99.9999% of people in human history did not know what was on the other side of those mountains over there.

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Although ancient history is filled
with accounts of long and desperate battles between nations and
sieges of cities which lasted for many years, when a city had a
significant Jewish community, these battles did not seem to take
place.

"The Jews welcomed Cyrus with open arms." Here is another
theme which is repeated throughout the history of the Jews. In
every nation which falls without a struggle, the Jews rush out to
welcome the invaders. Kastein tells us that Cyrus allowed the
Jews to return to their own country, but many of them preferred
to remain in Babylon. Under the protection of Cyrus, the Jews
were allowed to despoil the natives of Babylon, and what riches
Cyrus did not carry off to Persia became the property of the
Jews. Consequently, the Jews formed a wealthy and powerful
ruling class in Babylon, and they devoted their time and money
to formulating a Jewish ethic, which was written down as the
Babylonian Talmud. In the English edition, published in London
in 1935 as the Soncino Talmud, Rabbi Hertz says, page X X I ,
"When we come to the Babylonian Gemara, we are dealing
with what most people understand when they speak or write of
the Talmud. Its birthplace, Babylonia, was an autonomous Jew-
ish centre for a longer period than any other land; namely, from
soon after 586 before the Christian era to the year 1040 after the
Christian era — 1626 years."

- Mullins, "New History of the Jews"