KING OF PERSIA · EXILE & RETURN

Darius. The king who let the temple be finished.

REIGNEDi

Not given c. 522–486 BC (dates vary)

CAPITAL

Babylon

HOUSE

Achaemenian (his own inscription) 4th of 9 in Persia

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this…”

PROPHETS

Haggai · Zechariah

PERSIA: 9 RULERS CYRUS → NEHEMIAH

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

PERSIA

Cyrus

BEYOND THE RIVER (A PERSIAN PROVINCE)

Tatnai · Shethar-boznai

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · REIGN OF DARIUS I (522–486 BC)

The Behistun inscription

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT 430 BC

Herodotus, Book III

SUCCESSION

Before and after

THE REALM

Babylon and the places of the account

Persia. Only places Scripture names are shown, each where the Atlas puts it.

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • "Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place." Ezra 6:7
  • He ordered the costs paid from "the tribute beyond the river", and sacrifices supplied, "that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons". Ezra 6:8–10
  • "And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed." Ezra 6:12
  • After the Passover Ezra says the LORD had "turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God". Ezra 6:22

DEALINGS

Dealings with God's people

  • He supplied bullocks, rams, lambs, wheat, salt, wine and oil for the burnt offerings "day by day without fail". Ezra 6:9–10
  • He confirmed Cyrus's decree and paid the building costs from the tribute beyond the river. Ezra 6:6–8
  • He set a penalty on anyone who altered his word: timber pulled from his house and he hanged on it. Ezra 6:11
  • "And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo." Ezra 6:14

EVENTS

Wars, works and turning points

Each mark sits at the year of the reign the Bible gives for it.

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

PROPHETS

The prophets who spoke about him

  • Ha Haggai “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?”
  • Ze Zechariah “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah”

TWO ACCOUNTS

Where the accounts differ

When the foundation was laid

EZRA

HAGGAI

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

Second, fourth and sixth years named; no length of reign.

LATE 522 – NOVEMBER 486 BC (PARKER AND DUBBERSTEIN, 1942)

c. 522–486 BC[3]

On their tables his second year began on 3 April 520 BC, so Haggai's "sixth month, in the first day" (Hag 1:1) fell about 29 August 520; the twelfth month of his sixth year (Ezra 6:15) fell early in 515.

HERODOTUS: "KING IN ALL SIX-AND-THIRTY YEARS"

c. 522–486 BC[9][3]

Herodotus gives 36 years; the end-points here are Parker and Dubberstein's.

Artaxerxes I, named for his later gifts to the house

C. F. Keil (1873), following Clericus and J. H. Michaelis

Keil holds that only Artaxerxes Longimanus can be meant, though he reigned long after the temple was finished, because his edict (Ezra 7:15, 21) later supported its upkeep. Ezra 6:14 Ezra 7:15 Ezra 7:21 [30]

Artaphernes, one of the seven Persian nobles who shared power with Darius

James Ussher (1658)

Ussher thought it "hard to understand any other than Artaphernes", taking the name as that of a partner in Darius's kingdom. Ezra 6:14 [25]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 7

Ezra 4 Ezra 5 Ezra 6 Haggai 1 Haggai 2 Zechariah 1 Zechariah 7

PASSAGES · 6

Ezra 4:5 Ezra 4:24–6:22 Haggai 1:1–2:23 Zechariah 1:1 Zechariah 1:7 Zechariah 7:1

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture does not tell how Darius came to the throne; his own inscription tells of the Magian Gaumata.
  • Scripture does not name Cambyses or the Magian who reigned between Cyrus and Darius, unless Ezra 4:6–7 refers to them (see the Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes pages).
  • Scripture does not say how long Darius reigned or that he ever saw Jerusalem.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • From the textThis is the Darius of Ezra 4–6, Haggai and Zechariah, "Darius king of Persia". He is kept apart from Darius the Mede (Daniel) and from "Darius the Persian" (Neh 12:22), who have their own records. Ezra 4:24 Haggai 1:1 Zechariah 1:1 Daniel 5:31 Nehemiah 12:22
  • Scholars' viewScholars identify him with Darius I, son of Hystaspes, who reigned 522–486 BC.[10][3]

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • R. W. Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), pp. 380–384 (the Cylinder of Cyrus, lines 12–35).
  • R. F. Harper (ed.), Assyrian and Babylonian Literature: Selected Translations (1901), pp. 168–171 ("The Annals of Nabonidus").
  • R. A. Parker and W. H. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.–A.D. 45 (Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 24; dates cited as facts only) (1942), pp. 11–15 (kings' reigns) and the tables of years.
  • L. W. King and R. C. Thompson, The Sculptures and Inscription of Darius the Great on the Rock of Behistûn in Persia (1907), Persian text, §§ I–IV and X–XIII, pp. 1–13.
  • A. Cowley, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (1923), No. 6, pp. 15–16 (introduction and translation).
  • A. Cowley, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (1923), No. 30, pp. 108–114 (introduction and translation).
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 1 (1890), Book I §§191, 214.
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 1 (1890), Book III §88.
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 2 (1890), Book VII §§4, 61, 114; Book IX §§109–112.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Darius", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections (1)–(3).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Ahasuerus", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 1, 2 and 4.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Artaxerxes", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections (1)–(3).
  • T. G. Pinches, "Cyrus", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 9, 10, 12 and 14.
  • Burton Scott Easton, "Xerxes", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Zerubbabel", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 1, 3 and 4.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Tirshatha", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Nehemiah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 3 and 5.
  • James Crichton, "Gedaliah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), (1), sections 2–3.
  • John Urquhart, "Vashti", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • John Urquhart, "Esther", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • George L. Robinson, "Isaiah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), the sections on chapters 40–66 and on the critical view.
  • Gerson B. Levi, Kaufmann Kohler and George A. Barton, "Ahasuerus", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 1 (1901), biblical data and critical view.
  • Emil G. Hirsch and Isaac Broydé, "Ezra the Scribe", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903).
  • Joseph Jacobs, M. Seligsohn, Morris Jastrow Jr. and D. S. Margoliouth, "Ezra, Book of", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903).
  • James Ussher, The Annals of the World (English translation of the Annales) (1658), The sixth Age of the World, pp. 108–112 and 118 (read from the page scans, leaves 59–64).
  • L. McFall, "A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles", Bibliotheca Sacra 148 (facts only) (1991), numbered texts 1–68; page numbers of the author's PDF.
  • W. F. Albright, "The Chronology of the Divided Monarchy of Israel", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 100 (facts only) (1945), Chronological table, pp. 20–22.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. M. G. Easton, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on Dan 9:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. S. Taylor, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Keil and Delitzsch) (1873), note on Ezra 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. S. Taylor, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Keil and Delitzsch) (1873), note on Ezra 6:14 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. A. Harper, The Books of the Chronicles (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 1 Chr 3:17–19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick, The Prophecies of Jeremiah (Keil and Delitzsch) (1880), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. E. Ryle, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1893), note on Ezra 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. E. Ryle, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1893), note on Neh 2:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: 1 Chronicles (c. 1878–1884), note on 1 Chr 3:19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • S. R. Driver, The Book of Daniel (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1900), note on Dan 5:31 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Daniel (1880–1897), note on Dan 6:28 and the "Excursus on Darius the Mede" (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Esther (1880–1897), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of Esther (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1907), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1748–1763), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Jeremiah (1880–1897), note on Jer 41:1, reporting H. Graetz (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1881), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Isaiah (1880–1897), note on Isa 44:28 (read on Bible Hub).

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