this: the Biblical figure called Daniel

This article describes the character Daniel, from the Book of Daniel, as a historical figure. The historicity of Daniel, which is a subject of dispute, is discussed at Book of Daniel. This section describes him within the setting of the history that the Bible describes.

At a young age, Daniel was carried off to Babylon where he was trained in the service of the court under the authority of Ashpenaz. Daniel became famous for interpreting dreams and rose to become one of the most important figures in the court and lived well into the reign of the Persian conquerors. He retained his high position there and had influence in the decision to restore the Jews to their homeland.

Christianity regards Daniel as a saint and as prophet. Judaism considers the book of Daniel a part of its canon, but does not regard Daniel as a prophet.

Daniel's Life

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (BC 604), Daniel and three other noble youths named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the Jewish young nobility carried off to Babylon, along with some of the vessels of the temple. 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. ( ) Their overseer in this training was Ashpenaz (Daniel 1:3-7).

In all likelihood, Ashpenaz was a eunuch himself as well as being an overseer of eunuchs since it was Eastern custom at this time for males who served in court to be castrated in the belief that it would discourage them from sedition on behalf of their offspring. This, of course, would mean that Daniel and his three Hebrew associates were eunuchs. In addition, the Hebrew word in controversy, namely saris, developed over the centuries from meaning a court official at the time of Genesis (Gen. 39:1) to indicating a eunuch specifically by the time of Isaiah (Isaiah 56:3). The prophet Isaiah also prophesied that princes of Judah would serve in the palace of the king of Babylon as saris (II Kings 20:18 & Is. 39:7). This prophecy would have no negative connotation except for the fact that in the Hebrew mind it was considered a disgrace to be a eunuch. In any event, there is no record of the prophet Daniel or his palace associates being married.

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.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.