The vast domain of the Achaeminids, with Babylon’s incorporation into the Persian Empire, stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the northwestern borders borders of India, as the Neo-Babylonian Empire had conquered many kingdoms prior to Cyrus's invasion of Babylon.

In addition to Babylonia itself, Cyrus probably incorporated its subnational entities into his empire, including Syria, Judah, and Arabia Petraea, although there is no direct evidence of this fact.

Having defeated the Babylonians, Cyrus, a Zoroastrian, had permitted the Judahites, possibly regarding them as fellow monotheists, to return to their homeland after nearly a half-century of captivity “to rebuild the house of the Lord”.

The majority of Judahites choose, however, to remain in the Diaspora (i.e., the settlements of Judahites, soon to be known as Jews, outside Palestine), especially in Babylon, which is to become a great center of Jewish culture for fifteen hundred years.