Why was Cyrus the Great called 'Messiah' by Jews?

First, it helps to know that 'messiah' means 'anointed', as in especially chosen/appointed for a position. In Biblical Judaism, the positions people were 'anointed' to fill were: king, and high priest. read more

First, it helps to know that ‘messiah’ means ‘anointed’, as in especially chosen/appointed for a position. In Biblical Judaism, the positions people were ‘anointed’ to fill were: king, and high priest. read more

Cyrus the Great is unconditionally praised in the Jewish sources. It is likely that, after the Persian conquest of Babylon, Cyrus had commenced his relationship with the Jewish leaders in exile, and that he later was considered as anointed by God. The Hebrew Bible states that Cyrus issued the decree of liberation to the Jews. read more

Cyrus the Messiah by Lisbeth S. Fried Many people are anointed in the Hebrew Bible, and many are referred to as the messiah or anointed one. The high priest is called the anointed priest . read more