Daniel
Daniel's Answer to the King by Briton Rivière
Prophet
Born7th Century BC
Died6th Century BC
Susa (Iran)
Venerated inJudaism
Christianity
Islam[1]
Bahai Faith
Major shrineTomb of Daniel, Susa, Iran
FeastJuly 21: Roman Catholicism
December 17: Greek Orthodoxy
AttributesOften depicted in the den of the lions

Daniel (Hebrew: דָּנִיֵּאל, Modern: Daniyyel, Tiberian: Dāniyyêl, Greek: Δανιήλ, Hebrew "God is my Judge" is the fictional hero of the Bible's Book of Daniel (the consensus of modern scholars is that Daniel never existed).[2]

Daniel, a youth from Jerusalem, is taken into captivity in Babylon where he is brought up at the royal court. He learns the arts of the mage and excels the Babylonian magicians, before being given a series of apocalyptic visions concerning the liberation of the Jewish people. The book contains some of the best-known stories from the Old Testament, including the writing on the wall and "Daniel in the lions' den".

Occurrences

The best known Daniel is the hero of the Book of Daniel who interprets dreams and receives apocalyptic visions. The consensus of modern scholars is that this Daniel never existed.[2] The Bible also briefly mentions three other individuals named Daniel:

  1. The Book of Ezekiel (14:14, 14:20 and 28:3) refers to a legendary Daniel famed for wisdom and righteousness. In chapter 20, Ezekiel says of the sinful land that "even if these three, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness." In chapter 28, Ezekiel taunts the king of Tyre, asking rhetorically, "art thou wiser than Daniel?"[2] The Daniel mentioned by Ezekiel may refer to Danel from the Canaanite Ugaritic Epic of Aqhat and Anat.[3]
  2. Ezra 8:2 mentions a priest named Daniel who went from Babylon to Jerusalem with Ezra.[2]
  3. Daniel is a son of David mentioned at 1 Chronicles 3:1.

Origins

Daniel's name means "God (El) is my judge".[4] The name appears in the 6th century Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:14 and 20 and again at 28:3), where he is mentioned with Noah and Job as paragon of virtue.[4] It is possible that the author of the Book of Daniel chose the name Daniel for his hero because of his reputation.[4] "The legendary Daniel, known from long ago but still remembered as an exemplary character ... serves as the principal human hero in the biblical book that now bears his name."[5]

Daniel (Dn'il, or Danel) is also the name of a figure in the Aqhat legend from Ugarit.[2] (Ugarit was a Canaanite city destroyed around 1200 BCE–the tablet containing the story is dated c.1360 BCE).[6] Dn'il is a righteous man, but not notable for his wisdom, and if he lies behind Ezekiel's Daniel then it is likely that the 6th century prophet knew him from some other tradition.[7] Nevertheless it seems reasonable to suppose that some connection exists between the two.[7] The authors of the tales in the first half the Book of Daniel were probably unaware of the Ugaritic Daniel and probably took the name of their hero from Ezekiel;[7] the author of the visions in the second half in turn took his hero's name from the tales.

Daniel in the Book of Daniel

Chapters of the Book of Daniel
Daniel's Answer to the King by Briton Rivière

Additions to Daniel:

Daniel refusing to eat at the King's table, early 1900s Bible illustration

Overview

The Book of Daniel begins with an introduction telling how Daniel and his companions came to be in Babylon, followed by a set of tales set in the Babylonian and Persian courts, followed in turn by a set of visions in which Daniel sees the remote future of the world and of Israel.[8] The tales in chapters 1-6 can be dated to the 3rd or early 2nd centuries BCE, with roots in the Babylonian diaspora, and while there is an element of fantasy involved in their picture of the honour in which Daniel and his companions are held, it is not impossible that they reflect the milieu of upper-class Jews in Mesopotamia of the time.[9] It is generally accepted that these were expanded by the addition of the visions in chapters 8-12 between 167 and 164 BCE.[10]

Induction into Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (605 BC[11]), Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the young Jewish nobility carried off to Babylon. The four were chosen for their intellect and beauty to be trained as advisers to the Babylonian court (Daniel 1). Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, i.e. prince of Bel or Bel protect the king, not to be confused with the neo-Babylonian king Belshazzar. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego respectively.[12]

Nebuchadnezzar's dream

In the narrative of Daniel Chapter 2, it was the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and the king was distressed by his dreams,[v.1] so he summoned his interpreters.[v.2] However, they were unable to relay or interpret the dreams.[v.10-11] The king was furious and demanded the execution of all the wise men in Babylon.[v.12] When Daniel learned of the king's order, he asked the captain of the guard, Arioch, to let him see the king.[v.13-16] Daniel prayed for God's mercy to receive a revelation from the king's dream.[v.15-18] God then revealed the mystery to Daniel in a vision that same night.[v.19] Daniel praised God with a doxology.[v.20-23] After meeting with Arioch again, Daniel was granted access to the king,[v.24-30] and relayed the description of the dream,[v.31-36] followed by its interpretation.[v.37-45] With Daniel's successful interpretation of the dream, the king expressed homage,[v.46] followed by his own doxology that affirmed that Daniel's God is God of gods for revealing this mystery of his dream.[v.47] Daniel was then promoted to chief governor over the whole province of Babylon.[v.48] At Daniel's request, his companions were also promoted, so that they remained at the king's court.[v.49][13]

Nebuchadnezzar's madness

Nebuchadnezzar recounted his dream of a huge tree that was suddenly cut down at the command of a heavenly messenger. Daniel was summoned and interpreted the dream. The tree was Nebuchadnezzar himself, who for seven years, due to his pride lost his mind and became like a wild beast. All of this came to pass until, at the end of the specified time, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men"[4:25] and his sanity and kingdom were restored to him.

Belshazzar's Feast: The writing on the wall

In Daniel's later years, king Belshazzar held a great feast for all his nobles. In a drunken state, the king called for the sacred vessels captured from the Jerusalem temple and profanely drank from them. Suddenly, the fingers of a man's hand appeared before the king and wrote on the wall of the palace.[5:1–5] When none of his wise men were able to interpret the message, Daniel was called in at the suggestion of the queen.[5:10–15] After reprimanding the king for his impiety, Daniel interpreted the words "MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN"[5:25] to mean that Belshazzar was about to lose his kingdom to the Medes and the Persians. For successfully reading the cryptic handwriting, Daniel was rewarded with a purple robe and proclaimed that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.[5:17–29] "¶ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old." (Daniel 5:1–31)

Daniel in the Lion's den protected by an angel by François Verdier

Daniel in the lions' den

After the Persian conquest of Babylon, Daniel was the first of three presidents over parts of the kingdom during the reign of Darius the Mede.[6:1–2] When the king decided to set Daniel over the whole kingdom, the other officials plotted his downfall. Unable to uncover any corruption, they used Daniel's religious devotion to try to defeat him. The officials tricked the king into issuing an irrevocable decree that "whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions."[6:3–7] When Daniel continued to pray three times a day toward Jerusalem, he was thrown into a lions den, much to the distress of Darius.[6:8–17] After an angel shut the lions' mouths, Daniel was delivered, and Daniel's accusers, with their wives and children, were thrown into the den and they were devoured. (Daniel 6:18–24)

Daniel's apocalyptic visions

Engraving of Daniel's vision in chapter 7 by Matthäus Merian, 1630.

The second half of the Book of Daniel (chapters 7 to 12) are a series of apocalyptic visions of which Daniel is the supposed recipient.[12] This marks a change in the narrative from Daniel interpreting to messengers of God interpreting for Daniel. Daniel dreamed of four beasts that came out of the sea: a lion with eagle's wings, a bear with three tusks, a leopard with four wings and four heads, and a beast with iron teeth, ten horns and one little horn and human eyes.(Daniel 7:4–8) These beasts are all present at a convening of the divine counsel. Presiding over the counsel is the Ancient of Days. The Ancient One proceeds to put to death the beast with the one little horn. (Daniel 7:9–11) Daniel also describes the fates of the other beasts saying that while their dominion was taken away, their lives were prolonged. (Daniel 7:12) This introduction leads into a series of dreams and visions where these events are expressed in greater detail.

The beasts represent a series of kingdoms that ruled over the Jews, namely Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. The horns of the last beast are symbolic of the rulers who floowed Alexander the Great upon his death, culminating with Antiochus IV.[12] There are additional details in the text that allude to Antiochus IV, including some form of desecration to the temple (Daniel 11:31) and persecution (Daniel 11:23).[12] The final message of the second half of Daniel is that God will deliver the people from oppression, the latest of which is Antiochus IV.[12]

Bel and the Dragon

In the Deuterocanonical portion of Daniel known as Bel and the Dragon, the prophet Habakkuk is supernaturally transported by an angel to take a meal to Daniel while he is in the lions' den. In response, Daniel prays, "Thou hast remembered me, O God; neither hast thou forsaken them that seek Thee and love Thee".[14]

Daniel's final days

The time and circumstances of Daniel's death have not been recorded. However, tradition maintains that Daniel was still alive in the third year of Cyrus according to the Tanakh (Daniel 10:1). Rabbinic sources indicate that he was still alive during the reign of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a based on Book of Esther 4, 5). Some say he was killed by Haman, the prime minister of Ahasuerus (Targum Sheini on Esther, 4, 11). Many[who?] posit that he possibly died at Susa in Iran. Tradition holds that his tomb is located in Susa at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. Other locations have been claimed as the site of his burial, including Daniel's Tomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, as well as Babylon, Egypt, Tarsus and, notably, Samarkand, which claims a tomb of Daniel (see "The Ruins of Afrasiab" in the Samarkand article), with some traditions suggesting that his remains were removed, perhaps by Tamerlane, from Susa to Samarkand (see, for instance, Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela,[15] section 153).

Views of Daniel

Daniel in the Lion's Den, c 1615 by Pieter Paul Rubens

Judaism

According to Rabbinical tradition, Daniel was of royal descent; and his fate, together with that of his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, was foretold by the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah in these words, "and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon".Isaiah 39:7[16][17]

According to this view, Daniel and his friends were eunuchs, and were consequently able to prove the groundlessness of charges of immorality brought against them, which had almost caused their death at the hands of the king.[17]

Christianity

The prophet is commemorated in the Coptic Church on the 23rd day of the Coptic month of Baramhat.[18]

On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, the feast days celebrating St. Daniel the Prophet together with the Three Young Men, falls on December 17 (during the Nativity Fast), on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers[19] (the Sunday which falls between 11 and 17 December), and on the Sunday before Nativity.[20] Daniel's prophesy regarding the stone which smashed the idol (Daniel 2:34–35) is often used in Orthodox hymns as a metaphor for the Incarnation: the "stone cut out" being symbolic of the Logos (Christ), and the fact that it was cut "without hands" being symbolic of the virgin birth. Thus the hymns will refer to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) as the "uncut mountain"

Daniel is commemorated as a prophet in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod together with the Three Young Men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), on December 17.[21]

The Roman Catholic Church commemorates St. Daniel in the Roman Martyrology on July 21.[22] Some local liturgical calendars of dioceses also list his feast, sometimes on July 21 and sometimes on another day. For example, the archdiocese of Gorizia celebrates the feast of St. Daniel, prophet and confessor, on September 11. The reading of the Mass is taken from the Book of Daniel, chapter 14; the Gradual from Psalm 91; the Alleluia verse from the Epistle of James 1; and the Gospel from Matthew 24.[23]

Islam

Muslims traditionally consider Daniyal (Arabic: دانيال, Danyal) as an Islamic prophet, alongside the other major prophets of the Old Testament. Although Daniel is not mentioned in the Qur'an, there are accounts of Daniel's life which feature in later Muslim literature. Daniel is listed as a prophet in all major versions of Stories of the Prophets.[24] When the Muslims conquered Alexandria in AD 641, a mosque was immediately built dedicated to Daniel.[25]

Muslim exegesis, including Tabari's History of the Prophets and Kings narrates that Daniel was carried off to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Jerusalem. It goes on to state that there he was thrown into the den of the lions, but was later rescued. In one such account, Daniel is aided by Jeremiah, who comes to Babylon to help Daniel in the lions' den.[26] In the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon, however, there is a very similar tale which states that the Hebrew prophet Habbakuk was miraculously transported to the den of the lions, to give a meal to Daniel.

Daniel's tomb is constantly visited by Muslim pilgrims in Susa (Shoosh) in southern Iran and daily prayers are held at the mausoleum regularly.

All sources classical and modern, describe Daniel as a saintly and spiritual man. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his Qur'anic commentary says:

Daniel was a righteous man of princely lineage and lived about 620-538 B.C. He was carried off to Babylon in 605 B.C by Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrian, but was still living when Assyria was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. In spite of the "captivity" of the Jews, Daniel enjoyed the highest offices of state at Babylon, but he was ever true to Jerusalem. His enemies (under the Persian monarch) got a penal law passed against any one who "asked a petition of any god or man for 30 days" except the Persian King. But Daniel continued true to Jerusalem. "His windows being open in his chambers towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

— Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary[27]

Baha'i

Daniel is considered a minor prophet in the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.[28] Some Baha'i converts introduced the principle of reincarnation, specifically that of Daniel and John.[who?][29]

Six tombs of Daniel

Tomb of Daniel at Susa, Iran.
The tomb of protagonist Daniel in Samarkand

There are six different locations claiming to be the site of the tomb of the biblical figure Daniel: Babylon, Kirkuk and Muqdadiyah in Iraq, Susa and Malamir in Iran, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Tomb of Daniel at Susa is most agreed tomb.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wheeler, B. M. "Daniel". Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism. Daniel is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an but there are accounts of his prophethood in later Muslim literature... ((cite book)): Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e Collins 1999, p. 219.
  3. ^ Day, J (1980). "The Daniel of Ugarit and Ezekiel and the Hero of the Book of Daniel". Vetus Testamentum. 30 (2).
  4. ^ a b c Redditt 2008, p. 180.
  5. ^ Seow 2003, p. 4.
  6. ^ Walton 1994, p. 49.
  7. ^ a b c Collins 1999, p. 220.
  8. ^ Wesselius 2002, p. 294.
  9. ^ Collins 1984, p. 34-35.
  10. ^ Collins 1984, p. 29-30.
  11. ^ C. Hassell Bullock. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. p. 340. The following comparisons of the two systems indicates that the "third year of Jehoiakim" was the year 605 B.C. according to Daniel's accession-year system
  12. ^ a b c d e Coogan, Michael. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
  13. ^ Collins 1984, p. 47-49.
  14. ^ Dixon, Henry Lancelot (1903). "Saying Grace" Historically Considered and Numerous Forms of Grace:Taken from Ancient and Modern Sources; With Appendices. Oxford and London: James Parker and Co. p. 11.
  15. ^ http://isfsp.org/sages/ben5.html
  16. ^ (Talmud tractate Sanhedrin 93b; Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer lii)
  17. ^ a b "DANIEL". JewishEncyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  18. ^ "The Departure of the great prophet Daniel". Copticchurch.net. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  19. ^ Sergei Bulgakov, Manual for Church Servers, 2nd ed. (Kharkov, 1900) pp. 453-5. December 11–17: Sunday of the Holy Forefathers Translation: Archpriest Eugene D. Tarris
  20. ^ Bulgakov, 'Manual for Church Servers', pp. 461-2. December 18–24: Sunday before the Nativity of Christ of the Holy Fathers
  21. ^ "Today in History - December 17". Chi.lcms.org. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  22. ^ Francis E. Gigot (1889). "Daniel". Catholic Encyclopedia on CD-ROM. New Advent.
  23. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
  24. ^ See, for example, Ibn Kathir's Stories of the Prophets: "The Story of Daniel"
  25. ^ Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B. M. Wheeler, Daniel
  26. ^ Stories of the Prophets, The Story of Daniel, Part 1. Food in the Lions Den
  27. ^ Abdullah Yusuf Ali|The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Note.150
  28. ^ May, Dann J (December 1993). The Bahá'í Principle of Religious Unity and the Challenge of Radical Pluralism. University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. p. 102.
  29. ^ From Iran East and West - Volume 2 - Page 127 and 106, Juan R. I. Cole, Moojan Momen - 1984
  30. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia

Bibliography

Wikisource has the text of the 1897 Easton's Bible Dictionary article Daniel.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daniel.
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