Over 2,400 years old, this ancient inscription was carved into the mountainside near Van Fortress in modern-day Turkey, commissioned by Xerxes I during his reign from 486-465 BC. Written in three languages—Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian—it praises the god Ahuramazda: "A great god is Ahuramazda, the greatest of the gods... who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many." It’s amazing to think this stone has survived all these centuries, offering a direct link to the words of an ancient ruler.