biblical Period

The first eleven and the last four books of the Hebrew Bible present an account of Israelite history from the origins of the world through the Babylonian exile.

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Biblical Narrative Style

Biblical Period

Biblical narrative presents a long and often continuous account of Israel’s story that differs significantly from modern narrative style. 

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