Daniel in the Lion's Den

The story of Daniel in lion's den is one of the most well-known and yet historically challenging chapters in the book. the reason it faces such scrutiny is that it references a king named Darius of the Medes. The fact that the Babylonians were defeated in 539 BC is not disputed, but history does not record a king of the Medes named Darius as the victor. Buoyed by what I learned yesterday about the recent archaeological discovery validating the otherwise disputed existence of Belshazzar, I know it is simply a matter of time before a corroborating discovery is made.

In the meantime, conservative scholars have several theories about who Darius may have been. It is possible that the word "Darius" could refer to a title as opposed to a name, in the same way that the Egyptians use "Pharoah" and the Romans use "Caesar". The Persian word "darayawush" means "the royal one" and it certainly close phonetically to the word Darius. There are two other Dariuses in the Bible...Darius the Great and Darius II, so it could well be a title, or a very common name. Darius could also be another name for a recognized king. The Bible provides numerous examples of people who are called by more than one name, often utilizing different languages. If Darius this theory holds, the likely king with whom Darius would be linked is Cyrus. Note the footnote in our Bible on verse 6:28. "... during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus" can be translated "during the reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian". Finally, it is possible that Darius is another name for Gubaru, who governed Babylon under the authority of Cyrus of Persia.

The story of the lion's den may have been a catalyst for the decree issued by Cyrus, releasing the Jews from captivity. The Bible states that Darius (who was either Cyrus himself or his appointed ruler) was moved by Daniel's faith and the power of his God, and instructed the people of his kingdom to worship Daniel's God. Perhaps this incident stirred Cyrus' heart with compassion...or fear. The issuing of this decree has been substantiated by the finding of the Cyrus Cylinder in excavations of Babylon. A papyrus document contained within the cylinder notes the "return of the former inhabitants to their former habitations".

Tomorrow's reading: Ezra 2-4:5; 1 Chron. 3:19-24