Page 77 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

Government

Before looking at different regimes of various kings in the Persian empire, it’s important to
governmental structure of ancient Persia. What were the general expectations, implications, privileges,
or challenges that the king of Persia faced?

Either while alive or dead, the Persians did not treat their kings as gods. However, they did consider
them as appointed representatives of a god, Ahuramazda. Therefore, kings largely lived in seclusion and
were highly revered. Kings became increasingly inaccessible and unapproachable from the time of
Darius I into the future. Because they were seen as belonging to their own league above all subjects,
kings could do anything they pleased and could do no wrong. The king was right and irreproachable in
his judgments, rule, and control of his people and property.

Persian kings needed to keep their own promises perfectly. When a king ordered a decree, he could not
cancel it. (Esther 8:8) If the king thought otherwise, he could only issue another decree to go with the
first one. One example of this is found in Daniel 6, where during the reign of Darius, Daniel’s colleagues
conspired to have him thrown into the den of lions. Verse eight reads “ Now, O king, establish the
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injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and
the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Another example is the story in Esther 8: Hamman had earlier
influenced king Xerxes to issue an edict that would allow him to kill all the Jews in the empire. Upon
Esther’s pleading, the King only allowed the scribes of the palace to issue another decree while
maintaining the first one. In the second decree, the Jews could defend themselves.
Persians expected their king to be brave in battle, so he received extensive training in archery, throwing
the spear, horseback riding, and hunting. 112

Although the king had many concubines, he normally had one wife and did not fill their harems with
foreign women. The king was expected to father many children. Darius I who fathered six children, met
this expectation better than any of his successors who normally had only one. The oldest son of the
king’s wife was heir to the throne, with other sons holding prominent positions. However, it was not
uncommon to see revolts and conspiracies among heirs and other sons.

Being above everyone else, the physical stature and outlook of the king mattered. While sitting on the
most luxurious throne, the king put on the finest clothing and the best jewelry while holding a golden
scepter. All who came before him prostrated themselves, falling before him with their chin or forehead
touching the floor. The best nutritionists and doctors (often Greek and Egyptian) attended the Persian
kings.

Persian regimes

We have already seen how Cyrus rose to power and established the Persian empire. As far as
governance is concerned, he is generally known to be strategic and humane (showing a level of concern
for those he conquered). When Cyrus took over the Babylonian Empire, he permitted Nabonidus (Nabu-
naid), the last king, to live in peace. When Nabonidus died a year later, Cyrus ordered a period of

112 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (p.
329). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.

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