In Part 1 of a series about a young Jewish girl, Hadassah, who would grow up to be queen in a foreign land, we discuss the conquest of Judah by Babylon, and the subsequent overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus the Great. After the fall of Babylon, Cyrus established the Achaemenid Empire, which became one of the most significant and influential empires in ancient history.

 

This episode features a speech by Cyrus in which he encourages religious tolerance and lays the foundation for the return of exiled Jews to their homeland.