Cambyses

The Israelite camp’s layout provides a double layer of protection for the Tabernacle and ensures an orderly march through the wilderness. But where does this organizational model come from? New evidence points not to Egypt—but to Persia.

Jeremiah prophesized that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (605–562 B.C.E.) would conquer Egypt (Jeremiah 43), but this did not come to pass. Instead, in 525 B.C.E., the Persian King Cambyses conquered Egypt, and reports that he destroyed its temples became widespread. The Judean scribes then updated Jeremiah's prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar to include these new details.

An overview of Persian history starting from Cyrus the Great’s conquest of Media (549 B.C.E.) until Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia (334-329 B.C.E.), including related biblical references and Jewish texts.