Book of Daniel History ~ Ancient Historians and Inscriptions  ~ 10/21/06

Ancient Historians and Inscriptions Relevant to the Study of the Book of Daniel

“For the history of Assyria and Babylonia, and for that of Syria, Phenicia, and Egypt before 500 B.C., we have no historian, strictly so-called, either native or foreign, who was contemporaneous with the events which transpired.” —RDW (Studies In The Book Of Daniel, p. 3).

• Primary historical data relevant to the Book of Daniel •

	Achaemenid Royal Inscriptions (The ruling dynasty of the Persian Empire) Oriental Institute, University of Chicago
	Annals of the King of Assyria by E. A. Wallis Budge and L. W. King (1902), Assyrian inscriptions with translations.
	Ashurbanipal King of Assyria Babylonian Proverbs Advice To A Prince
	Babylonian Chronicles or Babylonian Chronicles (with photos) Clay tablets with cuneiform inscriptions detailing Babylonian history. These ancient tablets now reside in the British Museum.
	The Babylonian Expedition of the University of Pennsylvania (PDF download) Cuneiform texts, edited by H. V. Hilprecht, reprinted from the American Philosophical Society Vol. XVIII, No. 1, 1893. PDF format.
	Behistun Inscription Originally translated by Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson (1810–1895) The Sculptures and Inscription 1907: Behistun Inscription Records Of The Past 1875: Behistun Site Behistun Inscription Another Site Vohuman.org: Photos and Translation PDF Book (download complete 1907 text with plates): The Sculptures and Inscription of Darius the Great on the Rock of Behistûn Title ch1 ch2 ch3 ch4 ch5 ch6 ch7

 

	Contract Tablets of Mesopotamia
	Ctesias of Cnidus * (another great resource from Jona Lendering)
	Cyrus II Cylinder

	Darius Hystaspis Behistun Inscription:  Description &Text & The Sculptures and Inscription of Darius The Great on the Rock of Behistun in Persia
	Elephantine Papyri at [Your Site Here?] RDW refers to these as the Sachau Papyri. From the time of Persian rule, these are important as early Jewish documents written in Aramaic by a community located in Egypt. Marriage Contract Manumission
	Herodotus Herodotus Web Site: Herodotus was born circa 474 B.C., in Asia Minor at Halicarnassus, while it was a part of the Persian empire during the reign of Cambyses. Dubbed the “Father of History” by the Roman orator Cicero, his writings about the Persian empire, Greece, and the world of his time are considered accurate. He died about 430 B.C. The Herodotus Web Site is run by John Kitson. Description of Babylon Livio C. Stecchini: The Persian Wars
	Ishtar Descent of the Goddess Ishtar into the Lower World

 

	The Last Days of Judah and the Babylonian Exile
	Livy describes Antiochus IV Excerpt Founding of the City
	Maccabees Antiochus IV Loots the Temple
	Medes / Media “…from the Medes not one document has survived.” —Robert Dick Wilson, Studies In The Book Of Daniel, p. 15

Nabonidus Larsa Inscription A stone inscription which is a dedication by Nabonidus explaining his desire to excavate and restore ancient temples and generally puff himself up as a swell guy. Nabonidus Chronicle A badly damaged stone inscription, nevertheless has a wealth of information .

 

	Nabopolassar Cylinder Nabo discusses what a swell guy he is.
	Nebuchadnezzar II Inscription Like father, like son… Ishtar Gate K.C. Hanson’s site Tower of Babel Stele The Schøyen Collection

	Old Testament Apocrypha
	Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
	Psalm 137 The Bitter Memory of the Babylonian Exile §

 

Ramses II Marriage Stele

 

	West Semitic Research Project An awesome site with rare photos of ancients texts relating to the Bible.
	Xenophon Cryopaedia The Education of Cyrus Book V Cryopaedia The Education of Cyrus Book VI
	(Topical) Mahlon H. Smith (Rutgers University) has a great site with primary texts… Antiochus Epiphanes IV Maccabean Revolt Hasmonean Dynasty