TEHRAN – Hundreds of engraved stones and fragmented bas-relief carvings have recently been discovered in the ruined Tachara Palace, located in heart of the UNESCO-registered Persepolis, southern Fars province.The report attributes the cuneiform inscription to Xerxes I (ruled c. 486-465 BCE). He is the King Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. He is also mentioned in Ezra 4:6. The Ahasuerus of Daniel 9:1 may also be intended as he, but the chronology is all wrong (as often in the Book of Daniel) and his supposed son, Darius the Mede, does not seem to be a real person.[...]
Among the engraved stones there are pieces with human and plant motifs, and at least one of the stones has cuneiform inscriptions, and if the collection of stones is explored fully, it will probably discover more inscribed pieces, he added.
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For more on the ancient Iranian city of Persepolis, including why it is of interest to PaleoJudaica, see the immediately preceding post and many links.
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