Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Daniel’s Prayer for his People, the Jews and God’s holy city, Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:¹ In the first year of Darius (522 BC) (See charts above) the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—

Daniel 9:² in the first year of his (Darius’) reign – I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem.

• Who is Darius? See chart below: The Genealogy of the Medes and Persians: Darius’ father is Hystaspes Ahasuerus aka Hystaspes Artaxerxes.
  Not to be confused with Artaxerxes I, #5, Queen Esther’s husband.

The Jewish captives returning to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile were led in their goal to rebuild the temple by Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David who served as governor, alongside the high priest Joshua (or Jeshua).
537 BC: Zerubbabel returns to Jerusalem for the laying of the foundation for the temple. (Zerubbabel led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia Ezra 1:1)

The Years for the temple are 586-516 BC during the rule of (Babylon) Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, and Belteshazzar, (Medes and Persians) Cyrus and Darius I.
The Years for Jerusalem, the city, are 516-446 BC
The Years for Daniel are 605-535 BC during (Babylon) the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, and Belteshazzar, (Medes and Persians) Cyrus, and Darius.

• The distinction between the two Artaxerxes is critical when it comes to understanding the other biblical books which involve the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s temple verses the rebuilding of the cities and walls.
  Darius’ father was a contemporary of Cyrus the Great.

• Ezra: The Restoration of the Temple, which began under Cyrus, was interrupted by Hystapes Artaxerxes, the father of Darius I, and finished by Darius I.
  
  • Ezra 4:7-8 In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language.
    Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:
    
  • Ezra 4:11 (This is a copy of the letter that they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, and so forth:
    
  • Ezra 4:23
    Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease.
    
  • Ezra 6:14
    So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
    
  • Ezra 7:1
    The Arrival of Ezra
    Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
    
  • Ezra 7:7
    Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
    
  • Ezra 7:11-12
    The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
    This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:
    Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth.
    
  • Ezra 7:21
    And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,
    
  • Ezra 8:1
    Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
    These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes:

• Nehemiah: The Restoration of the City, Jerusalem, under Artaxerxes Longimanus, son of Xerxes I, husband of Queen Esther. A Totally different timeline than Hystapses Artaxerxes.
  
  • Nehemiah 2:1
    Nehemiah Sent to Judah
    And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.
    
  • Nehemiah 5:14
    The Generosity of Nehemiah
    Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.
    
  • Nehemiah 13:6
    But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

CONCLUSION: So far, there haven’t been reasonable answers to this confusion until the Behistun Inscription. See the chart at the top for clarification: Hystaspes Artaxerxes, son of Arsames, and Artaxerxes Longimanus, son of Xerxes.

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* {1 of 3} Daniel 9 – “Who is Darius and Artaxerxes?” [70 YEARS Verses 1-2] 90661
{2 of 3} Daniel 9 – “Prayers Count” [Verses 3-19] 7950
{3 of 3} Daniel 9 – “Odds are 70/70” [70 Weeks, verses 20-27] 90621