BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Ancient Sewer Systems Excavated at Persepolis

Bible and Archaeology News

Iranian archaeologists recently exposed over 60 feet of ancient sewer systems at Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia under the Achaemenid dynasty. The archaeological investigation of the ancient sewer systems at Persepolis reveal that the drainage branches off into several canals which ran to the south before turning east. The palatial city of Persepolis became the capital of Ancient Persia under the Achaemenid dynasty in the 6th century B.C.E., shortly after the Hebrew Bible accounts of Cyrus the Great allowed the return of the Jews to their homeland. The books of Esther and Ezra mention the Persian king Ahasuerus, which may represent the Persian king Cambyses or Artaxerxes I, either of whom would have ruled from this Persian capital. Among other stunning finds, the site is particularly known for its bas-reliefs; new reliefs were discovered when the archaeologists dug down over 15 feet to expose the canals that formed the ancient sewer systems.

Archaeological activity on the ancient sewer systems beneath Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia, have given scholars a renewed understanding of urban management in the ancient times. Persepolis was built in the sixth century B.C.E. by rulers from the Persian Achaemenid dynasty.

BAS Library members can read more about the construction of Ancient Persepolis in Ali Mousavi’s “Why Darius Built Persepolis” as it appeared in Archaeology Odyssey, Nov/Dec 2005.