130 



Akkad, part of Sippara*), which lay on the Euphrates where 

 the Nahr Malka flowed out of the river, was destroyed by 

 the Persians, and Gobares, so some say, had drawn off the 

 Euphrates (see ante, p. 20).''^ Xenophon also states that the 

 capture of Babylon was effected by Gobyras, and that his 

 division was the first to reach the palace. 



Cyrus himself did not enter Babylon until later in the year, 

 — namely on the 3rd day of Marchesvan, four months after, — 

 when he "proclaimed peace to all Babylon/' and Gobyras, 

 his governor and governors, he appointed. f 



This statement, which is given both in the Cylinder and the 

 Chronicle seems to show that Gobyras was made viceroy of 

 Babylon during the reign of Cyras. This brings us face to 

 face with one of the most difficult problems of the chronology 

 of this period, " the reign of Darius the Mede.^' The 

 identity of this ruler is only known to us from the book of 

 Daniel, where he is twice mentioned : " And Darius the 

 Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two 

 years oW; and again, " In the first year of Darius, the sou 

 of Aliashuerus, of the seed of the Medes " (Dan. v. 31 ; 

 ix. 1). 



It is here that we come in contact with the book of Daniel, 

 and it will be necessary, in order to explain the matter and 

 at the expense of being somewhat prosy, to enter fully into 

 the details of the facts to be gathered from the inscriptions. 



From 'the Chronicle inscription we get the following series 

 of dates for the year of the fall of Babylon, B.C. 538 : — 



1. Capture of Sippara, Tarnmiiz 14th. 



2. Capture of Babylon, Tammuz 16th. 



3. Entry of Cyrus into Babylon, and appointment of 



Gobyras as the viceroy, Marcliesvaii 3rd. 



4. Death of Nabonidus, Marchesvan 11th. 



Among the dated tablets in the British Museum, the 

 contracts give the following dates : — 



1. Last date in the reign of Nabonidus, Elul 5th, in the 



17th year. 



2. First date in the reign of Cyrus, Kisleu 16th, in 



Accession. 

 An interval of 111 days. 



* See my notes on this name in the Appendix to Mr. Hormuzd Eassam's 

 paper on " Babylonian Cities." 



t Ugbaru BP Pikhnti .sw (lo) pikhatu in a Babili iptekid. Pikhatu, a 

 prefect, is in the Hebrew T\^[^ 



