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Three of the great conservative commentators of the 19th century, Hengstenberg, Keil (''Keil and Delitzsch commentary''), and Zöckler (''Lange’s Commentary''), cited references to a king Darius who was preceded Darius I Hystapses (522–486 BC).<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/dissertationsongendan00heng]E. W. Hengstenberg, ''Dissertations on the Genuineness of Daniel and the Integrity of Zechariah'' (tr. B. P. Pratten; Edingburgh: T & T Clark, 1848), 41–42.</ref><ref>Keil, ''Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel'', 199–200.</ref><ref>Otto Zöckler, ''The Book of the Prophet Daniel: Theologically and Homiletically Expounded'' (tr. & ed. James Strong; vol. 13 of ''Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical'', ed. John Peter Lange and Philip Schaff (New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1876), 36.</ref> These authors cite references in two early authors, Berossus (3rd century BC) and Harpocration (2nd century AD) for evidence of this King Darius who was earlier than Darius I. The Berossus passage is preserved in Josephus (''Against Apion'' 1.153) and in the ''Chronicle'' of Eusebius, a work that survives only in an Armenian translation. Josephus/Berossus relates the defeat of Nabonidus by Cyrus, after which Nabonidus “was humanely treated by Cyrus, who dismissed him from Babylonia, but gave him Carmania for his residence.” The extract from Eusebius agrees with Josephus’s citation, but adds to it: “(But) Darius the king took away some of his province for himself.”<ref> Josef Karst, ed., ''Die Chronik aus dem Armenischen übersetzt mit textkritischem Commentar'', vol. 5 of ''Eusebius Werke'' (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1911), 246.</ref> This is referring to the time of the defeat of Nabonidus (539 BC), not the time of the later Darius I Hystapses. If this earlier Darius was able to override the disposition of Cyrus for Nabonidus, it means that he had a higher authority than Cyrus, which is compatible with Xenophon’s portrayal of Cyrus being under the suzerainty of Cyaxares until the death of the latter. It is also compatible with the “Darius the Mede” of Daniel, who had authority to issue an edict that no one could pray to any other god or king but to him for thirty days, an edict that could not have been issued if there was an authority higher than him in the realm (Daniel 6:7-9). Notice that the events of Daniel 6 take place after the forces under Cyrus captured Babylon; Cyrus was still alive, but at this point he was not yet the supreme authority in the empire.

Three of the great conservative commentators of the 19th century, Hengstenberg, Keil (''Keil and Delitzsch commentary''), and Zöckler (''Lange’s Commentary''), cited references to a king Darius who was preceded Darius I Hystapses (522–486 BC).<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/dissertationsongendan00heng]E. W. Hengstenberg, ''Dissertations on the Genuineness of Daniel and the Integrity of Zechariah'' (tr. B. P. Pratten; Edingburgh: T & T Clark, 1848), 41–42.</ref><ref>Keil, ''Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel'', 199–200.</ref><ref>Otto Zöckler, ''The Book of the Prophet Daniel: Theologically and Homiletically Expounded'' (tr. & ed. James Strong; vol. 13 of ''Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical'', ed. John Peter Lange and Philip Schaff (New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1876), 36.</ref> These authors cite references in two early authors, Berossus (3rd century BC) and Harpocration (2nd century AD) for evidence of this King Darius who was earlier than Darius I. The Berossus passage is preserved in Josephus (''Against Apion'' 1.153) and in the ''Chronicle'' of Eusebius, a work that survives only in an Armenian translation. Josephus/Berossus relates the defeat of Nabonidus by Cyrus, after which Nabonidus “was humanely treated by Cyrus, who dismissed him from Babylonia, but gave him Carmania for his residence.” The extract from Eusebius agrees with Josephus’s citation, but adds to it: “(But) Darius the king took away some of his province for himself.”<ref> Josef Karst, ed., ''Die Chronik aus dem Armenischen übersetzt mit textkritischem Commentar'', vol. 5 of ''Eusebius Werke'' (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1911), 246.</ref> This is referring to the time of the defeat of Nabonidus (539 BC), not the time of the later Darius I Hystapses. If this earlier Darius was able to override the disposition of Cyrus for Nabonidus, it means that he had a higher authority than Cyrus, which is compatible with Xenophon’s portrayal of Cyrus being under the suzerainty of Cyaxares until the death of the latter. It is also compatible with the “Darius the Mede” of Daniel, who had authority to issue an edict that no one could pray to any other god or king but to him for thirty days, an edict that could not have been issued if there was an authority higher than him in the realm (Daniel 6:7-9). Notice that the events of Daniel 6 take place after the forces under Cyrus captured Babylon; Cyrus was still alive, but at this point he was not yet the supreme authority in the empire.

[[Harpocration]] was associated with [[Library of Alexandria|the great library in Alexandria]], and so he had access to many ancient works that were lost when the library was burned. In his work ''The Lexicon of the Ten Orators'', under the entry “Daric,” (being a coinage) [[Harpocration]] wrote, “But [[Driac|darics]] are not named, as most suppose, after [[Darius I]] the father of [[Xerxes I the Great|Xerxes]], (522-486 BC), but after a certain other more ancient king.” This is thus a second historical reference to the existence of an earlier Darius, who must have been the supreme authority in his time, since he had authority to issue coinage in his name. These two references from ancient authors of this earlier king Darius can be taken as independent of the remembrance of [[Cyaxares II]] in [[Xenophon]], although the force of evidence implies that [[Xenophon|Xenophon’s]] [[Cyaxares II|Cyaxares]] was the same person as this “earlier” Darius, and both were the personage identified as “Darius the Mede” in the book of Daniel.

[[Harpocration]] was associated with [[Library of Alexandria|the great library in Alexandria]], and so he had access to many ancient works that were lost when the library was burned. In his work ''The Lexicon of the Ten Orators'', under the entry “Daric,” (being a coinage) [[Harpocration]] wrote, “But darics are not named, as most suppose, after [[Darius I|Darius]] [i.e. Darius I Hystapses, 522-486 BC] the father of [[Xerxes I the Great|Xerxes]], but after a certain other more ancient king.” This is thus a second historical reference to the existence of an earlier Darius, who must have been the supreme authority in his time, since he had authority to issue coinage in his name. These two references from ancient authors of this earlier king Darius can be taken as independent of the remembrance of [[Cyaxares II]] in [[Xenophon]], although the force of evidence implies that [[Xenophon|Xenophon’s]] [[Cyaxares II|Cyaxares]] was the same person as this “earlier” Darius, and both were the personage identified as “Darius the Mede” in the book of Daniel.

==In Daniel 5==

==In Daniel 5==