Biblically Compatible Archaeology and Geography

  by Damien F. Mackey       Part One: ‘Xerxes’ and Sennacherib     The mighty king, Xerxes, favoured by various commentators to represent “Ahasuerus”, the Great King of the Book of Esther, is most likely a composite character, a mix of real Assyrian and Medo-Persian kings. Here, for instance, we consider his likenesses to Sennacherib.     Introduction   The name ‘Xerxes’ is thought by historians to accord extremely well linguistically with “Ahasuerus”, the name of the Great King of the Book of Esther. There are several kings “Ahasuerus” in the (Catholic) Bible: in Tobit; in Esther; in Ezra; and in Daniel.   As Cyaxares   The one in Tobit is usually considered to refer to the Cyaxares who conquered Nineveh. See e.g. my:   “Ahasuerus” in Book of Tobit   https://www.academia.edu/24959960/_Ahasuerus_in_Book_of_Tobit   But before [Tobias] died, he heard of the destruction of Nineveh, which was taken by Nebuchad

  by   Damien F. Mackey     Common factors here may include ‘divine’ madness; confounding the priests by messing with the Babylonian rites; and the conquest of Egypt and Ethiopia.       Introduction   Since in articles such as:   “Nebuchednezzar” of the Book of Daniel   https://www.academia.edu/23886406/_Nebuchednezzar_of_the_Book_of_Daniel   I have argued that the reason why biblical historians have discerned so much of Daniel’s “Nebuchednezzar” in the person of the neo-Babylonian king, Nabonidus, is because the latter was the same king as Nebuchednezzar II, I shall be including Nabonidus in this consideration of likenesses between Nebuchednezzar II and Cambyses.     Part One: King’s Madness     Nebuchednezzar II/Nabonidus   One of the traits shared by Daniel’s “Nebuchednezzar” and King Nabonidus was madness, as discussed in the above-mentioned article. Now, in my:   Neo-Babylonian Dynasty