MONOLOGUE OF DARIUS THE MEDE
I want to do a mologue of Darius the Mede. But before doing it, I have to give you some historical and archaeological background to this exceptional king who had a personal relationship with Daniel.
REJECTION
Maybe you are aware of the fact that not all the scholars accept the authenticity of the book of Daniel mainly because of one verse which says Darius the Mede was king over Babylon.
Over the years Bible students have worked very hard to defend the Bible and now they have come up with proof that there really was someone called Darius the Mede.
Here are some of the reliable sources that are mentioned:
XENOPHON AUTHOR OF THE CYROPAEDIA (BIOGRAPHY OF CYRUS)
Xenophon describes a Median king, Cyaxares II, who was the actual head of government while Cyrus led the Medo-Persian armies on campaigns of conquest. Darius the Mede is the throne name of Cyaxares.
HARAN STELE
The Harran Stele support for the existence of Xenophon’s Cyaxares II (and Daniel’s Darius the Mede) by implying that there was a king of the Medes whom Cyrus did not overthrow.
BEROSSUS
The historian Berossus refers to the actions of an unspecified “King Darius” shortly after the fall of Babylon.
VALERIUS HARPOCRATION
Professional researcher and lexicographer at the library of Alexandria, affirms in a lexical work that there was a king of the Medo-Persian Empire named “Darius” who reigned sometime before Darius Hystaspes.
This discovery was made at Oxyrhyngus
AESCHYLUS
The Greek tragic dramatist Aeschylus describes two Median kings who preceded Cyrus as rulers of Medo-Persia.
He presents the first as the founder of the dynasty, the second as his son and the king who was on the throne when Babylon fell, and the third, Cyrus, as the natural successor of the second king.
Who was the founder of the dynasty? Astyages when he gave his daughter Mandane to Cambysis in marriage. This alliance with a Persian king to check the Babylonian danger can be seen as the merger of the Medes and the Persians.
Who was on the throne when Babylon fell? Darius, also called Cyaxares II. After his death Cyrus was the natural successor of the second king.
MONOLOGUE – DARIUS THE MEDE
Let me tell you about the greatest joy I have ever experienced.
My top official in my great world empire was cast into the lion’s den because of my vanity and the deceit of jealous government officials.
But before telling you the rest of the story, let me introduce myself to you.
My name is Darius the Mede.
CAPTURE OF BABYLON
A while ago my nephew Cyrus and I participated in a combined military campaign against Babylon. We first diverted the flow of the Euphrates River and then we mached kneedeep till we reached the huge gates that lead to the city. Usually these gates are locked and guarded, but this specific night of the 12th of October they were wide open.
It was full moon and we easily reached the palace where king Belshazzar and his thousand lords were having a party. As we rushed into the huge festive hall they were paralized not only by us coming there but also because of alcohol.
WRITING ON THE WALL
After we did what we needed to do, we saw a very strange script on one of the walls on the festive hall.
An aged gentlemen watching the writing with tears dripping down his old face. I walked up to him and introduced myself to him. He welcomed me and said his name is Daniel.
I wanted to know from him the meaning of strange writing on the wall and he told me the sad story of the anouncement of the fall of Babylon and the new kingdom that would rule.
CYRUS
There is something that this old man Daniel told us, was the fact that their holy book prophecied that Cyrus would conquer Babylon and become the new world ruler.
AMYTIS
We also met the widow of Nebuchadnezzar in the festive hall, Amytis. She was the daughter of my grand father Cyaxares. This was a polital marriage where we the Medes made an alliance with Babilon.
And ofcourse whe was also the sister of Astyages my father. I was delighted to see my aunt after all these years. She also spoke very highly of Daniel the Jewish statesman and prophet.
BABYLONIAN GOVERNMENT
Cyrus invited me to rule over the kingdom while he was doing a few other errands. So I moved from my capital Ecbatana to Babylon and gave my daughter to Cyrus in marriage.
I appointed 127 satraps, vassel kings to rule over the Medo-Persian Empire. Then I appointed three ministers. And guess who was my top executive? Daniel.
FRIENDSHIP WITH DANIEL
I never met such a godly man as Daniel. I never met such a genius and honest statesman in all my years as king.
Do you think we discussed religious matters? Yes. Ofcourse. He told me of his God who revealed to him the future of the world on more than one occasion.
I was impressed when he explained the forgotten dream of Nebuchadnezzar and where the Medo-Persian empire was represented by the breast and arms of the great image.
But the symbol of the bear that was raised up on one side, representing the Medo-Persian Empire.
Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Daniel told me that the ribs in the mouth of the bear represented three nations that we would conquer. At this stage we only conquered Lidia and Babolonia. I wonder who would be the next? Maybe Egypt.
But Daniel had another vision concerning the place of the Medo-Persian Empire in the history of mankind.
Daniel 8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
I was amazed at the historically accuracy of these prophecies. When my father Astyages gave my sister Mandane to marry the Persian king Cambyses, he actually gave up our superiority over the Persians.
And when I gave my daughter to Cyrus as wife I confirmed that acknowledgement.
Next time I want to tell you the most amazing experienced I had with Daniel. God saved him from a pride of hungry lions.