Behistun Inscription

A Cornerstone of Biblical Archaeology

Behistun Inscription: A Cornerstone of Biblical Archaeology

Discover the profound historical and apologetic significance of the Behistun Inscription, a monumental trilingual record carved high into the cliffs of Mount Behistun by order of Darius the Great. This ancient Persian inscription stands as a powerful witness to the accuracy of historical records from the Achaemenid Empire, providing detailed accounts of Darius’s lineage, his divinely attributed victories, and the turbulent events that shaped the ancient Near East. The text, inscribed in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian, was instrumental in the modern decipherment of cuneiform, much like the Rosetta Stone was for Egyptian hieroglyphs. Its testimony to the reign of Darius and the events following Cambyses II’s death directly aligns with the biblical timeline, offering external confirmation for the context of Old Testament narratives.

For Christians committed to defending the reliability of Scripture, the Behistun Inscription is more than an archaeological marvel—it is a cornerstone for demonstrating the harmony between biblical history and the broader historical record. The inscription’s preservation and its clear affirmation of Darius’s rule and the providence of God (Ahura Mazda) provide believers with tangible evidence supporting the trustworthiness of the Bible’s historical claims. This book explores these connections in depth, equipping readers to respond confidently to skepticism and to appreciate the ways in which God’s providence is reflected in the annals of world history.

Keywords

• Behistun Inscription

• Darius the Great

• Biblical archaeology

• Old Testament history

• Persian Empire

• Archaeological apologetics

• Scriptural reliability

• Cuneiform decipherment

• Ancient inscriptions

• Faith and history

• Bible and archaeology

• Christian apologetics

• Historical evidence

• Ancient Persia

• Old Persian language

• Divine providence

• Achaemenid dynasty

• Ezra and Persia

• Ancient Near East

• Biblical confirmation

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• #AncientInscriptions

• #FaithAndHistory

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• #HistoricalEvidence

• #AncientPersia

• #OldPersian

• #DivineProvidence

• #AchaemenidDynasty

• #EzraContext

• #AncientNearEast

• #BiblicalConfirmation