Revised by Michael J. Chan (9/23)
The Book of Daniel projects an exilic background for the period of composition. The stories in Daniel 1—6 are set in Babylon. The opening verses of each of the sections in Daniel 7—12 place Daniel within the rule of one of the kings, even though the visions themselves speak of events that are to occur long after Daniel’s lifetime.
The correlation of these references with actual chronology is disputed. Many interpreters understand the final shaping of the book to have occurred in the era of the ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE). Traditional stories from the exile were retold and augmented with visions (narratively attributed to Daniel) that speak directly to this later time.
Additional traditions that attest to the words and actions of Daniel and his friends exist outside of the texts contained in the Protestant version of Daniel 1—12. These additional materials are present, for instance, in the Septuagint’s version of Daniel 1—12 and in stories in the ApocryphaApocrypha refers to a collection of writings that, in the judgment of a particular group, are not to be considered as part of the established, authoritative books of the Bible. Several books that Protestants consider apocryphal, such as Judith and Bel and the Dragon, appear… such as BelBel is one of the names of Marduke, the leading god of Babylonia. In Isaiah and Jeremiah Bel is seen as a god in opposition to the God of Israel. One of the books of the Apocrypha is Bel and the Dragon. and the Dragon and Susanna. These texts most closely resemble the court tales of Daniel 1—6.
