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"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. ."--2 Pet. 3:3-4 |
The Berean Christadelphians |
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Index
Chronological Charts |
An Hypotheses for the Dating of Scriptural and Archaeological Dates Relevant to Cyrus the Great 
The custom of the Jews as given to them in the Mosaic Law is that the New Year is on the first day of Spring. The custom of the Gentile nations was that New Years was exactly 6 month later, on the first day of Fall. With that in mind consider the following hypothesis. March 538 archaeology tells us is the date Babylon fell to Cyrus, when Darius (thought by historians to be his Uncle) begins to rule. So, on the first day of Spring 538 BC through the last day of Winter 537 BC, the Jews count as Darius' first year. On the other hand, Fall 538 BC is when the Persians count him as in his first year, though he began his reign 6 - 7 months earlier. Spring 537 BC, Darius has completed one actual year for the Jews, begins second year. But the historical record says Darius only reigned one year, so by Fall 537 BC, Darius must be gone, or would be in second year, according to the Persians. Cyrus then comes into the city the year following his victory, after Spring 537 BC, but before Fall 537. Cyrus, for what ever reason, does not have his inaugural celebration till the following year according to archaeology, which would be after Fall 536. From Fall 537 BC through Fall 536 BC, this becomes a Persian year unaccounted for historically. Cyrus is in the city, Darius' rule is over, but Cyrus has not had the great ceremony by which he declared himself king. This is Daniels's third year of Cyrus beginning Spring 536 BC, and ending Spring 535 BC by Jewish reckoning. If this is a correct reading of the archaeological record, lets consider an hypothesis whereby the inaugural ceremony takes place in February 535 BC. By Jewish reckoning then, April 535 BC begins Cyrus first year (though the fourth year of his joint reign and one month following the start of his actual reign.) Let us hypothesize that the declaration for the freedom of Israel comes in March 534 BC, before the first day of Spring, so that it can come in Cyrus' first year by Jewish reckoning. Since he decreed himself king (after our example) in February of 535, March 534 can be said to be in his second year according to the Persian reckoning (as we know the Gentile nations and even the Ten Tribes of Israel were not uniform on how to measure the time of a reign.) Whether or not this is correct, we can not say. We can say that it fits the Scriptural and Historical record in a manner where both can be correct.
Return to the Chart of the Times of the Gentiles
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