PARTHIANS

(Parʹthi·ans).

Jews and proselytes from Parthia are listed first among those visitors attending the Festival of Pentecost in Jerusalem in 33 C.E. God’s holy spirit poured out on the group of about 120 Christian disciples enabled them to proclaim the good news in the language or dialect of those Parthians, some of whom doubtless responded favorably, became Christians, and likely spread the message among their own people upon returning to Parthia. (Acts 1:15; 2:1, 4-12, 37-47) The natural Jews from Parthia were part of the Dispersion; the “proselytes” (Acts 2:10) were non-Jews who had become converts to Judaism.

The Parthian Empire originated SE of the Caspian Sea but in time came to extend from the Euphrates as far as India. The Parthians were under subjection to the Persians from the time of King Cyrus. Later coming under Greek domination, they rebelled against the successors of Alexander the Great and managed to maintain their independence for several centuries (247 B.C.E.-226 C.E.), even against Rome. They held Judea for three years (40-37 B.C.E.) before losing it to the Romans. The Parthians were still an independent nation in the first century, and though they practiced the predominant Persian religion, the religions of the Jews and others were tolerated.