The Cyrus Cylinder
An exact replica of the Cyrus Cylinder, made from hand-patinated resin by Andrew Lilley, a UK-based sculptor. The replica is presented in a custom cherry wood box with brass detailing.
The Cyrus Cylinder is often referred to as the first bill of human rights as it appears to encourage freedom of worship throughout the Persian Empire and to allow deported people to return to their homelands. It was inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform (cuneiform is the earliest form of writing) on the orders of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC) after he captured Babylon in 539 BC. It was rediscovered in Babylon in modern Iraq in 1879 during a British Museum excavation and has been on display ever since.
The Cyrus Cylinder is often referred to as the first bill of human rights as it appears to encourage freedom of worship throughout the Persian Empire and to allow deported people to return to their homelands. It was inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform (cuneiform is the earliest form of writing) on the orders of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC) after he captured Babylon in 539 BC. It was rediscovered in Babylon in modern Iraq in 1879 during a British Museum excavation and has been on display ever since.