Edited sentence: 586-538 BCE.Chapters 10–12 must therefore have been written between 167 and 164 BCE.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.It is generally accepted that Daniel originated as a collection of Aramaic folk-tales from the Babylonian diaspora.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 - he is mentioned by Ezekiel, who lived during the Babylonian exile, in association with Noah and Job, as a figure of legendary wisdom.Only a minority of scholars accept this at face value.Reverse shows Apollo on an omphalos.The Book of Daniel is set during the Babylonian exile of the Jews, c.The actual historical setting of the book is clear from chapter 11, where the prophecy is accurate down to the career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the 2nd century king of Syria and oppressor of the Jews: the author knows about Antiochus' two campaigns in Egypt (169 and 168 BCE), his desecration of the Temple and fortification of Jerusalem in late 168, but he knows nothing about the reconstruction of the Temple or the actual circumstances of the death of Antiochus in late 164.The author/editor of Daniel was probably an educated Jew, knowledgeable in Greek learning, and of high standing in his own community.The first stage in the book's formation may have consisted of the stories in chapters 4–6; in the second stage chapters 2 and 7 were added, possibly with a brief Aramaic introduction telling how Daniel and his friends came to Babylon; and in the third stage the Hebrew visions of chapters 8–12 were added, plus a revised Hebrew introduction making the present chapter 1.The inscription ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ.The legendary Daniel, known from long ago, 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.[[File:AntiochusIVEpiphanes.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Coin of Antiochus Epiphanes