Curator John Curtis says the combination helps provide a full picture of ancient Persia. After it leaves the galleries, the cylinder and other ancient objects will travel to four other American cities. It can be seen at the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington. This is the first time it has been shown in America. The Cyrus Cylinder is a permanent part of the British Museum in London. Many historians believe the book influenced Jefferson as he wrote the American Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson is said to have owned two copies of a biography of Cyrus by the ancient Greek historian Xenophon. And the same also, of course, with the relations between Iran and the United States because when the founding fathers of the United States are framing the Constitution they opt for the model of Cyrus, who has a view that different faiths should co-exist but government should not endorse any of them.” So it’s surprising, if you like, that relations are now so difficult. “For Jews through the millennia, Cyrus has always been a hero, and the Persian Empire has always been the great moment in history for the Jews and for the recovery of Jerusalem. Neil McGregor says it is interesting to consider these actions in connection with the current tensions between Israel and Iran. And he permitted displaced Jews to return to their homeland. King Cyrus also permitted the newly captured people to practice, or exercise, whatever religion they wished. The cylinder is described in Christianity’s holy book, the Bible. And he actually says in the Cylinder that he allowed the inhabitants of Babylon to go about their business in peace.” “First of all, Cyrus says that he captured Babylon peacefully – he didn’t burn the city, raze it to the ground, as was the general custom at that time. He says the clay object provides a look into the moral leadership of King Cyrus. John Curtis organized the Cyrus Cylinder exhibit in Washington. He controlled the largest empire, or state, in history. King Cyrus captured Babylon more than 25 centuries ago. “Why this object is so important is because it’s probably the first time in human history that we have evidence of a ruler thinking about how you manage a society with people of different traditions, different languages, different ethnicities, and, above all, different religions.” Neil McGregor is the director of the British Museum in London. The writings on it are orders declared by King Cyrus the Great of Persia. The cylinder was found at the bottom of a religious center in what was the ancient city-state of Babylon. The object called the Cyrus Cylinder is about 2,600 years old. Jim Tedder has more on this highly valued piece of history. The cylinder is now on display for the first time in Washington, DC. Many experts believe the writing is the world’s first declaration of human rights. The small, simple clay cylinder is covered in cuneiform writing. In 1879, British scientists discovered an important, ancient object at an archaeological dig in what is now Iraq. On the show today, we hear new music from “outlaw” Shooter Jennings.Īnd, we answer a question about the meaning of Washington, DC.īut first we here about a public showing in that city of a very old and important object. I’m very happy this song is finally seeing the light of day and am very proud of this whole album.Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
This will be the first in a series of releases from Over a Cocaine Rainbow.
“After Jon passed away, I decided to write the song and make it a tribute to him. “The first song I wrote for the album was taken from a title that the late great Colonel Jon Hensley had given me, ‘Leave Those Memories Alone,’ ” Jennings says in a statement. The title of the song comes from something Hensley used to say. He says the record was too “dark and experimental” to release at the time, just two years after the death of his manager and friend Jon Hensley. “Leave Those Memories Alone,” a horn-laced slice of country soul, was first recorded in 2017 for an album Jennings dubbed Over a Cocaine Rainbow. “Will they remember the words to my song when I’m dead and gone?” Shooter Jennings asks in the new song “Leave Those Memories Alone.” The answer doesn’t really matter after you digest the next line: “While I’m here, I can’t remember the words to my own songs,” he admits.