IRAN AND ISRAEL exchanged missiles in April, in what appears to be—thankfully—limited hostilities between the two countries.

This week, we look at the ancient nation of Elam, which was located in what is now western Iran. It was destroyed by the rising Medo-Persian empire in the 6th century BC, but at times Elam ruled over all of Mesopotamia. In the time of Abraham, an Elamite king led an army against the city-state led by Sodom.

More than a thousand years later, Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Elam. The Lord declared that He would set His throne in Elam—but that a day is still coming when God “will restore the fortunes of Elam.”