Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל / Dānī’ēl means "God is my judge") is found in the Ketuvim (Writings) section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). It is grouped with the prophets in the Greek versions and in most Christian Bibles.

Though traditionally the book was believed to have been written by the Daniel figure of the court tales, today the scholarly consensus is that it is a product of Maccabean times. Though many evangelical commentators still defend a sixth century date, for mainstream scholarship the issue was settled over a century ago The common view is that the court tales represent a stratum of older, traditional stories, while the visions and final redaction of the work date to the second century BCE. The visions describe the national crisis that occurred under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who persecuted and slaughtered thousands of observant Jews, polluted the Jerusalem temple, and tried to replace traditional customs with Hellenistic religious practices.

The book is made up of six court tales and four apocalyptic visions set in the time of the Babylonian captivity. The tales of chapters one to six contain colorful accounts of the hero and his three companions in the courts of Babylonian and Medo-Persian kings. They survive death threats, mortal trials, and court intrigue to be elevated to the highest positions in the land. Daniel interprets royal dreams and visions, foretelling both the individual punishment of the Babylonian monarchs and the overthrow of their empire. In the four visions of chapters seven to twelve, Daniel himself experiences strange revelations. These all culminate in frightening depictions of a powerful king who, like the Babylonian rulers of the court tales, attacks Israel, defiles the temple, and incurs divine judgment.