Page 26 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies - Textbook w videos short

Beersheba means “well of the oath” or “well of seven.” It was originally dug by Abraham and named
after Abimelech and he entered into a compact or oath (Gen. 21:31). Beersheba was the favorite place
of abode for both Abraham and Isaac. Beersheba is mentioned to be among the “cities” given to the
tribe of Simeon (Josh. 19:2) and after time was a landmark to point out the south part of the Holy Land.
A distance of 144 miles, “From Dan to Beersheba” is often used to designate the whole of the Promised
Land (Judg. 20:1, I Chr. 21:2, 2 Sam 24:2).

The Land of Persia

Babylon was defeated in 538 BC by Cyrus on the night of Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel
5:30). It was this king that issued the famous degree for the Jews to return to their
homeland to rebuild the Temple taking with them the sacred vessels of the temple
removed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Under Cyrus (pictures left), the Empire
became the largest and most powerful empire in human history up until that point.
Cyrus was able to defeat the Assyrians and Egyptians and build a very large empire. He
based his leadership philosophy on a model of tolerance and respect for other cultures and religions.

Under Darius the second Temple of
Zerubbabel was completed, and under
Xerxes (Ahasuerus) the story recorded in
the Book of Esther occurred. A later king,
Artaxerxes allowed Ezra and Nehemiah to
return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.

The Capital of the Persian Empire was
Shushan. The Empire lasted about 200
years before being conquered by the
Greeks.

At the height of power, the empire
encompassed approximately 3 million
square miles spanning Asia, Africa, and
Europe. The empire had a centralized, bureaucratic administration under the Emperor and a large
professional army and civil services, inspiring similar developments
in later empires.

Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 333 BC only to be followed
shortly by two more vast and unified Iranian empires that shaped
the pre-Islamic identity of Iran and Central Asia: the Parthian
Empire (250BC – 226 AD) and the Sassanian (226 – 650 AD) dynasty.
The Sassanians later defeated the Roman Empire.

The Land of Egypt

Egypt is located at the far northeast corner of Africa, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea. A huge river empties the mountains of
northern Africa directly through the center of the country, creating
a fertile valley. The Jews called Egypt “Mazraim” after the son of

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