Cyrus the Great
Great Non-Jews in Jewish History

Opinions vary regarding Cyrus, the famed Persian general whose military and political strategies allowed the Jews to return to Land of Israel after the first exile. The Talmudic Rabbis, who called him "Koresh," see him in an ambivalent light while later historians hail him as a hero. Comparing both sets of opinions with the historical record, Rabbi Wein renders a definitive view of this towering figure of the ancient world.