~~~ Daniel, Darius, and the Lion's Den ~~~
1) Who Was Darius the Mede?

The last six kings of the Neo-Babylonian Empire: [1]

  1. Nabopolassar (626–605 BC)
  2. Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BC)
  3. Amel-Marduk (562–560 BC)
  4. Neriglissar (560–556 BC)
  5. Labashi-Marduk (556 BC)
  6. Nabonidus (556–539 BC)
  7. Belshazzar, son and crown prince of Nabonidus, ruled in his father's absence

The first six Achaemenid kings of the Persian Empire: [2]

  1. Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great) (559-530 BC)
  2. Cambyses II (530-522 BC)
  3. Smerdis (522 BC)
  4. Darius I (Darius the Great) (522-486 BC)
  5. Xerxes I (486-465 BC)
  6. Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC)

The person identified as "Darius the Mede" is only mentioned in the Book of Daniel as being made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom. He is found nowhere else in the Old Testament. He is not known to secular history and he doesn't appear in the list of Persian kings following the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Cyrus the Great or Darius the Mede:
  1. Daniel the prophet was most likely born around 623 BC. He and three of his friends were taken captive to Babylon
  2. This is stated to have happened in the third year of king Jehoiakim of Judah, who ruled from 609 to 598.
  3. The third year then would be 606 BC so Daniel would have been about 17 years old.
  4. "And Daniel remained there [at Babylon] until the first year of King Cyrus." Daniel 1:21 Daniel would have been about 84 years old.
  5. "Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two." Daniel 5:31
  6. Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BC. He was born in 600 BC, so he could have been 62 in 539 BC. [4]
  7. Taking the three points above together is strong evidence that it was Cyrus the Great, not Darius the Mede, who was known by Daniel.
  8. It was Cyrus who was tricked into casting Daniel into the lions den and cost him a sleepless night. At dawn the next day he rushed to the lions den.
  9. "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions? Daniel 6:20
  10. "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight." Daniel 6:21
  11. What could have moved the heart of this heathen king except that he witnessed the power of Daniel's faith and deliverance.
  12. This may be the reason that prompted Cyrus to issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23

1) Neo-Babylonian Kings
2) Achaemenid Dynasty
3) Darius the Mede
4) Cyrus the Great