Dr. Steven D. Anderson
Most popular
Darius the Mede:
A Reappraisal
This book is a revision of my Ph.D. dissertation by the same title. It offers a solution to one of the most vexing problems in Old Testament scholarship, which is the identity of Darius the Mede. For a summary of the thesis of the book and major supporting arguments, see this blog post. Some arguments are also summarized in this article published in Bibliotheca Sacra.
“Perhaps the most intractable problem surrounding the authenticity of Daniel has been to establish the existence of a Median king who can be positively identified as Darius the Mede. In 2014, this problem seems to have been definitively solved by Steven Anderson. . . . the cumulative force of the ancient evidence permits little doubt that the Median king Cyaxares II was Darius the Mede.”
Dr. Kirk MacGregor
Reviews
“The identification of Darius the Mede has been an age-old problem for those doing serious study in the Book of Daniel. . . . Though not the first to suggest that Darius the Mede is an alternative name (a throne name?) for Cyaxares II, Anderson's masterful work is certainly the most thorough and convincing treatment of this position to date. . . . Whether one agrees with Anderson's conclusions or not (I personally feel he is probably right), anyone wanting to explore this issue in-depth cannot afford to ignore this important contribution to Danielic scholarship. An excellent work and highly recommended!”
Dr. J. Paul Tanner
“It is hoped that researchers and writers will be open to the insights that Anderson’s research provides for understanding the book of Daniel and historical circumstances related to the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.”
Rodger C. Young, in a 2021 JETS article
Articles
APR 8 2024
Some Christian interpreters have tried to argue that all the messianic prophecies in the Psalms are to be understood as speaking exclusively of Christ and not of David. Evangelicals who are influenced by higher criticism often argue that these psalms were intended only to speak of David (or an anonymous “psalmist”) in their original context, which seems to make the New Testament references to them as prophecies erroneous. However, there is a better way to make sense of both these psalms and their New Testament quotations.
AUG 31 2023
This article will examine the symbolism of communion (a.k.a. “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Eucharist”), with a special focus on the meaning of the phrase “this is My body.” But before explaining how communion is to be correctly understood, this article will examine a common but incorrect interpretation of communion, and will explain why it is erroneous.
MAY 5 2023
True believers have always comprised a small minority of the world’s total population. But how many people will spend eternity on the new earth that is described in Revelation 21:1–22:5?