Daniel (biblical figure)

Daniel is the central figure of the Book of Daniel, a text in the Hebrew Bible. His name means "God (El) is my judge." The biblical narrative portrays him as a noble Jewish youth from Jerusalem who was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. Along with his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—who were given the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—Daniel was selected for his intellect and appearance to be trained in the Babylonian court, where he received the Babylonian name Belteshazzar. He and his friends refused the king’s food and wine to avoid defilement, and God granted them wisdom surpassing all the magicians and enchanters of the kingdom.

Daniel served the Babylonian and subsequent Persian rulers with loyalty and ability, interpreting dreams and mysterious writings, including Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue made of four metals and a great tree, as well as the handwriting on the wall during Belshazzar’s feast. He was thrown into a den of lions for worshipping God instead of the king but was saved by an angel. Most scholars consider Daniel a non-historical figure, likely based on a legendary Daniel known for wisdom and righteousness, referenced in the Book of Ezekiel. This earlier tradition describes a figure famed for wisdom, and the author of the Book of Daniel appears to have adopted this legendary character.

Death and tomb of Daniel

The tales in the first half of the book are dated to the 3rd or early 2nd century BCE, with the apocalyptic visions added between 167 and 164 BCE, serving as a cryptic allusion to the reign of the Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In Judaism, Daniel is not considered a prophet but is regarded as the most distinguished member of the Babylonian diaspora, unsurpassed in piety and adherence to the Law. In Christianity, he is considered a prophet, and while not mentioned in the Quran, Muslim sources describe him as a prophet. Six cities claim the Tomb of Daniel, with the most famous located in Susa, Iran.