Who were the Parthians? They have a Semitic-Israelite connection and a link to King David within the Parthian royal family. The names of Israelite tribes and clans are in evidence within the Parthian Empire. Parthia's first capital city was named after Isaac, the son of Abraham.

The Parthian Empire rose to power when Carthage fell. The ancient world empire of Parthia rivalled Rome's empire and lasted for a few hundred years. The Parthian empire was so powerful at its height that it was the one empire that Rome actually FEARED!

Just decades before the birth of Christ (around 53 B.C.), the Parthian Empire fought and soundly beat the Romans at the battle of Carrhae and killed Crassus (who, with Julius Caesar and Pompey, governed the entire Roman Republic)! The Parthians fought Rome again around 40 B.C. and took from them almost the entire eastern Mediterranean area known as the Levant (composed of Palestine, Syria, Jordan and other areas).

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Parthians even forced the ruling Herod the Great to flee for his very life:

"Now, in the second year, Pacorus, the King of Parthia's son, and Barzapharnes, a commander of the Parthians, possessed themselves of Syria. . . .

"Now Antigonus had promised to give the Parthians a thousand talents, and five hundred women, upon condition they would take the government away from Hyrcanus (the governor of the Jews and Herod the Great's father-in-law), and bestow it upon him, and withal KILL HEROD. And although he did not give them what he had promised, yet did the Parthians make an expedition into Judea on that account . . .

" . . . Herod was under great disturbance of mind, and rather inclining to believe the reports he heard about his brother and the Parthians, than to give heed to what was said on the other side, he determined, that when the evening came on, he would make use of it for his flight, and not make any longer delay, as if the dangers from the enemy were not yet certain. " (History (Antiquities) of the Jews, Book 14, Chapter 13)

The Parthian empire came to an end when the Persians, who had been Parthian subjects for years, defeated them in battle. The empire of Parthia, which had existed for four hundred years, came to an end around 224 A.D.