Media
Media is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Persia in modern-day Iraq. Known today as Tell Hagmatana. It appears across 11 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Media was an ancient kingdom in northwestern Iran that played a pivotal role in biblical history. The Medes first appear in Scripture in 2 Kings 17:6, when the Assyrian king Shalmaneser deported Israelites to "the cities of the Medes" after the fall of Samaria in 722 BC. Media rose to prominence as a major power that helped destroy the Assyrian Empire, contributing to the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC. Daniel's prophecies feature Media prominently: the dual kingdom of the Medes and Persians is symbolized by the two-horned ram in Daniel 8:20 and the silver arms and chest of Nebuchadnezzar's statue (Daniel 2:32, 39). The famous account of Daniel in the lions' den occurs under "Darius the Mede" (Daniel 6:1). In Esther, the "laws of the Medes and Persians" are described as irrevocable (Esther 1:19). Isaiah prophesied that God would stir up the Medes against Babylon (Isaiah 13:17). Media also appears in Ezra 6:2, where Cyrus's decree permitting the Jews' return was found at Ecbatana, the Median capital. Medes are listed among those present at Pentecost (Acts 2:9).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Median capital Ecbatana is identified with modern Hamadan in western Iran, where Tell Hagmatana preserves ancient remains. Unfortunately, continuous habitation over millennia has limited archaeological access to the earliest levels. Excavations have uncovered Median-period fortification walls and pottery. The Median Empire (circa 678-549 BC) controlled vast territories from Anatolia to central Iran before Cyrus the Great absorbed it into the Persian Empire. Assyrian reliefs and annals from Nineveh provide important external documentation of Median power. The site of Godin Tepe, excavated by Canadian teams, yielded significant evidence of Median material culture. Greek historians Herodotus and Ctesias provide additional accounts, though their reliability is debated.
Verse Appearances (11)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →