Princeton University Art Museum. 2013. Photo by Paul Goldfinger. Xerxes I was King of Persia around 470 BC. He was admitted to Princeton because he ruled an empire, was nice to the Jews, had great SAT’s, an impressive essay, and he played bassoon in the band.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Blogfinger.net, Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Ironically, Persian kings (Cyrus the Great and Xerxes) beat the Babylonians (around 490 BC) and thus freed the Jews from slavery, granted them freedom of religion, and allowed them to return to Jerusalem and their home land of Israel (Judah and Israel) around 490 BC.
There are those who today say that President Trump is the most important person for Jewish survival since Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire .
Over the years since King David (1000 BC) the Jewish people fought many wars, winning some and losing others. Their opponents were not initially Muslims since Islam was created in the 7th century CE, and there was a golden age when Jews and Muslims worked well together in Spain from the 10th to the 13th centuries.
The Jewish nation fought Phoenicians, Egyptians, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans and many others. The ups and downs of Jewish survival continue to now with the war with Hamas, occupiers of Gaza.
Undoubtedly the name Trump will take its place on the pantheon of Jewish history which has so far lasted for over 3,000 years.
SLOVENIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. “Xerxes, Act 1” The selection is Ombra mai fu George Frederic Handel.