The Behistun Inscription Zagros Mountains
The text of the inscription is a statement by Darius I of Persia, written three times in three different scripts and languages: two languages side by side, Old Persian and Elamite, and Babylonian above them. Many historians claim Darius ruled the Persian Empire from 521 to 486 BC but several inscriptions state he was in Babylon during the time of Daniel. Darius arranged an inscription of a long tale of his accession to be inscribed into a cliff near the modern town of Bisistun, in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains of Iran.

The Inscription and "The Darius" in The Book of Daniel

Column 1:3 - Says Darius the king: Therefore we are called the Achaemenides.

Daniel 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom

Column 1:18 - Says Darius the king: Afterwards I went to Babylon

Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar King of Babylon Daniel had a dream. (Darius and Daniel were both in Babylon)

HerodotusThe Histories Documents Darius in Babylon
"But that which is related by the Chaldeans (Babyloninans) I relate. Against this statue Darius the son of Hystaspes formed a design"

"This (Babylonian) tomb was undisturbed until the kingdom came to Darius." - Herodotus Histories Book 1

"Now of Hystaspes the son of Arsames who was a man of the Achaimenid clam, the eldest son was Darius, who was then, I suppose, a youth of twenty years, and he had been left behind in the land of the Persians, for he was not yet old enough to go out to the wars. When Cyrus awoke he mulled over the vision"- Herodotus Histories Book 1

Chronology and Identity of "Darius the Mede"
The previous passage by Herodutus confirms that Darius and Cyrus were both alive during the same time frame. The Bible and Herodotus both claim that Darius lived into his sixties so there is no mystery on the indentity of Darius the Mede.

Belshazzar and Nabonidus
The Behistun inscription mentions someone claiming to be King of Babylon. He states "thus he deceived the people"and "thus he lied to the people". The book of Daniel states that Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar and not Nabonidus as many historians are guilty of presuming as fact.

Daniel 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans slain.

Column 1:16 Behustin Inscription
"One man a Babylonian Nidintu-Bel by name, the son of Aniri', he rose up in Babylon; thus he deceived the people; I am Nebuchadrezzar the son of Nabonidus; afterwards the whole of the Babylonian state went over to that Nidintu-Bel; Babylon became rebellious; the kingdom in Babylon he seized"

Column 3:14 Behustin Inscription
"Says Darius the king: When I was in Persia and in Media, a second time the Babylonians became estranged from me; one man, Arakha by name, an Armenian son of Haldita, he rose up in Babylon; there (is) a region, Dubala by name - from here he thus lied to the people; I am Nebuchadrezzar, the son of Nabonidus; afterwards the Babylonian people became estranged from me and went over to that Arakha; he seized Babylon; he became king in Babylon"

Is this deceiver King Nabonidus? A king we know ruled Babylon during this era in history.

The entire Behustan Inscription - Translated

Belshazzur on the Nabonidus Cylinder
The cylinder clearly mentions the name "Belshazzur" which is the same name used in the Book of Daniel. Nabonidus came to power after his death so he could not be the son of Belshazzar but might be his brother. The inscriptions from Darius could signify that Nabonidus killed Belshazzur to sieze the Kingdom of Babylon which would clearly explain Daniel 5:30.

Darius and The Shushan Palace from the Book of Esther

Book of Ezra
Ezra 6:14 According to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes kings of Persia.

Ezra names all three of the Kings of the Persian empire.

See Ezra and The Silver Bowl of Artaxerxes Inscription