Book of Daniel - wikipedia Book of Daniel For other uses, see Book of Daniel ( disambiguation ). 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In more mundane language, it is `` an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon, '' its message being that just as the God of Israel saved Daniel and his friends from their enemies, so he would save all of Israel in their present oppression. In the Hebrew Bible it is found in the Ketuvim ( writings ), while in Christian Bibles it is grouped with the Major Prophets. The book divides into two parts, a set of six court tales in chapters 1 -- 6 followed by four apocalyptic visions in chapters 7 -- 12. The deuterocanon contains three additional stories, the Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon. Though the book is traditionally ascribed to Daniel himself, modern scholarly consensus considers it pseudonymous, the stories of the first half legendary in origin, and the visions of the second the product of anonymous authors in the Maccabean period ( 2nd century BC ). Its influence has resonated through later ages, from the Dead Sea Scrolls community and the authors of the gospels and Revelation, to various movements from the 2nd century to the Protestant Reformation and modern millennialist movements -- on which it continues to have a profound influence. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Divisions 1.2 Chiastic structure in the Aramaic section 2 Content 2.1 Introduction in Babylon ( chapter 1 ) 2.2 Nebuchadnezzar 's dream of four kingdoms ( chapter 2 ) 2.3 The fiery furnace ( chapter 3 ) 2.4 Nebuchadnezzar 's madness ( chapter 4 ) 2.5 Belshazzar 's feast ( chapter 5 ) 2.6 Daniel in the lions ' den ( chapter 6 ) 2.7 Vision of the beasts from the sea ( chapter 7 ) 2.8 Vision of the ram and goat ( chapter 8 ) 2.9 Vision of the Seventy Weeks ( chapter 9 ) 2.10 Vision of the kings of north and south ( chapters 10 -- 12 ) 2.11 Additions to Daniel ( Greek text tradition ) 3 Historical background 4 Composition 4.1 Development 4.2 Authorship 4.3 Dating 5 Manuscripts 6 Genre, meaning, symbolism and chronology 6.1 Genre 6.2 Meaning, symbolism and chronology 7 Influence 7.1 Religion 7.2 Western culture 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 10.1 Citations 10.2 Bibliography 11 External links Structure Nebuchadnezzar 's dream : the composite statue ( France, 15th century ). Divisions The Book of Daniel is divided between the court tales of chapters 1 -- 6 and the apocalyptic visions of 7 -- 12, and between the Hebrew of chapters 1 and 8 -- 12 and the Aramaic of chapters 2 -- 7. The division is reinforced by the chiastic arrangement of the Aramaic chapters ( see below ), and by a chronological progression in chapters 1 -- 6 from Babylonian to Median times, and from ( Babylonian to Persian ) in chapters 7 -- 12. Various suggestions have been made by scholars to explain the fact that the genre division does not coincide with the other two, but it appears that the language division and concentric structure of chapters 2 - 6 are artificial literary devices designed to bind the two halves of the book together. The following outline is provided by Collins in his commentary on Daniel : PART I : Tales ( chapters 1 : 1 -- 6 : 29 ) 1 : Introduction ( 1 : 1 -- 21 -- set in the Babylonian era, written in Hebrew ) 2 : Nebuchadnezzar 's dream of four kingdoms ( 2 : 1 -- 49 -- Babylonian era ; Aramaic ) 3 : The fiery furnace ( 3 : 1 -- 30 -- Babylonian era ; Aramaic ) 4 : Nebuchadnezzar 's madness ( 3 : 31 -- 4 : 34 -- Babylonian era ; Aramaic ) 5 : Belshazzar 's feast ( 5 : 1 -- 6 : 1 -- Babylonian era ; Aramaic ) 6 : Daniel in the lions ' den ( 6 : 2 -- 29 -- Median era with mention of Persia ; Aramaic ) PART II : Visions ( chapters 7 : 1 -- 12 : 13 ) 7 : The beasts from the sea ( 7 : 1 -- 28 -- Babylonian era : Aramaic ) 8 : The ram and the he - goat ( 8 : 1 -- 27 -- Babylonian era ; Hebrew ) 9 : Interpretation of Jeremiah 's prophecy of the seventy weeks ( 9 : 1 -- 27 -- Median era ; Hebrew ) 10 : The angel 's revelation : kings of the north and south ( 10 : 1 -- 12 : 13 -- Persian era, mention of Greek era ; Hebrew ) Chiastic structure in the Aramaic section There is a clear chiasm ( a concentric literary structure in which the main point of a passage is placed in the centre and framed by parallel elements on either side in `` ABBA '' fashion ) in the chapter arrangement of the Aramaic section. The following is taken from Paul Redditt 's `` Introduction to the Prophets '' : A1 ( 2 : 4b - 49 ) -- A dream of four kingdoms replaced by a fifth B1 ( 3 : 1 -- 30 ) -- Daniel 's three friends in the fiery furnace C1 ( 4 : 1 -- 37 ) -- Daniel interprets a dream for Nebuchadnezzar C2 ( 5 : 1 -- 31 ) -- Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar B2 ( 6 : 1 -- 28 ) -- Daniel in the lions ' den A2 ( 7 : 1 -- 28 ) -- A vision of four world kingdoms replaced by a fifth Content Chapters of the Book of Daniel Chapter 1 : Induction into Babylon Chapter 2 : Nebuchadnezzar 's Dream Chapter 3 : The Fiery Furnace Chapter 4 : Nebuchadnezzar 's Madness Chapter 5 : Belshazzar 's Feast Chapter 6 : Daniel in the Lions 's Den Chapter 7 : The Four Beasts Chapter 8 : The Ram, He - Goat and Horn Chapter 9 : The Seventy Weeks Chapters 10 - 12 : Daniel 's final vision Additions to Daniel Song of the Three Holy Children Susanna and the Elders Bel and the Dragon Introduction in Babylon ( chapter 1 ) In the third year of King Jehoiakim, God allows Jerusalem to fall into the power of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon. Young Israelites of noble and royal family, `` without physical defect, and handsome, '' versed in wisdom and competent to serve in the palace of the king, are taken to Babylon to be taught the literature and language of that nation. Among them are Daniel and his three companions, who refuse to touch the royal food and wine. Their overseer fears for his life in case the health of his charges deteriorates, but Daniel suggests a trial and the four emerge healthier than their counterparts from ten days of nothing but vegetables and water. They are allowed to continue to refrain from eating the king 's food, and to Daniel God gives insight into visions and dreams. When their training is done Nebuchadnezzar finds them ' ten times better ' than all the wise men in his service and therefore keeps them at his court, where Daniel continues until the first year of King Cyrus. Nebuchadnezzar 's dream of four kingdoms ( chapter 2 ) Main article : Daniel 2 In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. When he wakes up, he realizes that the dream has some important message, so he consults his wise men. Wary of their potential to fabricate an explanation the king refuses to tell the wise men what he saw in his dream. Rather, he demands that his wise men tell him what the content of the dream was, and then interpret it. When the wise men protest that this is beyond the power of any man, he sentences all, including Daniel and his friends, to death. Daniel receives an explanatory vision from God : Nebuchadnezzar had seen an enormous statue with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of mixed iron and clay, then saw the statue destroyed by a rock that turned into a mountain filling the whole earth. Daniel explains the dream to the king : the statue symbolized four successive kingdoms, starting with Nebuchadnezzar, all of which would be crushed by God 's kingdom, which would endure forever. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the supremacy of Daniel 's god, raises Daniel over all his wise men, and places Daniel and his companions over the province of Babylon. The fiery furnace ( chapter 3 ) Main article : Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Daniel 's companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar 's golden statue and are thrown into a fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar is astonished to see a fourth figure in the furnace with the three, one `` with the appearance like a son of the gods. '' So the king called the three to come out of the fire, and blessed the God of Israel, and decreed that any who blasphemed against him should be torn limb from limb. Nebuchadnezzar 's madness ( chapter 4 ) Main article : Daniel 4 Nebuchadnezzar by William Blake ( between c. 1795 and 1805 ) Nebuchadnezzar recounts a dream of a huge tree that is suddenly cut down at the command of a heavenly messenger. Daniel is summoned and interprets the dream. The tree is Nebuchadnezzar himself, who for seven years will lose his mind and live like a wild beast. All of this comes to pass until, at the end of the specified time, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that `` heaven rules '' and his kingdom and sanity are restored. Belshazzar 's feast ( chapter 5 ) Main article : Belshazzar 's feast See also : Fall of Babylon Belshazzar and his nobles blasphemously drink from sacred Jewish temple vessels, offering praise to inanimate gods, until a hand mysteriously appears and writes upon the wall. The horrified king summons Daniel, who upbraids him for his lack of humility before God and interprets the message : Belshazzar 's kingdom will be given to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar rewards Daniel and raises him to be third in the kingdom, and that very night Belshazzar is slain and Darius the Mede takes the kingdom. Daniel in the lions ' den ( chapter 6 ) Daniel 's Answer to the King by Briton Rivière ( 1892 ) Main article : Daniel in the lions ' den Darius elevates Daniel to high office, exciting the jealousy of other officials. Knowing of Daniel 's devotion to his God, his enemies trick the king into issuing an edict forbidding worship of any other god or man for a 30 - day period. Daniel continues to pray three times a day to God towards Jerusalem ; he is accused and King Darius, forced by his own decree, throws Daniel into the lions ' den. But God shuts up the mouths of the lions, and the next morning Darius rejoices to find him unharmed. The king casts Daniel 's accusers into the lions ' pit together with their wives and children to be instantly devoured, while he himself acknowledges Daniel 's God as he whose kingdom shall never be destroyed. Vision of the beasts from the sea ( chapter 7 ) Main article : Daniel 7 See also : Four kingdoms of Daniel In the first year of Belshazzar Daniel has a dream of four monstrous beasts arising from the sea. The fourth, a beast with ten horns, devours the whole earth, treading it down and crushing it, and a further small horn appears and uproots three of the earlier horns. The Ancient of Days judges and destroys the beast, and `` one like a son of man '' is given everlasting kingship over the entire world. A divine being explains that the four beasts represent four kings, but that `` the holy ones of the Most High '' would receive the everlasting kingdom. The fourth beast would be a fourth kingdom with ten kings, and another king who would pull down three kings and make war on the `` holy ones '' for `` a time, two times and a half, '' after which the heavenly judgement will be made against him and the `` holy ones '' will receive the everlasting kingdom. Vision of the ram and goat ( chapter 8 ) Main article : Daniel 8 In the third year of Belshazzar Daniel has vision of a ram and goat. The ram has two mighty horns, one longer than the other, and it charges west, north and south, overpowering all other beasts. A goat with a single horn appears from the west and destroys the ram. The goat becomes very powerful until the horn breaks off and is replaced by four lesser horns. A small horn that grows very large, it stops the daily temple sacrifices and desecrates the sanctuary for two thousand three hundred `` evening and mornings '' ( which could be either 1150 or 2300 days ) until the temple is cleansed. The angel Gabriel informs him that the ram represents the Medes and Persians, the goat is Greece, and the `` little horn '' is a wicked king. Vision of the seventy weeks ( chapter 9 ) Main article : Prophecy of Seventy Weeks In the first year of Darius the Mede, Daniel meditates on the word of Jeremiah that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years ; he confesses the sin of Israel and pleads for God to restore Israel and the `` desolated sanctuary '' of the Temple. The angel Gabriel explains that the seventy years stand for seventy `` weeks '' of years ( 490 years ), during which the Temple will first be restored, then later defiled by a `` prince who is to come, '' `` until the decreed end is poured out. '' Vision of the kings of north and south ( chapters 10 -- 12 ) Main article : Daniel 's final vision Daniel 10 : In the third year of Cyrus Daniel sees in his vision an angel ( called `` a man '', but clearly a supernatural being ) who explains that he is in the midst of a war with the `` prince of Persia '', assisted only by Michael, `` your prince. '' The `` prince of Greece '' will shortly come, but first he will reveal what will happen to Daniel 's people. Daniel 11 : A future king of Persia will make war on the king of Greece, a `` mighty king '' will arise and wield power until his empire is broken up and given to others, and finally the king of the south ( identified in verse 8 as Egypt ) will go to war with the `` king of the north. '' After many battles ( described in great detail ) a `` contemptible person '' will become king of the north ; this king will invade the south two times, the first time with success, but on his second he will be stopped by `` ships of Kittim. '' He will turn back to his own country, and on the way his soldiers will desecrate the Temple, abolish the daily sacrifice, and set up the abomination of desolation. He will defeat and subjugate Libya and Egypt, but `` reports from the east and north will alarm him, '' and he will meet his end `` between the sea and the holy mountain. '' Daniel 12 : At this time Michael will come. It will be a time of great distress, but all those whose names are written will be delivered. `` Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt ; those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. '' In the final verses the remaining time to the end is revealed : `` a time, times and half a time '' ( three years and a half ). Daniel fails to understand and asks again what will happen, and is told : `` From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. '' Additions to Daniel ( Greek text tradition ) Susanna and the Elders by Guido Reni ( 1820 - 1825 ) Main article : Additions to Daniel See also : Deuterocanonical books The Greek text of Daniel is considerably longer than the Hebrew, due to three additional stories : they were accepted by all branches of Christianity until the Protestant movement rejected them in the 16th century on the basis that they were absent from Hebrew Bibles, but remain in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, placed after Daniel 3 : 23 ; The story of Susanna and the Elders, placed before chapter 1 in some Greek versions and after chapter 12 in others ; The story of Bel and the Dragon, placed at the end of the book. Historical Background Daniel refusing to eat at the King 's table, early 1900s Bible illustration The visions of chapters 7 -- 12 reflect the crisis which took place in Judea in 167 -- 164 BC when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek king of the Seleucid Empire, threatened to destroy traditional Jewish worship in Jerusalem. When Antiochus came to the throne the Jews were largely pro-Seleucid. The High Priestly family was split by rivalry, and one member, Jason, offered the king a large sum to be made High Priest. Jason also asked -- or more accurately, paid -- to be allowed to make Jerusalem a polis, or Greek city. This meant, among other things, that city government would be in the hands of the citizens, which meant in turn that citizenship would be a valuable commodity, to be purchased from Jason. None of this threatened the Jewish religion, and the reforms were widely welcomed, especially among the Jerusalem aristocracy and the leading priests. Three years later Jason was deposed when another priest, Menelaus, offered Antiochus an even larger sum for the post of High Priest. Antiochus invaded Egypt twice, in 169 BC with success, but on the second incursion, in late 168, he was forced to withdraw by the Romans. Jason, hearing a rumour that Antiochus was dead, attacked Menelaus to take back the High Priesthood. Antiochus drove Jason out of Jerusalem, plundered the Temple, and introduced measures to pacify his Egyptian border by imposing complete Hellenisation : the Jewish Book of the Law was prohibited and on 15 December 167 an `` abomination of desolation '', probably a Greek altar, was introduced into the Temple. With the Jewish religion now clearly under threat a resistance movement sprang up, led by the Maccabee brothers, and over the next three years it won sufficient victories over Antiochus to take back and purify the Temple. The crisis which the author of Daniel addresses is the defilement of the altar in Jerusalem in 167 BC ( first introduced in chapter 8 : 11 ) : the daily offering which used to take place twice a day, at morning and evening, stopped, and the phrase `` evenings and mornings '' recurs through the following chapters as a reminder of the missed sacrifices. But whereas the events leading up to the sacking of the Temple in 167 and the immediate aftermath are remarkably accurate ( chapter 11 : 21 -- 29 ), the predicted war between the Syrians and the Egyptians ( 11 : 40 -- 43 ) never took place, and the prophecy that Antiochus would die in Palestine ( 11 : 44 -- 45 ) was inaccurate ( he died in Persia ). The conclusion is that the account must have been completed near the end of the reign of Antiochus but before his death in December 164, or at least before news of it reached Jerusalem. Composition Nebuchadnezzar 's dream : the cut down tree ( France, 15th century ). Development It is generally accepted that Daniel originated as a collection of Aramaic court tales later expanded by the Hebrew revelations. The court tales may have originally circulated independently, but the edited collection was probably composed in the third or early second century BC. When the full collection was assembled, it is likely that the brief Aramaic introduction of chapter 1 was composed to provide historical context, introduce the characters of the tales, and explain how Daniel and his friends came to Babylon. In the third stage the visions of chapters 7 -- 12 were added and chapter 1 was translated into Hebrew. Authorship Daniel is one of a large number of Jewish apocalypses, all of them pseudonymous. Although the entire book is traditionally ascribed to Daniel the seer, chapters 1 -- 6 are in the voice of an anonymous narrator, except for chapter 4 which is in the form of a letter from king Nebuchadnezzar ; only the second half ( chapters 7 -- 12 ) is presented by Daniel himself, introduced by the anonymous narrator in chapters 7 and 10. The real author / editor of Daniel was probably an educated Jew, knowledgeable in Greek learning, and of high standing in his own community. The book is a product of `` Wisdom '' circles, but the type of wisdom is mantic ( the discovery of heavenly secrets from earthly signs ) rather than the wisdom of learning -- the main source of wisdom in Daniel is God 's revelation. It is possible that the name of Daniel was chosen for the hero of the book because of his reputation as a wise seer in Hebrew tradition. Ezekiel, who lived during the Babylonian exile, mentioned him in association with Noah and Job ( Ezekiel 14 : 14 ) as a figure of legendary wisdom ( 28 : 3 ), and a hero named Daniel ( more accurately Dan'el, but the spelling is close enough for the two to be regarded as identical ) features in a late 2nd millennium myth from Ugarit. `` 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 `` ; Daniel is the wise and righteous intermediary who is able to interpret dreams and thus convey the will of God to humans, the recipient of visions from on high that are interpreted to him by heavenly intermediaries. Dating The prophecies of Daniel are accurate down to the career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria and oppressor of the Jews, but not in its prediction of his death : the author seems to know about Antiochus ' two campaigns in Egypt ( 169 and 167 BCE ), the desecration of the Temple ( the `` abomination of desolation '' ), and the fortification of the Akra ( a fortress built inside Jerusalem ), but he seems to know nothing about the reconstruction of the Temple or about the actual circumstances of Antiochus ' death in late 164. Chapters 10 -- 12 must therefore have been written between 167 and 164 BCE. There is no evidence of a significant time lapse between those chapters and chapters 8 and 9, and chapter 7 may have been written just a few months earlier again. Further evidence of the book 's date is in the fact that Daniel is excluded from the Hebrew Bible 's canon of the prophets, which was closed around 200 BCE, and the Wisdom of Sirach, a work dating from around 180 BC, draws on almost every book of the Old Testament except Daniel, leading scholars to suppose that its author was unaware of it. Daniel is, however, quoted in a section of the Sibylline Oracles commonly dated to the middle of the 2nd century BC, and was popular at Qumran at much the same time, suggesting that it was known from the middle of that century. Manuscripts The Book of Daniel is preserved in the twelve - chapter Masoretic Text and in two longer Greek versions, the original Septuagint version, c. 100 BC, and the later Theodotion version from c. 2nd century AD. Both Greek texts contain three additions to Daniel : The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children ; the story of Susannah and the Elders ; and the story of Bel and the Dragon. Theodotion is much closer to the Masoretic Text and became so popular that it replaced the original Septuagint version in all but two manuscripts of the Septuagint itself. The Greek additions were apparently never part of the Hebrew text. A total of eight incomplete copies of the Book of Daniel have been found at Qumran, two in Cave 1, five in Cave 4, and one in Cave 6. None is complete, but between them they preserve text from eleven of Daniel 's twelve chapters, and the twelfth is quoted in the Florilegium ( a compilation scroll ) 4Q174, showing that the book at Qumran did not lack this conclusion. All eight manuscripts were copied between 125 BC ( 4QDan ) and about 50 AD ( 4QDan ), showing that Daniel was being read at Qumran only forty years after its composition. All appear to preserve the 12 - chapter Masoretic version rather than the longer Greek text. None reveal any major disagreements against the Masoretic, and the four scrolls that preserve the relevant sections ( 1QDan, 4QDan, 4QDan, and 4QDan ) all follow the bilingual nature of Daniel where the book opens in Hebrew, switches to Aramaic at 2 : 4b, then reverts to Hebrew at 8 : 1. Genre, meaning, symbolism and chronology Daniel in the lions ' den saved by Habakkuk ( France, 15th century ). ( This section deals with modern scholarly reconstructions of the meaning of Daniel to its original authors and audience ) Genre The Book of Daniel is an apocalypse - a representative of a literary genre in which a heavenly reality is revealed to a human recipient ; such works are characterized by visions, symbolism, an other - worldly mediator, an emphasis on cosmic events, angels and demons, and pseudonymity ( false authorship ). The production of apocalypses occurred commonly from 300 BC to 100 AD, not only among Jews and Christians, but also among Greeks, Romans, Persians and Egyptians. Daniel, the book 's hero, is a representative apocalyptic seer, the recipient of the divine revelation : he has learned the wisdom of the Babylonian magicians and surpassed them, because his God is the true source of knowledge ; he is one of the maskilim ( משכלים ), wise ones, who have the task of teaching righteousness and whose number may be considered to include the authors of the book itself. The Christians of the Book of Revelations may have styled themselves as among the maskilim prophesied in Daniel. The account is also an eschatology : the divine revelation concerns the end of the present age, a moment in which God will intervene in history to usher in the final kingdom. The Book of Daniel gives no real details of the end - time, but it seems that God 's kingdom will be on this earth, that it will be governed by justice and righteousness, and that the tables will be turned on the Seleucids and on those Jews who cooperated with them. Meaning, symbolism and chronology The message of the Book of Daniel is that, just as the God of Israel saved Daniel and his friends from their enemies, so he would save all Israel in their present oppression. The book is filled with monsters, angels, and numerology, drawn from a wide range of sources, both biblical and non-biblical, that would have had meaning in the context of 2nd century Jewish culture, and while Christian interpreters have always viewed these as predicting events in the New Testament -- `` the Son of God '', `` the Son of Man '', Christ and the Antichrist - the book 's intended audience is the Jews of the 2nd century BCE. The following explains a few of these predictions, as understood by modern biblical scholars. The four kingdoms and the little horn ( Daniel 2 and 7 ) : The concept of four successive world empires stems from Greek theories of mythological history ; most modern interpreters agree that the four represent Babylon, the Medes, Persia and the Greeks, ending with Hellenistic Seleucid Syria and with Hellenistic Ptolemaic Egypt. The symbolism of four metals in the statue in chapter 2 comes from Persian writings, while the four `` beasts from the sea '' in chapter 7 reflect Hosea 13 : 7 -- 8, in which God threatens that he will be to Israel like a lion, a leopard, a bear or a wild beast. The consensus among scholars is that the four beasts of chapter 7, like the metals of chapter 2, symbolise Babylon, Media, Persia and the Seleucids, with Antiochus IV ( reigned 175 - 164 BC ) as the `` small horn '' that uproots three others ( Antiochus usurped the rights of several other claimants to become king of the Seleucid Empire ). The Ancient of Days and the one like a son of man ( Daniel 7 ) : The portrayal of God in Daniel 7 : 13 resembles the portrayal of the Canaanite god El as an ancient divine king presiding over the divine court. The `` Ancient of Days '' gives dominion over the earth to `` one like a son of man '', and then in Daniel 7 : 27 to `` the people of the holy ones of the Most High '', whom scholars consider the son of man to represent. These people can be understood as the maskilim ( sages ), or as the Jewish people broadly. The ram and he - goat ( Daniel 8 ) as conventional astrological symbols represent Persia and Syria, as the text explains. The `` mighty horn '' stands for Alexander the Great ( reigned 336 - 323 BC ) and the `` four lesser horns '' represent the four principal generals ( Diadochi ) who fought over the Greek empire following Alexander 's death. The `` little horn '' again represents Antiochus IV. The key to the symbols lies in the description of the little horn 's actions : he ends the continual burnt offering and overthrows the Sanctuary, a clear reference to Antiochus ' desecration of the Temple. The anointed ones and the seventy years ( Chapter 9 ) : Daniel reinterprets Jeremiah 's `` seventy years '' prophecy regarding the period Israel would spend in bondage to Babylon. From the point of view of the Maccabean era, Jeremiah 's promise was obviously not true -- the gentiles still oppressed the Jews, and the `` desolation of Jerusalem '' had not ended. Daniel therefore reinterprets the seventy years as seventy `` weeks '' of years, making up 490 years. The 70 weeks / 490 years are subdivided, with seven `` weeks '' from the `` going forth of the word to rebuild and restore Jerusalem '' to the coming of an `` anointed one '', while the final `` week '' is marked by the violent death of another `` anointed one '', probably the High Priest Onias III ( ousted to make way for Jason and murdered in 171 BC ), and the profanation of the Temple. The point of this for Daniel is that the period of gentile power is predetermined, and is coming to an end. Kings of north and south : Chapters 10 to 12 concern the war between these kings, the events leading up to it, and its heavenly meaning. In chapter 10 the angel ( Gabriel ? ) explains that there is currently a war in heaven between Michael, the angelic protector of Israel, and the `` princes '' ( angels ) of Persia and Greece ; then, in chapter 11, he outlines the human wars which accompany this -- the mythological concept sees standing behind every nation a god / angel who does battle on behalf of his people, so that earthly events reflect what happens in heaven. The wars of the Ptolemies ( `` kings of the south '' ) against the Seleucids ( `` kings of the north '' ) are reviewed down to the career of Antiochus the Great ( Antiochus III ( reigned 222 - 187 BC ), father of Antiochus IV ), but the main focus is Antiochus IV, to whom more than half the chapter is devoted. The accuracy of these predictions lends credibility to the real prophecy with which the passage ends, the death of Antiochus -- which, in the event, was not accurate. Predicting the end - time ( Daniel 8 : 14 and 12 : 7 -- 12 ) : Biblical eschatology does not generally give precise information as to when the end will come, and Daniel 's attempts to specify the number of days remaining is a rare exception. Daniel asks the angel how long the `` little horn '' will be triumphant, and the angel replies that the Temple will be reconsecrated after 2,300 `` evenings and mornings '' have passed ( Daniel 8 : 14 ). The angel is counting the two daily sacrifices, so the period is 1,150 days from the desecration in December 167. In chapter 12 the angel gives three more dates : the desolation will last `` for a time, times and half a time '', or a year, two years, and a half a year ( Daniel 12 : 8 ) ; then that the `` desolation '' will last for 1,290 days ( 12 : 11 ) ; and finally, 1,335 days ( 12 : 12 ). Verse 12 : 11 was presumably added after the lapse of the 1,150 days of chapter 8, and 12 : 12 after the lapse of the number in 12 : 11. Influence Engraving of Daniel 's vision of the four beasts in chapter 7 by Matthäus Merian, 1630. Religion The concepts of immortality and resurrection, with rewards for the righteous and punishment for the wicked, have roots much deeper than Daniel, but the first clear statement is found in the final chapter of that book : `` Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. '' Without this belief, Christianity, in which the resurrection of Jesus plays a central role, would have disappeared, like the movements following other charismatic Jewish figures of the 1st century. Daniel was quoted and referenced by both Jews and Christians the 1st century AD as predicting the imminent end - time. Moments of national and cultural crisis continually reawakened the apocalyptic spirit, through the Montanists of the 2nd / 3rd centuries, persecuted for their millennialism, to the more extreme elements of the 16th century Reformation such as the Zwickau prophets and the Münster Rebellion. During the English Civil War, the Fifth Monarchy Men took their name and political program from Daniel 7, demanding that Oliver Cromwell allow them to form a `` government of saints '' in preparation for the coming of the Messiah ; when Cromwell refused, they identified him instead as the Beast usurping the rightful place of King Jesus. Daniel remains one of the most influential apocalypses in modern America, foretelling the history of Jesus and the Second Coming. The influence of Daniel has not been confined to Judaism and Christianity : In the Middle Ages Muslims created horoscopes whose authority was attributed to Daniel. More recently the Bahá'í movement, which originated in Persian Shi'ite Islam, justified its existence on the 1,260 - day prophecy of Daniel, holding that it foretold the coming of the Twelfth Imam and an age of peace and justice in the year 1844, which is the year 1260 of the Muslim era. Western culture Daniel belongs not only to the religious tradition but also to the wider Western intellectual and artistic heritage. It was easily the most popular of the prophetic books for the Anglo - Saxons, who nevertheless treated it not as prophesy but as a historical book, `` a repository of dramatic stories about confrontations between God and a series of emperor - figures who represent the highest reach of man ''. In the early modern period the physicist Isaac Newton paid special attention to it, and Francis Bacon borrowed a motto from it for his work Novum Organum. Philosophers, such as Baruch Spinoza drew on it. In the 20th century its apocalyptic second half attracted the attention of Carl Jung. The book has also inspired musicians, from medieval liturgical drama to the 20th century compositions of Darius Milhaud. Artists including Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Eugène Delacroix have all drawn on its imagery. See also Biblical numerology Christian eschatology Daniel ( Old English poem ) Greek Apocalypse of Daniel Notes Jump up ^ Jehoiakim : King of Judah 608 - 598 BC ; his third year would be either 606 or 605, depending how years are counted. Jump up ^ Cyrus : Persian conqueror of Babylon, 539 BC. Jump up ^ Darius the Mede : No such person is known to history ( see Levine, 2010, page 1245, footnote 31 ). `` Darius '' is in any case a Persian, not a Median, name. The Persian army which captured Babylon was under the command of a certain Gobryas ( or Gubaru ), on behalf of Cyrus, the Persian king. The author of Daniel may have introduced the reference to a Mede in order to fulfill Isaiah and Jeremiah, who prophesied that the Medes would overthrow Babylon, confusing the events of 539 with those of 520 BC, when Darius I captured Babylon after an uprising. See Hammer, 1976, pp. 65 - 66. Jump up ^ First year of Belshazzar : Probably 553 BC, when Belshazzar was given royal power by his father, Nabonidus. See Levine, 2010, p. 1248, footnote 7.1 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Third year of Cyrus '' : 536 BC. The author has apparently counted back seventy years to the `` third year of Jehoiakim, '' 606 BC, to round out Daniel 's prophetic ministry. See Towner, page 149. References Citations Jump up ^ Collins1984, p. 33. Jump up ^ Reid 2000, p. 315. ^ Jump up to : Brettler 2005, p. 218. Jump up ^ Bandstra 2008, p. 445. ^ Jump up to : Collins 2002, p. 2. Jump up ^ Cross & Livingstone 2005, p. 452. ^ Jump up to : Towner 1984, p. 2 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Collins 1984, p. 28. Jump up ^ Provan 2003, p. 665. ^ Jump up to : Collins 1984, p. 30 - 31. Jump up ^ Collins 1984, p. 31. Jump up ^ Redditt 2009, p. 177. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 19 - 20. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 31 - 33. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 50 - 51. Jump up ^ Levine 2010, p. 1241. Jump up ^ Hammer 1976, p. 57 - 60. Jump up ^ Levine 2010, p. 1245 - 1247. Jump up ^ Levine 2010, p. 1248 - 1249. Jump up ^ Levine 2010, p. 1249 - 1251. Jump up ^ Levine 2010, p. 1251 - 1252. Jump up ^ McDonald 2012, p. 57. Jump up ^ Harrington 1999, p. 109 - 110. Jump up ^ Grabbe 2010, p. 6 - 13. ^ Jump up to : Grabbe 2010, p. 13 - 16. Jump up ^ Sacchi 2010, p. 225 - 226. Jump up ^ Davies 2006, p. 407. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 6 - 7. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 7. Jump up ^ Collins 1993, p. 42. Jump up ^ Collins 1984, p. 34. ^ Jump up to : Redditt 2008, p. 176 - 177. Jump up ^ Hammer 1976, p. 2. Jump up ^ Wesselius 2002, p. 295. Jump up ^ Grabbe 2002b, p. 229 - 230,243. Jump up ^ Davies 2006, p. 340. Jump up ^ Redditt 2008, p. 180. Jump up ^ Collins 2003, p. 69. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 4. Jump up ^ Collins 1984, p. 101. Jump up ^ Hammer 1976, p. 1 - 2. Jump up ^ Harrington 1999, p. 119 - 120. Jump up ^ Spencer 2002, p. 89. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 3. Jump up ^ VanderKam & Flint 2013, p. 137 - 138. Jump up ^ Crawford 2000, p. 73. ^ Jump up to : Davies 2006, p. 397 - 406. ^ Jump up to : Grabbe 2002a, pp. 60 -- 61, 282 `` It is almost universally agreed among scholars that ' one like a son of man ' in Daniel 7 represents ' the people of the holy ones of the Most High ', as Dan. 7 : 27 states. This may originally have been the community or group responsible for Daniel, the maskilim of other parts of the book ( see pp. 60 -- 61 above ). In later interpretation, these people are taken to be the Jewish people. It has been argued that the figure is specifically the archangel Michael, so prominent elsewhere in the book, though Michael would still be functioning as a representative of the Jewish people ( Collins 1977 : 144 -- 46 ; opposed by Davies 1985 : 105 -- 6 ). Thus, in Daniel itself the term ' son of man ' ( bar ' enaš ) simply means `` human being '', as it commonly does in Hebrew and Aramaic ; however, in context the ' one like a son of man ' may be a heavenly figure. '' Jump up ^ Steven Thompson, `` Those Who Are Wise : The Maskilim in Daniel and the New Testament '' ; in Understand the Scriptures : Essays in Honor of William H. Shea, ed. David Merling ; Berrien Springs, Michigan : Sigfried H. Horn Archaeological Museum, Andrews University, 1997 ; ISBN 0 - 9642060 - 2 - 1 ; p. 127. Jump up ^ G.K. Beale, Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John ; Lanham, Maryland : University Press of America, 1984 ; ISBN 0 - 8191 - 4290 - 5. Jump up ^ Carroll 2000, p. 420 - 421. Jump up ^ Redditt 2009, p. 187. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 1 - 2. ^ Jump up to : Niskanen 2004, p. 27, 31. Jump up ^ Towner 1984, p. 34 - 36. Jump up ^ Collins 1984, p. 80. Jump up ^ Matthews & Moyes 2012, p. 260,269. Jump up ^ Seow 2003, p. 3 - 4. Jump up ^ Collins 1984, p. 87. Jump up ^ Collins 1998, p. 108 - 109. Jump up ^ Matthews & Moyer 2012, p. 260. Jump up ^ Collins 1998, p. 110 - 111. Jump up ^ Carroll 2000, p. 420. Jump up ^ Collins 1998, p. 114. Jump up ^ Collins 1998, p. 99. Jump up ^ Cohn 2002, p. 86 - 87. Jump up ^ Schwartz 1992, p. 2. Jump up ^ Grabbe 2002, p. 244. Jump up ^ Weber 2007, p. 374. Jump up ^ Boyer 1992, p. 24, 30 -- 31. ^ Jump up to : Doukhan 2000, p. 9. Jump up ^ Godden 2013, p. 231. Bibliography Bandstra, Barry L. ( 2008 ). Reading the Old Testament : An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth Publishing Company. ISBN 0495391050. Bar, Shaul ( 2001 ). A letter that has not been read : dreams in the Hebrew Bible. Cincinnati : Hebrew Union College Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87820 - 424 - 3. Boyer, Paul S. ( 1992 ). When Time Shall Be No More : Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0 - 674 - 95129 - 8. Brettler, Mark Zvi ( 2005 ). How To Read the Bible. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610019. Carroll, John T. ( 2000 ). `` Eschatology ''. In Freedman, David Noel ; Myers, Allen C. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032. Cohn, Shaye J.D. ( 2006 ). From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227432. Collins, John J. ( 1984 ). Daniel : With an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802800206. Collins, John J. ( 1993 ). Daniel. Fortress. ISBN 9780800660406. Collins, John J. ( 1998 ). The Apocalyptic Imagination : An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802843715. * Collins, John J. ( 2001 ). Seers, Sibyls, and Sages in Hellenistic - Roman Judaism. BRILL. ISBN 9780391041103. Collins, John J. ( 2002 ). `` Current Issues in the Study of Daniel ''. In Collins, John J. ; Flint, Peter W. ; VanEpps, Cameron. The Book of Daniel : Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753. Collins, John J. ( 2003 ). `` From Prophecy to Apocalypticism : The Expectation of the End ''. In McGinn, Bernard ; Collins, John J. ; Stein, Stephen J. The Continuum History of Apocalypticism. Continuum. ISBN 9780826415202. Collins, John J. ( 2013 ). `` Daniel ''. In Lieb, Michael ; Mason, Emma ; Roberts, Jonathan. The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible. Oxford UNiversity Press. ISBN 9780191649189. Crawford, Sidnie White ( 2000 ). `` Apocalyptic ''. In Freedman, David Noel ; Myers, Allen C. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032. Cross, Frank Leslie ; Livingstone, Elizabeth A. ( 2005 ). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192802903. Davies, Philip ( 2006 ). `` Apocalyptic ''. In Rogerson, J.W. ; Lieu, Judith M. The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies. Oxford Handbooks Online. ISBN 9780199254255. DeChant, Dell ( 2009 ). `` Apocalyptic Communities ''. In Neusner, Jacob. World Religions in America : An Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9781611640472. Doukhan, Jacques ( 2000 ). Secrets of Daniel : wisdom and dreams of a Jewish prince in exile. Review and Herald Pub Assoc. ISBN 9780828014243. Dunn, James D.G. ( 2002 ). `` The Danilic Son of Man in the New Testament ''. In Collins, John J. ; Flint, Peter W. ; VanEpps, Cameron. The Book of Daniel : Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 0391041282. Godden, Malcolm ( 2013 ). `` Biblical Literature '' The Old Testament ``. In Godden and, Malcolm ; Lapidge, Michael. The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107469211. Grabbe, Lester L. ( 2002a ). Judaic Religion in the Second Temple Period : Belief and Practice from the Exile to Yavneh. Routledge. ISBN 9780203461013. Grabbe, Lester L. ( 2002b ). `` A Dan ( iel ) For All Seasons ''. In Collins, John J. ; Flint, Peter W. ; VanEpps, Cameron. The Book of Daniel : Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753. Grabbe, Lester L. ( 2010 ). An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism : History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel, and Jesus. Continuum. ISBN 9780567552488. Hammer, Raymond ( 1976 ). The Book of Daniel. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521097659. Harrington, Daniel J. ( 1999 ). Invitation to the Apocrypha. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846334. Hill, Andrew E. ( 2009 ). `` Daniel ''. In Garland, David E. ; Longman, Tremper. Daniel -- Malachi. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310590545. Hill, Charles E. ( 2000 ). `` Antichrist ''. In Freedman, David Noel ; Myers, Allen C. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032. Horsley, Richard A. ( 2007 ). Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea. Presbyterian Publishing Corp. ISBN 9780664229917. Knibb, Michael ( 2002 ). `` The Book of Daniel in its Context ''. In Collins, John J. ; Flint, Peter W. ; VanEpps, Cameron. The Book of Daniel : Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753. Levine, Amy - Jill ( 2010 ). `` Daniel ''. In Coogan, Michael D. ; Brettler, Marc Z. ; Newsom, Carol A. The new Oxford annotated Bible with the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical books : New Revised Standard Version. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199370504. Lucas, Ernest C. ( 2005 ). `` Daniel, Book of ''. In Vanhoozer, Kevin J. ; Bartholomew, Craig G. ; Treier, Daniel J. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801026942. Matthews, Victor H. ; Moyer, James C. ( 2012 ). The Old Testament : Text and Context. Baker Books. ISBN 9780801048357. McDonald, Lee Martin ( 2012 ). Formation of the Bible : the Story of the Church 's Canon. Peabody, MA : Hendrickson Publishers. p. 57. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59856 - 838 - 7. Retrieved 22 July 2014. Miller, Steven R. ( 1994 ). Daniel. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 9780805401189. Niskanen, Paul ( 2004 ). The Human and the Divine in History : Herodotus and the Book of Daniel. Continuum. ISBN 9780567082138. Provan, Iain ( 2003 ). `` Daniel ''. In Dunn, James D.G. ; Rogerson, John William. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8028 - 3711 - 0. Redditt, Paul L. ( 2009 ). Introduction to the Prophets. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802828965. Reid, Stephen Breck ( 2000 ). `` Daniel, Book of ''. In Freedman, David Noel ; Myers, Allen C. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032. Rowland, Christopher ( 2007 ). `` Apocalyptic Literature ''. In Hass, Andrew ; Jasper, David ; Jay, Elisabeth. The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199271979. Ryken,, Leland ; Wilhoit, Jim ; Longman, Tremper ( 1998 ). Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830867332. Sacchi, Paolo ( 2004 ). The History of the Second Temple Period. Continuum. ISBN 9780567044501. Schwartz, Daniel R. ( 1992 ). Studies in the Jewish Background of Christianity. Mohr Siebeck. ISBN 9783161457982. Seow, C.L. ( 2003 ). Daniel. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256753. Schiffman, Lawrence H. ( 1991 ). From Text to Tradition : A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 9780881253726. Spencer, Richard A. ( 2002 ). `` Additions to Daniel ''. In Mills, Watson E. ; Wilson, Richard F. The Deuterocanonicals / Apocrypha. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865545106. Towner, W. Sibley ( 1984 ). Daniel. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664237561. VanderKam, James C. ( 2010 ). The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802864352. VanderKam, James C. ; Flint, Peter ( 2013 ). The meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls : their significance for understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062243300. Waters, Matt ( 2014 ). Ancient Persia : A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550 -- 330 BC. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107652729. Weber, Timothy P. ( 2007 ). `` Millennialism ''. In Walls, Jerry L. The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199742486. Wesselius, Jan - Wim ( 2002 ). `` The Writing of Daniel ''. In Collins, John J. ; Flint, Peter W. ; VanEpps, Cameron. The Book of Daniel : Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 0391041282. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Book of Daniel. Wikisource has original text related to this article : Daniel Wikiquote has quotations related to : Book of Daniel Jewish translations Daniel ( Judaica Press ) * translation ( with Rashi 's commentary ) at Chabad.org Christian translations Bible, King James Version ( `` Bible, King James Version ''. quod.lib.umich.edu. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 17. ) Book of Daniel Daniel at The Great Books * ( New Revised Standard Version ) The Book of Daniel * ( Full text from St-Takla.org, also available in Arabic ) Daniel : 2013 Critical Translation with Audio Drama at biblicalaudio Daniel an introduction Bible : Daniel public domain audiobook at LibriVox Various versions Related articles Jewish Encyclopedia : Daniel Daniel : Wise Man and Visionary, by Elias Bickerman Aramaic of Daniel, Patrick Henry College Book of Daniel Major prophets Preceded by Esther Hebrew Bible Succeeded by Ezra - Nehemiah Preceded by Ezekiel Christian Old Testament Succeeded by Hosea Book of Daniel Bible Daniel 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Additions to Daniel Places Babylon Susa People Abednego Belshazzar Cyrus Daniel Darius Gabriel Meshach Michael Nebuchadnezzar Shadrach Jehoiakim Terms Abomination of desolation Belshazzar 's feast Four kingdoms Lion 's den Prophecy of Seventy Weeks Territorial spirit Writing on the wall Sources Hebrew Bible Septuagint Latin Vulgate Wycliffe Version King James Version American Standard Version World English Version ← Book of Ezekiel ( chapter 48 ) Book of Hosea ( chapter 1 ) → Books of the Bible Principal divisions Hebrew Bible / Old Testament Protocanon Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 -- 2 Samuel 1 -- 2 Kings 1 -- 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Deuterocanon and Apocrypha Catholic Orthodox Tobit Judith Additions to Esther 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Wisdom Sirach Baruch / Letter of Jeremiah Additions to Daniel Susanna Song of the Three Children Bel and the Dragon ) Orthodox only 1 Esdras 2 Esdras Prayer of Manasseh Psalm 151 3 Maccabees 4 Maccabees Odes Tewahedo Orthodox Enoch Jubilees 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan Paralipomena of Baruch Broader canon Syriac Letter of Baruch 2 Baruch Psalms 152 -- 155 New Testament Matthew Mark Luke Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation Subdivisions Chapters and verses Pentateuch Wisdom Major prophets / Minor prophets Gospels Synoptic Epistles Pauline Johannine Pastoral Catholic Apocalyptic literature Development Old Testament canon New Testament canon Antilegomena Jewish canon Christian canon Manuscripts Dead Sea Scrolls Samaritan Pentateuch Septuagint Targum Diatessaron Muratorian fragment Peshitta Vetus Latina Masoretic Text New Testament manuscript categories New Testament papyri New Testament uncials See also Biblical canon Luther 's canon Authorship English Bible translations Other books referenced in the Bible Pseudepigrapha list New Testament apocrypha Studies Synod of Hippo Textual criticism Portal WikiProject Book GND : 4011013 - 8 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Book_of_Daniel&oldid=819339935 '' Categories : 2nd - century BC books Works set in the 7th century BC Works set in the 6th century BC Book of Daniel Ketuvim Apocalyptic literature Jewish eschatology Hidden categories : Articles with LibriVox links Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Wikisource Afrikaans አማርኛ Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Boarisch Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Gàidhlig Galego गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Kinyarwanda Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Malagasy മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Gagana Samoa Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Vepsän kel ' Winaray ייִדיש Yorùbá 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 8 January 2018, at 20 : 51. 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Question: who was the book of daniel written to and for what reason
Answer: save all of Israel in their present oppression