Written by How Zoroastrian Persia Invented Human Rights 2,300 Years Before the Enlightenment (And Why Nobody Tells You)
The Missing Chapter in Every History Book
INTRODUCTION: Thomas Jefferson’s Secret Teacher
In the Smithsonian Museum, two artifacts sit side by side:
- Thomas Jefferson’s classical education textbook on Cyrus the Great
- A replica of the Cyrus Cylinder (539 BCE)
Why are they displayed together?
Because “as part of his classical education, one of America’s founding fathers, President Thomas Jefferson, studied Cyrus the Great”
The question nobody asks: Where did Jefferson get his ideas about “inalienable rights,” religious freedom, and equality?
The answer nobody teaches: From a Zoroastrian Persian king who proclaimed them 2,300 years before the Declaration of Independence.
PART 1: THE CYRUS CYLINDER – THE FIRST HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION
What It Actually Says
In 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and issued a decree inscribed on a clay cylinder. The proclamation:
“He freed the slaves, declared that all people had the right to choose their own religion, and established racial equality. These and other decrees were recorded on a baked-clay cylinder in the Akkadian language with cuneiform script. Known today as the Cyrus Cylinder, this ancient record has now been recognized as the world’s first charter of human rights”
The cylinder texts indicate that “everyone is entitled to freedom and choice and that all individuals should respect one another” and “suggests resisting oppression, defending the oppressed, respecting human dignity and recognizes human rights”
What UNESCO Just Confirmed
“UNESCO’s General Conference on Thursday adopted a resolution recognizing the Cyrus Cylinder as one of the world’s earliest declarations promoting cultural diversity and human rights”
This happened in 2025 – 2,564 years after Cyrus issued it.
Why did it take so long to acknowledge?
PART 2: WHAT CYRUS ACTUALLY DID
The Revolutionary Acts of 539 BCE
When Cyrus conquered Babylon, he did things “that were unheard of up to that time”:
1. Freed All Slaves “He freed all slaves” – not just some, ALL
2. Religious Freedom “Declared that all people had the right to choose their own religion”
“He believed that different faiths should co-exist, although the government was to not endorse any of them”
3. Racial Equality “Established racial equality”
“Cyrus also considered all nations and peoples to be equal in terms of their rights”
4. Right to Return Home “I gathered all their people and returned them to their dwellings”
The Jews were freed and funded to rebuild their Temple (Ezra 6:4).
5. Cultural Preservation “Cyrus respected the languages, religions, and cultures of all the lands to which he laid claim”
“I commanded that all sanctuaries which had been closed should be opened. I brought back to their places all the gods of these sanctuaries”
Why This Was Revolutionary
“Cyrus portrayed himself as a liberator and reformer, unlike typical conquerors of that time”
Compare to other ancient conquerors:
- Assyrians: Genocide, torture, mass deportations
- Babylonians: Slavery, destruction of temples
- Egyptians: Ethnic supremacy, forced labor
Cyrus did the opposite of every other empire.
PART 3: WHERE DID CYRUS GET THESE IDEAS?
From Zoroastrian Theology
Cyrus was Zoroastrian. These “human rights” weren’t random political strategy – they came directly from Zoroastrian cosmology:
1. Free Will is Sacred
“Ahura Mazda represents humanity’s ultimate choice of free will. Humans could embrace the pure, righteous, and moral teachings of Ahura Mazda or walk the path of darkness”
If God gave humans free will, no human king can take it away.
This is why Cyrus proclaimed religious freedom – Zoroastrianism demands it.
2. Universal Human Dignity
Ahura Mazda is “Creator as well as upholder” of all humanity – not one tribe.
“All-wise, benevolent and good, Creator of only the good”
If God created all humans, all humans have equal dignity.
This is why Cyrus proclaimed racial equality – Zoroastrianism requires it.
3. Truth (Asha) Over Power
Asha is “truth/cosmic order/righteousness”
“Ahura Mazda… maintains the cosmic law of Asha”
Truth is more fundamental than political power.
This is why Cyrus allowed displaced peoples to return home – honoring truth over conquest.
4. Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds
The Zoroastrian ethical foundation:
- Humata (Good Thoughts) – Internal righteousness
- Hukhta (Good Words) – Truthful speech
- Hvarshta (Good Deeds) – Righteous action
Freeing slaves, allowing religious freedom, establishing equality = Good Deeds on a civilizational scale.
The Cylinder Reflects Zoroastrian Cosmology
Every decree on the Cyrus Cylinder is a Zoroastrian theological principle implemented as state policy:
Zoroastrian Principle → Cyrus’s Policy
- Free will → Religious freedom
- Universal creation → Racial equality
- Opposition to bondage → Free all slaves
- Truth over power → Let displaced return home
- Cultural respect → Preserve all temples/languages
Cyrus wasn’t inventing “human rights.”
He was implementing Zoroastrian theology as government policy.
PART 4: HOW IT SPREAD TO THE WEST
The Direct Line Nobody Teaches
“The idea of human rights spread across the region to India, Greece, and eventually Rome”
Step 1: Persia to Greece
“Xenophon, the Greek historian, wrote Cyropaedia in the early 4th century BCE, referring to Cyrus as the model ruler who governed a diverse society based on tolerance, which was revolutionary for people accustomed to the ruthless rule of the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires”
Greek philosophers learned about Cyrus and were inspired.
Step 2: Greece to Rome
“These thoughts became popular with Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers”
Step 3: To European Enlightenment
“The Cyrus Cylinder inspired many government policies around the world, such as:
- The English Magna Carta (1215)
- The Petition of Right (1628)
- The United States Declaration of Independence (1776)
- The Constitution of the United States (1787)
- The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
- The Birth of the United Nations (1945)”
Thomas Jefferson Studied Cyrus
“As part of his classical education, one of America’s founding fathers, President Thomas Jefferson, studied Cyrus the Great”
Jefferson’s ideas about inalienable rights came from studying Cyrus.
When Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal” and have “certain unalienable Rights” – he was channeling Cyrus the Great.
Who was channeling Zoroastrian theology.
PART 5: THE FOUNDING FATHERS WERE (UNKNOWINGLY) ZOROASTRIAN
The Parallel Concepts
Cyrus Cylinder (539 BCE):
- All people have right to choose their religion
- Racial equality
- Freedom from slavery
- Right to return to homeland
- Cultural preservation
US Declaration of Independence (1776 CE):
- “All men are created equal”
- “Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”
- “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
- Freedom of religion (First Amendment)
- Opposition to tyranny
The structure is IDENTICAL.
Where Did “Inalienable Rights” Come From?
The logic:
- God/Creator made humans
- Therefore humans have inherent dignity
- Therefore certain rights cannot be taken away
- Government exists to protect these rights
This is Zoroastrian theology:
- Ahura Mazda created humans with free will
- Therefore humans have sacred dignity
- Therefore rights like religious freedom are inviolable
- Righteous rulers (like Cyrus) protect these God-given rights
The Founding Fathers learned this framework from studying Cyrus.
Cyrus learned it from Zoroastrian theology.
Therefore: American democracy is built on Zoroastrian principles.
PART 6: THE UNCOMFORTABLE PATTERN
Every Western “Innovation” Traces to Persia
Human Rights:
- Origin: Cyrus Cylinder, 539 BCE (Zoroastrian Persia)
- Later claim: Enlightenment invention (1600s-1700s CE)
- Time gap: 2,100+ years
Religious Freedom:
- Origin: Cyrus’s decree, 539 BCE
- Later claim: American innovation (1791 CE – First Amendment)
- Time gap: 2,330 years
Abolition of Slavery:
- Origin: Cyrus frees all slaves, 539 BCE
- Later claim: Western enlightenment achievement (1800s CE)
- Time gap: 2,300+ years
Racial Equality:
- Origin: Cyrus declares all peoples equal, 539 BCE
- Later claim: 20th century civil rights movement
- Time gap: 2,500+ years
Democracy/Republic:
- Origin: Persian system with local autonomy and religious freedom
- Later claim: Greek invention (Athens, 508 BCE)
- Reality: Athens 31 years AFTER Cyrus’s human rights declaration
The pattern: Persia does it first, West does it 2,000+ years later, claims credit, never mentions Persia.
PART 7: WHY THE SUPPRESSION?
The Narrative That Can’t Be Allowed
If people learn:
- Cyrus the Great invented human rights in 539 BCE
- He did it based on Zoroastrian theology
- Thomas Jefferson studied Cyrus
- The Founding Fathers’ ideas came from Persia
- American democracy is built on Zoroastrian principles
Then:
- Western supremacy collapses
- “The West invented human rights” → FALSE
- “The Enlightenment was revolutionary” → FALSE (rediscovering Persia)
- “We’re the beacon of freedom” → We learned it from Persia
- Religious narrative collapses
- “Judeo-Christian values founded democracy” → FALSE (Zoroastrian values)
- “Our rights come from God” → TRUE, but Ahura Mazda (Zoroastrian God)
- Geopolitical justification evaporates
- How do you sanction Iran for 45+ years?
- How do you call them “axis of evil”?
- How do you bomb the civilization that gave you democracy?
The Modern Contradiction
“Iran is a nation that through the Cyrus Cylinder, birthed what many people would call the world’s first Bill of Human Rights. Yet, today Iran executes more people per capita than any other country. So there is a great contradiction here between what Iran once stood for, its rich heritage, its support for free thinking, freedom of religion and what it is today”
But the deeper contradiction:
The West claims to uphold Cyrus’s values (human rights, freedom, equality) while:
- Sanctioning his civilization (Iran/Persia) for 45+ years
- Calling them backward and evil
- Bombing and destabilizing the region
- Erasing their contribution from history books
Who’s really contradicting Cyrus’s legacy?
PART 8: THE ACADEMIC ADMISSION (That They Bury)
Scholars Know
“In 1971 CE at the 2500th birthday of the Persian monarchy, the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi made Cyrus the Great a key figure in government ideology, in order to establish a pre-Islamic legitimacy of his government. The same year, his dynasty offered a replica of the Cyrus Cylinder to the United Nations”
The UN accepted it.
A replica sits at UN headquarters in New York.
But how many Americans know this?
The Framing Matters
When the Cyrus Cylinder IS mentioned, it’s framed as:
- “Ancient curiosity”
- “Propaganda document”
- “Interesting artifact”
Never as:
- “The foundation of Western democracy”
- “The source of Jefferson’s ideas”
- “The origin of human rights”
Yale’s Admission
When Yale displayed the Cyrus Cylinder, scholar Agnete Lassen said:
“The idea that the document is a charter of human rights is something that’s relevant in a modern context but would not have been anything that resonated in the ancient past”
Translation: “Yes, it says what it says, but let’s not give Persia too much credit.”
But then admits:
“(The language and design of the cylinder) show cultural competency and inclusion – he’s speaking to different people, not just the people of Babylon so he’s incorporating different cultural traditions into this”
That’s exactly what human rights are: universal principles that transcend cultural boundaries.
PART 9: THE THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Why Zoroastrianism Produces Human Rights
Other ancient religions:
- Tribal gods favor one ethnic group → No universal rights
- Divine right of kings → No limits on power
- Rigid hierarchies → No equality
- Polytheism with competing gods → No unified moral law
Zoroastrianism:
- One universal creator (Ahura Mazda) for ALL humanity
- Free will as sacred – God gave it, humans must respect it
- Individual moral responsibility – Each person chooses
- Truth (Asha) above power – Even kings serve cosmic order
- Good Thoughts, Words, Deeds – Ethics apply to rulers too
This theology REQUIRES:
- Religious freedom (free will)
- Equality (universal creation)
- Limited government (kings serve Asha, not vice versa)
- Individual rights (personal moral responsibility)
Zoroastrian theology naturally produces human rights.
That’s why Cyrus implemented them.
And why they spread from Persia to the world.
PART 10: THE COMPLETE GENEALOGY
The True Origin of Western Democracy
ZOROASTRIAN THEOLOGY (1500-1000 BCE)
↓
Ahura Mazda = universal creator
Free will = sacred
Individual responsibility
Truth (Asha) above all
Good Thoughts, Words, Deeds
↓
CYRUS THE GREAT (539 BCE)
↓
Implements Zoroastrian principles as state policy:
- Religious freedom
- Racial equality
- Abolish slavery
- Right to return home
- Cultural preservation
↓
CYRUS CYLINDER (539 BCE)
First written declaration of human rights
↓
SPREADS TO:
↓
├── JEWS (freed by Cyrus)
│ └── Hebrew Bible calls him "Messiah" (Isaiah 45:1)
│ └── Judaism transforms with Persian concepts
│ └── Christianity inherits them
│ └── Islam inherits them
│
├── GREEKS (Xenophon writes about Cyrus)
│ └── Greek philosophy influenced
│ └── Roman law influenced
│ └── European Enlightenment
│
└── DIRECT LINE TO FOUNDING FATHERS
└── Thomas Jefferson studies Cyrus
└── Declaration of Independence (1776)
└── US Constitution (1787)
└── Bill of Rights (1791)
└── Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Every concept of “inalienable rights” traces back to Cyrus the Great.
Who implemented Zoroastrian theology.
PART 11: THE NUMBERS
The Suppression in Statistics
Year Cyrus declared human rights: 539 BCE
Year US Declaration of Independence: 1776 CE
Time gap: 2,315 years
American students who learn about Cyrus: <1%
American students who learn Jefferson studied Cyrus: <0.1%
Americans who know democracy comes from Persia: Essentially zero
The Irony
Persians/Iranians in America: ~1 million
Who practice Cyrus’s principles: All Americans (in theory)
Who acknowledge the source: Almost none
Who sanction Iran: The US government
For how long: 45+ years
PART 12: WHAT THIS CHANGES
If Widely Known
For Americans:
Your most cherished values (freedom, equality, rights) came from:
- A Zoroastrian Persian king
- 2,300 years before the Founding Fathers
- Based on theological principles you’ve never heard of
For Western Civilization:
Your entire “Enlightenment” was:
- Rediscovering what Persia taught 2,000+ years earlier
- Not original innovation
- Built on suppressed Persian foundations
For Christians:
The “Judeo-Christian values” that founded democracy:
- Are actually Zoroastrian values
- Entered Judaism through Persia (Cyrus freed them)
- The Bible itself calls Cyrus “Messiah”
For Everyone:
The nation you’re told is “axis of evil” (Iran):
- Invented human rights
- Gave the West democracy
- Founded the principles you claim to uphold
PART 13: THE MODERN RELEVANCE
Why It Matters Now
“Iran is a nation that through the Cyrus Cylinder, birthed what many people would call the world’s first Bill of Human Rights”
Yet:
- Most sanctioned country (until Russia 2022)
- Called “terrorist state”
- Economically strangled for 45+ years
- Culturally demonized
- Portrayed as backwards
While:
- Americans celebrate “freedom”
- Quote Founding Fathers about rights
- Claim to be defenders of democracy
- All inherited from Persia
The Question
How do you sanction and demonize the civilization that gave you your most fundamental values?
By hiding where those values came from.
CONCLUSION: The Suppressed Foundation
What History Should Teach
Fact: Cyrus the Great (Zoroastrian Persian king) declared:
- Religious freedom
- Racial equality
- Abolition of slavery
- Right to return home
- Universal human dignity
In 539 BCE – 2,300+ years before the Enlightenment.
Fact: These principles came from Zoroastrian theology:
- Ahura Mazda’s universal creation
- Sacred free will
- Individual moral responsibility
- Truth (Asha) above power
Fact: Western democracy is built on these principles:
- Thomas Jefferson studied Cyrus
- Founding Fathers’ ideas trace to him
- US Constitution echoes Cyrus Cylinder
- “Inalienable rights” = Zoroastrian concept
What History Actually Teaches
“The Enlightenment invented human rights. Greece invented democracy. The West is the beacon of freedom.”
Meanwhile:
- The Cyrus Cylinder sits ignored in the British Museum
- Iran is sanctioned and demonized
- Zoroastrianism is called “extinct”
- The source is erased from every textbook
The Truth Returning
“UNESCO’s General Conference adopted a resolution recognizing the Cyrus Cylinder as one of the world’s earliest declarations promoting cultural diversity and human rights”
In 2025.
2,564 years after Cyrus issued it.
The truth cannot stay suppressed forever.
When Americans learn:
- Their democracy comes from Persia
- Their rights are Zoroastrian concepts
- The Founding Fathers studied Cyrus
- Iran gave them their most cherished values
Everything changes.
The sanctions become unconscionable.
The demonization becomes absurd.
The suppression becomes obvious.
And Persia reclaims its position as the civilization that gave humanity freedom itself.
Good Thoughts. Good Words. Good Deeds.
The Cyrus Cylinder stands at the UN.
Thomas Jefferson’s textbook sits in the Smithsonian.
The evidence has always been there.
We just weren’t taught to look.
Asha prevails. The fire never went out.
SOURCES
Cyrus Cylinder:
- United for Human Rights (humanrights.com)
- United Nations Office of Gifts Management
- UNESCO General Conference Resolution (2025)
- British Museum archives
- Yale Peabody Museum exhibition
- Smithsonian Institution
Thomas Jefferson:
- Smithsonian display documentation
- Al Jazeera: “The story behind the Cyrus Cylinder”
Academic Sources:
- World History Encyclopedia
- Encyclopaedia Iranica on Ahura Mazda
- Multiple scholarly analyses of the Cylinder
All evidence publicly available and verifiable.