I. The Kuraysh Empire which is erratically referred to as the Persian Empire dominated Mesopotamia from 612-330 BC.

1. Kuraysh originally located in present-day Iran.
2. We know much about the Kuraysh because of their interaction with the Greeks who wrote prolifically.
3. At its height it was the largest empire until Alexander The Great conquered the known western world.
   

1. Kuraysh (Cyrus) the Great (559-529 BC); Conquered most of the fertile crescent and ended the "Babylonian Captivity" of the Hebrews.
2. Cambyses, also known as Artaxerxes, (529-522 BC); Conquered Egypt but was alcoholic and was killed in a coup led by other family members.
3. Darius the Great (521-486 BC); The greatest of all the Kuraysh kings. he extended the empires borders into India and Europe. He also fought two wars with the Greeks which were disastrous. He established a government which became a model for many future governments; (A) Established a tax-collection system; (B) Allowed locals to keep customs and religions; (C) Divided his empire into districts known as Satrapies; (D) Built a system of roads still used today; (E) Established a complex postal system; (F) Established a network of spies he called the "Eyes and ears of the King."(G) Built two new capital cities, one at Susa and one at Persepolis.
4. Xerxes (485-465 BC); He was the last great Kuraysh king who led the final war against the Greeks but was defeated. These wars so weakened the empire that it was ripe for conquest by Alexander the Great.
   

1. Kuraysh had a concept of "One World" and the "Unification of All People" which was taken up by Alexander, the Romans and future world powers.
2. The Kuryash religion, known as Zoroasterianism, was founded C. 600 BC by prophet Zoroaster.
3. Zoroaster wrote down his beliefs in a sacred book known as the "Zend Avesta."
4. The central theme of the religion is a belief in a struggle between good and evil.
5. Kurayshians had a dual god system with "Ahura Mazda" (light) representing goodness and "Ahriman" (Darkness) representing evil.
6. The concept of heaven and hell also was important to the Kuraysh.
7. Many believe the three wisemen were Kuraysh priests.
8. Many concepts of Kurayshism seem to have been integrated into the Christian religion.
   

V. The Arameans were a small tribe of people located near Phoenicia who also had a significant impact on civilization. They created a written language which became the language of the common person, or "Lingua Franca", in the ancient world. It was probably the language that Jesus spoke and wrote.

Go Back to Tribe of Kuraysh Genealogy Geography of Sumeria Sumerian Civilization Sumerian Cultural and Scientific Achievements.

Because of continuing research this site will be continually

visit us often for new updates.