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Who is Darius?
        DARI'US
        (restrainer), the name of several kings of Media and Persia mentioned in the Bible. 1. Darius the Median, Dan 5:31, was the son of Ahasuerus; he took Babylon from Belshazzar the Chaldaean, being at that time about 62 years old. The best identification is that which makes him Astyages, the last king of the Medes. "Only one year of the reign of Darius is mentioned, Dan 9:1; Dan 11:1; and if, as seems probable, Darius (Astyages) occupied the throne of Babylon as supreme sovereign, with Nerigalsarasser as vassal-prince, after the murder of Evil-merodaeh (Belshazzar), b.c. 559, one year only remains for this Median supremacy before its overthrow by Cyrus, b.c. 558, in exact accordance with the notices in Daniel." Under him Daniel was advanced to the highest dignity, which exposed him to the malice of enemies and led to his being cast into the den of lions, but by a miracle he escaped injury. See Daniel. 1. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the founder of the Perso-Aryan dynasty, and ruler, b.c. 521-486. Ezr 4:5, Jud 6:24; Hag 1:1, 2 Sam 20:15; Zech 1:1, 1 Kgs 15:7; Zech 7:1. He found in the palace at Achmetha or Ecbatana, the capital of Cyrus, a decree of that king concerning the temple in Jerusalem. This he confirmed, and the temple was finished in 4 years, b.c. 516. Ezr 6:15. It may, however, have been used before it was entirely completed, as is inferred from Zech 7:2-3. 2. Darius the Persian, mentioned in Neh 12:22, is generally identified with Darius Codomannus, the antagonist of Alexander the Great, who ascended the throne b.c. 336, and reigned until b.c. 330. He was the last Persian monarch, and was killed by his own generals. Alexander defeated him, and thus the prophecy of Daniel, ch. Dan 8, was fulfilled.


Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'darius' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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