**The kings of Persia** [were many in number, although in Seder Olam (chapters 28 and 30) they said that Madai and Paras had only 4 kings, but according to Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer (chapter 49) there were more, and in Rashi Daniel 14 and likewise Rabbi Saadiah and Ra'avad and writers of chronicles from them we count as follows]: 1) Daryavesh son of Achashverosh, 2) Koresh son of his daughter Mandani, 3) Kambisi (Cambyses) the wicked son of Koresh, 4) Daryavesh the builder of the Temple son of Esther, 5) Achashverosh of Esther, 6) Artachshasta the first, 7) Daryavesh the second, 8) Daryavesh the third who was killed by Alexander the Great of Macedonia.

**Koresh** (Cyrus) was the first king of Persia, he reigned in year 3390, and there were kings before him in Persia but he was the first king of the general kingdom since Bavel was also in his hand [(see above year 3392)]. And in that year, the 70 years of the Babylonian exile were completed from the year Nevuchadnetzar became king. And he gave permission to the Yehudim to go up to build the Temple, and Zerubavel son of She'altiel and Yeshua the Kohen Gadol went up with 42,000 people [(Ezra 2)] and 7,337 servants, and they built the altar and offered sacrifices [(Sha'ar HaDorot there)].

He reigned for three years [(Seder Olam there)] and his final year was year 3392. Koresh was the son of Mandani daughter of Daryavesh the Mede [(Sha'ar HaDorot)], and because he was raised by a dog he was called Koresh [(Sha'ar HaDorot Yuchsin, see above year 3389)].

**Daniel** [Yuchsin writes at the end of Seder HaKabbalah that the Rama'h copied, that he calculated and erred, for he counted 70 years from his exile (meaning that Nevuchadnetzar became king in the 5th year of Yehoyakim which is year 319, and he took Daniel and his companions to Bavel) and Gabriel came and informed him that the 70 years were counted from the destruction, and Daniel cried out and this is the sackcloth and ashes that were torn from him. And Daniel died at age 73 in the first year of Koresh which is year 3390, and was buried in Shushan the capital of Persia, and his grave is shown to this day and they venerate it, and from his grave emanate miraculous things, and they call it by his name, and they bring lights there always, and all the kings of Persia honored his grave and built a building over it].

**Daniel** nullified through his wisdom the idol called Bel and proved to the king that it was all vanity, as is mentioned in the Book of Bel. Some say this was in the days of Nevuchadnetzar, and some say in the days of Koresh, and in Josephus it seems it was in the days of Daryavesh the second who built the Temple. And it seems distant to me that the matter would extend so long, and it seems that the story was in the days of Daryavesh the first since Daryavesh the second was righteous and the friend of Yisrael, and it is unlikely he would worship Bel and require Daniel to disprove it.