Kings of the Great Powers

In the ancient Near East an important role was played by several great powers: the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians. All of these had a king.

The Assyrian Empire was a great empire; in its heyday, it extended from Mesopotamia via the Levant (including Israel) to as far as Egypt. It was a powerful empire, partly because the Assyrians deported peoples they had subjected to other areas, on a large scale.
Various Assyrian kings are named in the Bible. Thus King Shalmaneser subjects King Hoshea of Israel. This brings an end to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

The Babylonian Empire followed the Assyrian Empire. The Babylonians introduced Aramaic as the official language of their empire.
The Babylonian Empire plays an important part in the biblical book of Daniel. The best-known king of Babylon is Nebuchadnezzar. He carried off the Israelites into exile, and destroyed Solomon’s Temple.

The Persian Empire followed the Babylonian Empire. The Persians are often mentioned together with the Medes in the Bible.
An important Persian king mentioned in the Bible is Cyrus II. He conducted a tolerant policy in relation to the religions and customs of the people he conquered. 
According to Ezra 1:1-4, Cyrus was also the person who granted the Israelites permission to return home and rebuild the Temple.