Darius the Median (RV 'Mede')] presents the greatest historical difficulty in the book. In this v. he receives the kingdom of Babylon upon the death of Belshazzar. In Daniel 6:1; Daniel 6:25 he acts and speaks as a supreme sovereign; in Daniel 6:28 he appears as a predecessor of Cyrus the Persian; in Daniel 9:1 he is called 'Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans.' No such person, however, is mentioned in any other historical source, and the inscriptions leave no room for an independent king of Babylon between Nabuna'id and Cyrus. Cyrus had conquered Media before invading Babylon, and his army comprised both Medes and Persians, Gobryas, the general of Cyrus, who acted under him as governor of Babylon, was probably a Mede, and the author of Daniel has apparently mistaken his subordinate office for an independent monarchy, and has confounded his name with that of Darius Hystaspes (the Darius of the book of Ezra), who was the father, and not the son, of Ahasuerus (Xerxes).

Took] RV 'received,'

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising