The victorious Cyrus is portrayed as having been chosen by the chief Babylonian god Marduk to restore peace and order to the Babylonians. The text states that Cyrus was welcomed by the people of Babylon as their new ruler and entered the city in peace.[6]
It was built up with extra layers of clay to give it a cylindrical shape before a fine surface slip of clay was added to the outer layer, on which the text is inscribed.It was excavated in several fragments, having apparently broken apart in antiquity.[4] Today it exists in two main fragments, known as "A" and "B", which were reunited in 1972
The Cylinder's text has traditionally been seen by biblical scholars as a sign of Cyrus's relatively enlightened approach towards cultural and religious diversity. The text on the Cylinder praises Cyrus, sets out his genealogy and portrays him as a king from a line of kings.[5]
[1] [2] Cyrus Cylinder - Gallery Ovissi. Images
[3] "The Cyrus Cylinder (British Museum database)". Retrieved 19 June 2010. Image by Prioryman - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19669413
[4] [5] [6] Wikipedia. Cyrus Cylinder. Image by Prioryman - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19669420