Book of Daniel
Biblical apocalypse set in the 6th century BC, written in the 2nd century BC.
The Book of Daniel is a biblical apocalypse set in the 6th century BC and considered by mainstream Bible scholars to have been written in the 2nd century BC. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish exile in Babylon. The text features prophecy rooted in Jewish history as well as a portrayal of the end times that is cosmic in scope and political in its focus. The message of the text intended for the original audience was that just as the God of Israel saves Daniel from his enemies, so too he would save the Israelites in their present oppression.
- field
- Biblical apocalypse / prophetic literature
- language
- Biblical Aramaic, Late Biblical Hebrew, Koine Greek (Septuagint additions)
- known_for
- Court tales and apocalyptic visions; vaticinium ex eventu; influence on later religious movements
- canonical_placement
- Hebrew Bible: Ketuvim; Christian canons: Major Prophets
Lore & Background
The Book of Daniel divides into two parts: six court tales in chapters 1–6, written mostly in Biblical Aramaic, and four apocalyptic visions in chapters 7–12, written mainly in Late Biblical Hebrew. The Septuagint contains three additional sections in Koine Greek: the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon. The book is considered vaticinium ex eventu, meaning prophecy written after the events it describes.
Reader's Guide
The Book of Daniel has resonated throughout the ages, including with the community of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the authors of the canonical gospels and the Book of Revelation. From the 2nd century to the modern era, religious movements, including the Reformation and later millennialist movements, have been deeply influenced by it. The book's themes—God's sovereignty over history, the vindication of the faithful, and the establishment of an everlasting kingdom—have made it a cornerstone of Jewish and Christian eschatology. Its chiastic structure in the Aramaic section (chapters 2–7) and the division between court tales and apocalyptic visions have been noted by scholars. The book is pseudonymous, as is typical of Jewish apocalyptic literature from antiquity outside of John's Revelation.
Did You Know?
- The Hebrew Bible includes Daniel as one of the Ketuvim ('Writings'), while Christian biblical canons group the work with the major prophets.
- The book is considered vaticinium ex eventu, meaning prophecy written after the events it describes.
- The Septuagint contains three additional sections in Koine Greek: the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon.
- The Aramaic section (chapters 2–7) has a recognized chiastic structure, with the main point placed in the center and framed by parallel elements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Book of Daniel about?
It is a prophetic-apocalyptic text that follows a Jewish court official named Daniel through his exile in Babylon, blending palace narratives (dream interpretation, the lions' den) with sweeping cosmic visions of empires rising and falling. The narrative is framed as 6th-century BC history, though most scholars place its actual composition in the 2nd century BC, when its message of divine rescue would have spoken directly to Jews under Hellenistic pressure.
What are the most famous scenes in Daniel?
Readers most often recall the fiery furnace, the lions' den, and the 'Son of Man' figure who receives an eternal kingdom from the Ancient of Days. The Greek-language additions (Susanna, Bel and the Dragon) also became part of the wider Christian canon and are frequently cited in art and liturgy.
Why is Daniel important in Christian theology?
It anchors much of Christian eschatology: the Son of Man imagery in Daniel 7 is the very title Jesus applies to himself in the Gospels, and the book's four-beast empire sequence shaped how early Christians read Roman history. It also sits in the Major Prophets section of most Christian Bibles, giving it a canonical weight beyond its relatively short length.
How does the Book of Daniel end?
Chapters 11–12 shift to a detailed catalogue of future wars between kingdoms, closing with the angel Gabriel telling Daniel that the dead will be raised and that the scroll should remain sealed until the time of the end. The final beat is one of patient expectation: vindication is promised, but its timing is withheld.
In what languages was Daniel originally written?
The core text alternates between Late Biblical Hebrew (chapters 1, 8–12) and Biblical Aramaic (chapters 2–7), a bilingual structure unique among prophetic books. The Septuagint version adds two Greek narratives (Susanna and Bel and the Dragon) that later entered the Catholic and Orthodox canons but not the Protestant one.
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