Cambyses II Conquers Egypt

Cambyses II marches into Egypt and defeats Pharaoh Psamtik III, making Egypt a Persian province for the first time. According to Herodotus, the Persians exploited Egyptian reverence for cats by placing sacred animals on their shields. Whether or not that detail is true, the conquest is well-documented — and it means the Jewish communities in Egypt now live under the same Persian authority as their relatives back in Judah.