Sir H. Rawlinson has shown that the name Ahasuerus is, like Pharaoh, an

appellative, meaning 'Venerable King', and not used exclusively of any one

monarch.  Similarly the name Darius, according to Professor Sayce, means 'The

Maintainer', an appellative of more than one king, rather like the English

'Defender of the Faith', which belongs to no one monarch in particular.  It

is considered by those who have made chronology their study that the Darius

of chapter 9 is the Cyrus of chapter 10; the reader will find Appendixes 50

(vii. 5) and 57 of The Companion Bible helpful in this connection.  It would

be an unwarranted digression here to enter into the arguments concerning the

genealogy of the kings of Persia; but we do feel that our readers should

realize the importance of the conclusion that the Ahasuerus of Esther 1:1,

the Artaxerxes of Ezra 6:14 and Nehemiah 2:1, and the Darius of Daniel 5:31

represent the same person under different names.  The king married Esther,

whose son is the Cyrus of Scripture.

It is most interesting to see that Daniel's prayer in chapter 9

concerning the restoration of Jerusalem is dated in the first year of the

king under whose edict the restoration was commenced.

We must now consider, together with Daniel 9, the opening words of Ezra

1:

'Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the

Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up

the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation

throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus

saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all

the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house

at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.  Who is there among you of all His

people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is

in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (He is the

God,) which is in Jerusalem.  And whosoever remaineth in any place

where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and

with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill

offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem' (Ezra 1:1 -4).

Before we are fully prepared to continue our study of Daniel 9 there is

one further proclamation to be brought into line.  We read in Nehemiah 1:1:

'It came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was

in Shushan the palace'.

This twentieth year of Artaxerxes (see Neh. 2:1) dates as forty -two

years from the beginning of the Babylonian servitude, thirty -five years from

Jehoiachin's captivity, twenty -three years from the destruction of

Jerusalem, and twenty -five years from the beginning of the desolations (see

The Companion Bible).

There are three periods of seventy years that must be kept separate, if

we are to avoid confusion: the Servitude, the Captivity, and the Desolations.

The servitude began in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, and ended with the

decree of Cyrus just quoted.  The Captivity is dated by Ezekiel as from the

eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar, when Jeconiah was carried away captive.  The

Desolations commenced with the last siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and

are the subject of Daniel's prayer in chapter 9.  While, therefore, Daniel is