It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom. – Daniel 6:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 19, 2023): Daniel 6

The Bible presents us with several mysteries, and the identity of Darius the Mede is one of them. Darius is one of the reasons why some scholars question the historicity of the Book of Daniel, often preferring to label it political fiction. Yes, Daniel existed, but the stories we know about him today are seen by these experts as exploits that have been made up to counter or speak to the problems that existed in the second Century B.C.E. Why is Darius problematic? Because we don't know of a Darius that lived during this period. The King that followed Belshazzar, the prince of Babylon, was Cyrus, not Darius. And most seem to believe that Daniel likely died in Persia during the reign of Cyrus.

All of this leaves us with a problem: who exactly is Darius? Several solutions have been suggested. The first is that Darius was a local name that Cyrus used, so it is Cyrus of which this passage speaks. The problem is that we have absolutely no proof of that. But just because we can't prove it from our historical position doesn't mean it isn't true. The same arguments hold for Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus, and Gubaru, a general in the employ of Cyrus, who defeated Babylon for Cyrus. Cyrus gave Gubaru leadership over Babylon with far-reaching powers in that portion of his empire. However, it is the latter that seems to have captured the imaginations of historical scholars. If there is a leading candidate for Darius the Mede, Gubaru might be the most logical choice.

But there is one other possibility. Is it possible that Daniel lived longer than we think he did and survived into the reign of Darius the Great? Darius the Great's reign over the empire began on September 29, 522 B.C.E. But that is only seventeen years after Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and took over that portion of the kingdom, which would have included Judah and Israel. Possible? Sure. And if Darius the Great is the identity of Darius the Mede, then Daniel skipped over the reigns of Cyrus, Cambyses II, and Bardiya to tell the story of Daniel in the Den of Lions during the time of Darius the Mede.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 7