The prophet Daniel from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512 is one of the most renowned artworks of the High Renaissance.

Daniel(Hebrew: דָּנִיֵּאל, Standard Daniyyel Tiberian Dāniyyêl ;Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني ; Arabic: دانيال, Danyal) is a figure appearing in the Hebrew Bible and the central protagonist of the Book of Daniel. Tiberian Hebrew is an extinct (yet very well documented Oral tradition of pronunciation for ancient Hebrew, especially the Hebrew of the Tanakh, that was Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian The name "Daniel" means "Judged by God". "Dan" = judge, "i" = a suffix conjugating the verb such that its action applies to the speaker, and "el" = God.

Synopsis from Tanakh

At the first deportation of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar (the kingdom of Israel had come to an end nearly a century before at the hands of the Assyrians), or immediately after his victory over the Egyptians at the second battle of Carchemish, in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim (BC 606), Daniel and three other noble youths named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the Jewish young nobility carried off to Babylon (probably as hostages to ensure the loyalty of Judah's king and advisors), along with some of the vessels of the temple. The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Nebuchadrezzar II, more often called Nebuchadnezzar (c 630-562 BC was a ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' The Battle of Carchemish was fought about 605 BC between the allied armies of Egypt and Assyria against Babylonia. Jehoiakim (יהוֹיָקִים "he whom Jehovah has set up" also sometimes spelled Jehoikim) was king of Judah and the second son of king The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Daniel and his three Jewish companions were subsequently evaluated and chosen for their intellect and beauty, to be trained as Chaldeans, who constituted the ranks of the advisors to the Babylonian court. (Daniel 1)

There Daniel was obliged to enter into the service of the king of Babylon, and in accordance with the custom of the age, received the Chaldean name of Belteshazzar, i. Chaldea (from Greek grc Χαλδαία Chaldaia; Akkadian akk māt Kaldu Hebrew כשדים Kaśdim, "the Chaldees" of the e. , prince of Bel, or Bel protect the king! His residence in Babylon was very probably in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, now identified with a mass of mounds called the Kasr, on the right bank of the river. However, Daniel and his three companions remained fiercely loyal to their Jewish religious and cultural identity, an identity which would sooner or later come into conflict with the paganism of the Babylonian court.

Daniel's training (Daniel 1:4) was to fit him for service to the empire. Daniel became distinguished during this period for his piety, and for his strict observance of the Torah (Daniel 1:8-16), and gained the confidence and esteem of those who were over him. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to

At the close of his three years of discipline and training in the royal schools, Daniel was distinguished for his knowledge and proficiency in the pagan practices of his day, and was brought out into public life. He soon became known for his skill in the interpretation of dreams (Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:14), and rose to the rank of governor of the province of Babylon, and became "chief of the governors" (Chald. Oneiromancy (from the Greek Oneiroi) is a form of Divination based upon Dreams it is a system of Dream interpretation that uses dreams to Rab-signin) over all the wise men of Babylon, after passing a dangerous test of the astrologers by the king, which could easily have cost Daniel his life. Daniel made known and also interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream; as well as a later dream preceding the king's descent into animal behaviour, and many years afterwards, when he was now an old man, amid the alarm and consternation of the terrible night of Belshazzar's impious feast (in which Belshazzar and his concubines drank wine out of the royal Jewish ceremonial goblets of the Temple), Daniel was called in at the suggestion of the queen-mother (perhaps Nitocris, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar) to interpret the mysterious handwriting on the wall. Belshazzar (or Balthazar; Akkadian Bel-sarra-usur) was a prince of Babylon, the son of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon according " The writing on the wall " (or sometimes "handwriting on the wall" is an Expression which suggests a portent of doom or misfortune For successfully reading the cryptic handwriting by an angel of God, Daniel was rewarded by the Babylonians with a purple robe and elevation to the rank of "third ruler" of the kingdom. The place of "second ruler" was held by Belshazzar as associated with his father, Nabonidus, on the throne (Daniel 5:16). Daniel interpreted the handwriting, and "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain" by his own sons, who later fled.

After the Persian conquest of Babylon, Daniel held the office of the first of the "three presidents" of the empire under the reign of the obscure figure of Darius the Mede, and was thus practically at the head of state affairs, with the ability to influence the prospects of the captive Jews (Daniel 9), whom he had at last the happiness of seeing restored to their own land; although he did not return with them, but remained still in Babylon. The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian

Daniel's Answer to the King by Briton Rivière, R. A. (1840-1920), 1890 (Manchester City Art Gallery).

Daniel's fidelity to God exposed him to persecution by jealous rivals within the king's administration. The fact that he had just interpreted the emperors' dream had resulted in his promotion and that of his companions. Being favored by the King, Cyrus, he was untouchable. His companions were vulnerable to the accusation that had them thrown into the furnace for refusing to worship the Babylonian King, Cyrus as a god; but they were miraculously saved, and Daniel would years later be cast into a den of lions (for continuing to practice his faith in HaShem), but was miraculously delivered; after which Cyrus issued a decree enjoining reverence for "the God of Daniel" (Daniel 6:26). In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title He "prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian," whom he probably greatly influenced in the matter of the decree which put an end to the Jewish Captivity (BC 536). The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia

Daniel's ministry as a prophet began late in life. Whereas his early exploits were a matter of common knowledge within his community, these same events, with his pious reputation, serve as the basis for his prophetic ministry. The recognition for his prophetic message is that of other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel whose backgrounds are the basis for their revelations. Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is Jeremiah ( jirmɛ'jahu; Septuagint Greek: Ἰερεμίας was one of the 'greater prophets ' of the Hebrew Bible. According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx

The time and circumstances of Daniel's death have not been recorded. However, Daniel was still alive in the third year of Cyrus according to the Tanakh (Daniel 10:1); and he would have been almost 100 years old at that point, having been brought to Babylon when he was in his teens, more than 80 years previously. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is He possibly died at Susa in Iran. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Tradition holds that his tomb is located in Susa at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. Other locations have been claimed as the site of his burial, including Daniel's Tomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, as well as Babylon, Egypt, Tarsus and, notably, Samarkand, which claims a tomb of Daniel (see "The Ruins of Afrasiab" in the Samarkand article), with some traditions suggesting that his remains were removed, perhaps by Tamerlane, from Susa to Samarkand (see, for instance, Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, section 153). The Tomb of Daniel is the traditional burial place of the biblical prophet Daniel. Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among

Prophet

An 18th century Russian icon of the prophet Daniel, holding a scroll containing his prophesy and pointing to the "uncut mountain" of Daniel 2:34-35 (Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Russia). An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. A scroll is a roll of Papyrus, Parchment, or Paper which has been written drawn or painted upon for the purpose of transmitting information or using as In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings Kizhi (Ки́жи Кижи́ Kiži is an Island on Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia ( Medvezhyegorsky District) Russia with This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Modern Judaism does not count Daniel among the prophets. While one Jewish compilation, that of the Septuagint, used later by Christians as the Old Testament, places the book among the "Prophets," a second compilation, which later became dominant among Jews, placed it among the "Writings. " For this, two reasons are given:

1. Daniel never spoke directly with God. According to the Torah, prophets (nevi'im) speak with God, not to intermediaries like angels. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Daniel saw angels and never spoke with God. This is the primary reason Daniel is not considered a prophet.
2. In Judaism a prophet (navi) speaks to his or her generation, not to future generations. The Prophets in the Tanakh (e. g. , Isaiah, Ezekiel) spoke primarily to their generation, but their message was also pertinent to the future. Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx Daniel's visions were for the future, not for his generation.

• In Rashi's commentary to the Talmud (1st Chapter of Megillah)^[1] he shows that to be qualified as a prophet, one needs to spread the message one hears. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Daniel's prophecies are relevant for the future, for they cryptically state what will be in days to come. However, Daniel's prophecies were not spread to the population as implied by the text itself.

Some reasons which may be given for believing that Daniel was a prophet include:

• That according to the Talmud and the Hebrew Scriptures, Daniel received and interpreted dreams and visions, similar to many other Jewish prophets; as well as messages from angels or arch-angels. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history
• Daniel recorded his prophetic visions for future, and some believe for the present time; including prophecies about the exact date of the coming of the Jewish Messiah to Jerusalem, and other prophetic events which later transpired in history. Accurate prediction of the future is repeatedly given as a mark of a true prophet as opposed to a false one, both in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the Talmud.

Christians regard Daniel as a prophet, and Jesus is quoted as referring to him as "Daniel the prophet" in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. In the context of the books of the Bible, Christians refer to Daniel as one of the "four great prophets";^[2] as the Book of Daniel appears in most Christian editions of the Bible, after the other three "great prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is Jeremiah ( jirmɛ'jahu; Septuagint Greek: Ἰερεμίας was one of the 'greater prophets ' of the Hebrew Bible. According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx Dreams and visions and revelations are known to be prophecy in the Bible, as Joel 2:28-32 expands.

Ezekiel

17th century Russian icon of Daniel in the lions' den. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. At the top is depicted the pre-incarnate Logos (Christ Emmanuel); underneath is Habakkuk, being carried by an angel (side door of iconostasis. The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Immanuel is also a town in Israel near Ariel. For other articles please see Emanuel (disambiguation Habakkuk or Havakuk ( Hebrew: חֲבַקּוּק, Standard Ḥavaqquq Tiberian Ḥăḇaqqûq In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings Volga Region). Volga Region (Поволжье Povolzhye) is a historical region of Russia that encompasses the territories adjacent to the flow of Volga River.

The prophet Ezekiel, with whom Daniel was a contemporary, describes one Daniel as a "pattern of righteousness (14:14, 20) and wisdom" (28:3). According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx ^[2]

Some scholars have identified this person with the Daniel of the Book of Daniel, while others look upon him as another figure who has now been forgotten. Some scholars regard the references in Ezekiel as a "Danel" known from Caananite Ugaritic literature (such as the Epic of Aqhat and Anat), whose reputation for wisdom and righteousness had made him legendary. Danel was a Culture hero who appears in an Ugaritic text of the fourteenth century BCE at The Ugaritic language, discovered by French archaeologists in 1928 is known only in the form of writings found in the lost city of Ugarit, near the modern Anat, also ‘Anat is a major northwest Semitic goddess ‘Anat in Ugarit In the Ugaritic Ba‘al / Hadad cycle ‘Anat

The Hebrew spelling itself suggests a person other than the prophet Daniel. ^[3] Possibly the intended reading was rather "Danel". Vowel-points were not added to the consonantal Hebrew text before well into the Common Era, and the scribes then slipped in a vowel-point for "i" as a middle syllable. This may not be what the original writer intended. (In the Book of Daniel, the name is spelt with a middle letter suggesting the i of that name — but this letter is not included in the spelling in Ezekiel, suggesting that the reference there may be to another person. )

Habakkuk

In the Deuterocanonical portion of Daniel known as Bel and the Dragon, the prophet Habakkuk is miraculously transported by an angel to take a meal to Daniel while he is in the lions' den. " Deuterocanonical books " is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages The tale of Bel and the Dragon incorporated as chapter 14 of the extended Book of Daniel was written in Aramaic around the late Second century BC and Habakkuk or Havakuk ( Hebrew: חֲבַקּוּק, Standard Ḥavaqquq Tiberian Ḥăḇaqqûq In response, Daniel prays, "Thou hast remembered me, O God; neither hast thou forsaken them that seek Thee and love Thee". ^[4]

Tomb

Main article: Tomb of Daniel

The Tomb of Daniel is the traditional burial place of the biblical prophet Daniel. The Tomb of Daniel is the traditional burial place of the biblical prophet Daniel. There are six different locations all claimed to be the site of the tomb: Babylon, Kirkuk and Muqdadiyah in Iraq, Susa and Malamir in Iran, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan

Liturgical commemorations

On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, the feast days celebrating St. Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Kirkuk (also spelled Karkuk or Kerkuk; Kurdish: كه‌ركووك Kerkûk; Arabic: كركوك Turkish:Kerkük; Muqdadiyah (المقدادية (also transliterated Al-Muqdadiyah Muqdadia Miqdadiyah is a city in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar describes and dictates the rhythm of the life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Daniel the Prophet together with the Three Young Men, falls on December 17 (during the Nativity Fast), on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers^[5] (the Sunday which falls between 11 and 17 December), and on the Sunday before Nativity^[6]. The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) Dec 16 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - Dec 18 All fixed commemorations below celebrated on Dec The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation Daniel's prophesy regarding the stone which smashed the idol (Daniel 2:34-35) is often used in Orthodox hymns as a metaphor for the Incarnation: the "stone cut out" being symbolic of the Logos (Christ), and the fact that it was cut "without hands" being symbolic of the virgin birth. The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Thus the hymns will refer to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) as the "uncut mountain"

In the West, the Roman Catholic Church commemorates Daniel on July 21. Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World ^[7]

He is commemorated as a prophet in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod together with the Three Young Men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), on December 17. The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by the Lutheran Church The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS founded in 1847 in Missouri, is the eighth largest Protestant denomination in the United States and the second-largest The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila ^[8]

Rabbinic literature

Main article: Daniel in rabbinic literature

Book of the Watchers

Enoch mentions Daniel as the name of one of the leaders of the fallen angels of whose Samyaza (Shemyazaz) was the leader. Daniel in Rabbinic literature Ancestry According to rabbinical tradition Daniel was of royal descent and his fate together with that of his three friends Hananiah The Book of Enoch is any of several works that attribute themselves to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah and son of Jared ( ^[9]

The complete name list of those leaders are given as "Samyaza (Shemyazaz), their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. ". They were 200 fallen angels in total and originated the creation of the Nephilim before the great flood. Nephilim are beings who appear in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, and are also mentioned in other Biblical texts and in some non- ^[9]

See also

• Tanakh
• Prophecy
• Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon
• Book of Daniel (book of the Bible)
• List of names referring to El
• Persian Jews

References

• James B. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Nebuchadrezzar II, more often called Nebuchadnezzar (c 630-562 BC was a ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian The word "theophory" refers to the practice of embedding the name of a god or a deity in usually a proper name |||} Persian Jews or Iranian Jews are Jews historically associated with the Persian Empire or Iran. Jordan (1995). "Daniel: Historical & Chronological Comments (II)". Biblical Chronology 7 (1).  
• Francis E. Gigot (1889). "Daniel", Catholic Encyclopedia on CD-ROM. New Advent.  

External links

• Daniel in the TaNaKh Detailed authorized Jewish translation of the original.

• Daniel at Bible Gateway
• Daniel by Rob Bradshaw Detailed dictionary-style article.
• Who is Ezekiel's Daniel? : The Ugaritic Danel