As bombs fall and a dangerous regime plunges the region into chaos, it might seem trivial to write an article about the archaeology of Iran. But doing so helps us not only to see the historical reliability of the Bible, but to understand and appreciate more of the context of this beautiful land.
Iran is an enormous country, nearly seven times the size of the United Kingdom. It includes the lands which in Bible times were Persia, Elam and Media. The later Old Testament books are often interwoven with the history of these places. Elam is frequently mentioned in prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Elamites appear in Genesis 14 but also, remarkably, in Acts 2v9. Alongside Media and Parthia, also in Iran, Jews from Elam were listening to Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. The seed sown for the gospel in Iran began a long time ago!
Media is the region where many from the northern kingdom of Israel were exiled (2 Kings 18v11). No doubt their Hebrew traditions and teachings settled with them. Daniel and Esther both arrive in ancient lands within the modern borders of Iran. Susa is both the capital of Persia at the time of Esther, but also the place where Daniel received his visions from God. Tradition places his tomb in this city to this very day. Esther and Mordecai have traditional tombs at Ecbatana in Iran.
