The Contribution of Babylonian Tablets in the Collection of David Sofer to the Chronology of the Revolts against Darius I

Abstract

The article deals with two chronological problems pertaining to the rebellions which took place in the Achaemenid empire in 522–520 B.C.E. The first problem is the date of the beginning of the rebellion of Araḫa (Nebuchadnezzar IV) in Babylonia; the second is the question whether the short-lived rule of Vahyazdata (Bardiya II) was recognized in Babylonia. Both issues are discussed based on the evidence of the Behistun inscription and of dated Babylonian tablets, including the newly available tablets from the collection of David Sofer.