Q&A: Cyrus the Anointed One
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Cyrus the Anointed One
Question
Rabbi Michi, hello!
The prophet Isaiah prophesies about Cyrus, the anointed one, in chapter 45, verse 1. Isaiah lived about 150 years before Cyrus.
How did the prophet know the name Cyrus? Was this prophecy, or are we dealing with a different Isaiah?
Answer
I have no idea (as I recall, I don’t deal with the Hebrew Bible). I’m sure the scholars have offered various answers to this, from Dillmann onward.