Cyrus Takes Babylon: Second Isaiah & Ezra

'Second Isaiah' or 'Deutero-Isaiah' is the name of the chapters 40-55 of the Biblical book of Isaiah, which were added to the 'real' text of Isaiah. The second prophet predicts the coming of king Cyrus, who will liberate the Jews from their Babylonian Exile and will bring them to the Promised Land. It may be noted that Cyrus was considered by the Jews a monotheist, an opinion that was more or less correct, since many Persians venerated the 'wise lord' Ahuramazda who was the eternal enemy of an evil god named Angrya Manyu. Persian religion also stressed that people should be honest and righteous, and it is possible that these ideas about a wise Lord with an ethical message influenced the lines 45.7-8 quoted below.