Icons of the Bible
Who was Daniel in the Bible?
"We can read about the life of Daniel in his own writings in the book of Daniel and also in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and 28:3. There are some striking similarities between the life of Daniel and that of Jacob’s son Joseph. Both of them prospered in foreign lands after interpreting dreams for their rulers, and both were elevated to high office as a result of their faithfulness to God.
After Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem, he chose noble men from Israel’s royal household who were handsome and showed an aptitude for learning, to be trained in the ways of the Babylonians. After their three years’ training, they would be put into the king’s service (Daniel 1:1-6). Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge,” and his three countrymen from Judea were chosen and given new names. Daniel became “Belteshazzar,” while Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah became “Shadrach," "Meshach," and "Abednego.” The Babylonians most likely gave them new names that were completely disassociated with their Hebrew roots to hasten Daniel and his friends’ assimilation into the Babylonian culture.
Daniel and his compatriots proved to be the wisest of all the trainees, and, at the end of their training, they entered the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel’s first sign of faithfulness to God was when he and his three friends rejected the rich food and wine from the king’s table, because they deemed it a defilement, and became vegetarians. As their health improved, they were permitted to continue with their chosen diet. In their education, the four men from Judah became knowledgeable in all Babylonian matters, and Daniel was given by God the ability to understand dreams and visions of all kinds (Daniel 1:17).." from the article: Who was Daniel in the Bible?
Daniel the Prophet of the Bible, His Life and Accomplishments
"Daniel (3304-3399 / 457-362 BCE) was a celebrated Jewish scholar and master interpreter of dreams who was exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He is famous for successfully interpreting the proverbial “writing on the wall” and miraculously surviving the lions’ den. His book is included in the canon of sacred Jewish writings.." from the article: Daniel the Prophet of the Bible, His Life and Accomplishments
12 Biblical Facts about Daniel
"Everyone knows Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den and went on some kind of fast. But there’s a lot more to this character than the Sunday school lessons let on!
Few Bible characters have the kind of status that Daniel does. He’s a righteous and wise hero of the Old Testament whose decisions save the lives of many.
You really ought to dig into Daniel with a Bible study and commentary to learn about this character for yourself, but for starters, here’s 12 biblical facts about Daniel that don’t get a lot of screen time in church. (And I may have used my favorite Bible software to make this list.)
1. Daniel is from David’s royal family
For hundreds of years, a descendant of David had been on the throne in Jerusalem—well, besides one imposter queen (2 Ki 11:1–3). In 605 B.C., the dynasty was in its twilight years. Nebuchadnezzar successfully besieges Jerusalem and carries off some of the treasure from the temple of God to Babylon.
But that’s not all he takes. Nebuchadnezzar also captures some young men of the royal family with him to serve him in his court (Da 1:3). Daniel is one of them (1:6). This probably takes place before Daniel has finished adolescence.
Why does this happen? Maybe Nebuchadnezzar assumes Jerusalem’s leaders won’t give him any trouble if their sons are off in Babylon—kind of like high-profile hostages. Maybe he just wants to show off “pet” Israelite royalty to people who visit his palace.
Whatever the case, he makes a good choice to pick Daniel..' from the article: 12 Biblical Facts about Daniel
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