God Gave Them Knowledge
and Skill in All Wisdom

1:1 In the third year of the reign of (Cepheus) Jehoiakim king of Judah came (Leo) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2 And the Lord gave (Cepheus) Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand (604 B.C.), with part of the (lunar and solar) vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the (red radius) house of his god; and he brought the (lunar and solar) vessels into the treasure house of his god.

3 And the (Cepheus) king (red radius) spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs (Canis Major), that he should bring certain of the (Gemini) children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the (Gemini) Chaldeans.

5 And the (Leo) king appointed them a daily provision of the king's (solar pink ham) meat, and of the (red radius) wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the (Leo) king.

6 Now among these were of the (Gemini) children of Judah, Daniel (Orion), Hananiah (Auriga), Mishael (Castor), and Azariah (Pollux):

7 Unto whom the (Canis Major) prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's (solar pink ham) meat , nor with the (red radius) wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the (Canis Major) prince of the (Gemini) eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the (Canis Major) prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the (Canis Major) prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the (Leo) king, who hath appointed your (solar pink ham) meat and your (lunar red radius) drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the (Gemini) children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the (Leo) king.

11 Then said (Orion) Daniel to (Auriga) Melzar, whom the (Canis Major) prince of the (Gemini) eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten (10°) days; and let them give us pulse (vegetables) to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our (Argo) countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the (Gemini) children that eat of the portion of the king's (pink solar ham) meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy (Gemini) servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten (10°) days.

15 And at the end of ten (10°) days their (Argo) countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the (Gemini) children which did eat the portion of the king's (pink solar ham) meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their (pink solar ham) meat, and the (lunar red radius) wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse (vegetables).

17 As for these four children (Orion, Auriga, Pollux and Castor), God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the (Leo) king had said he should bring them in, then the (Canis Major) prince of the eunuchs brought them in before (Leo) Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the (Leo) king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the (Leo) king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king (lunar open mouth) enquired of them, he found them (lunar open mouth) ten times better (10°) than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

How Can We Prove Daniel Was Written
Before the Prophecies Were Fulfilled?

The reason people believe Daniel was written in the 2nd century BC is because of the HIGH DEGREE of accuracy of the book’s statements about the career of the Ptolemies, the Seleucids and of course of Antiochus Epiphanes. They MUST assume the book was written AFTER these events or their pre-conceived notion that the Bible is NOT inspired by God falls apart. If a 6th century date is accepted for Daniel, as it should be, critics have no alternative but to admit that GOD INSPIRED HIM. That is why critics try so hard to prove a recent date for Daniel -- the 2nd century. How can we prove Daniel was written in the 6th century B.C.?

1.The book demonstrates familiarity with the history and culture of the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. Daniel rightly portrays the royal position of Belshazzar. He was called ‘king’ (5:1), but as Belshazzar was himself the second ruler, and coregent with Nabonidus, the highest honor he could confer would be "third ruler in the kingdom" (5:7) (Dougherty's Nabonidus and Belshazzar pp. 190-200).

2. Although Daniel and other Bible books use the form Nebuchadnezzar, unlike the monument form Nebuchadrezzar, the famous historian Berossus uses the same form as Daniel. This simply means that two forms of spelling were current. Jeremiah uses both spellings also.

3. Rawlinson quotes ancient authorities to show that the use of the term "Chaldean" applied to the priestly-magician class as well as to the race of people in Babylon -- exactly in the same way Daniel uses it (The Historical Evidences Of The Truth, p. 351). He also demonstrates that the Magi were divided up into the same three classes which Daniel enumerates along with the astrologers and priests (Testimony of History, p. 175).

4. The names in Daniel were once thought to be clumsy inventions of a 2nd century author. But archaeology has confirmed what scoffers once considered false. Daniel's name "Belteshazzar" is a Hebrew form of the Babylonian Balat-su-usur meaning "Protect thou (O God) his life." Shadrach is a Hebrew form of the Babylonian Sudur-Aku, "command of Aku (Moon-god)." Abed-nego is uncertain, though many have thought it to be the Babylonian for "servant of (the god) Nebo." Arioch is from the Babylonian Iri-Aku.

5. Some have asked why Daniel was not mentioned by Ben-Sirach, the writer of Ecclesiasticus, in the 2nd century B.C., in his list of illustrious men. But neither is Ezra mentioned. Yet Nehemiah is mentioned. Ben-Sirach does borrow phrases from Daniel, as he does from other Bible books, showing that he was acquainted with Daniel:
Ecclesiasticus 18:26 from Daniel 2:9. Ecclesiasticus 33:8 from Daniel 2:21. There are also allusions to certain passages of Daniel: Ecclesiasticus 17:17 alludes to Daniel 10:20-21 and 12:1. Ecclesiasticus 10:8 alludes to Dniel 8:23. According to some, Ben-Sirach did not mention Ezra or Daniel as "punishment" for using Aramaic instead of Hebrew. But he was certainly aware of Daniel.

6. Daniel and his three friends are cited as examples of faith and zeal in 1 Maccabees 2:59-60 (which was written in the 2nd century). Yet the Maccabees considered the prophets to have been FAR IN THE PAST (4:46; 9:27; 14:41).

7. Josephus (Contra Apion, 1,8) states nothing was accepted into the Old Testament Canon after the time of Artaxerxes (5th century B.C.). Josephus tells us further that the book of Daniel was shown to Alexander the Great (4th century) when he came to Jerusalem, and his fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy was pointed out to him. This is backed up by the very considerate and friendly treatment which Alexander accorded the Jews (Antiquities 11:8:5).

8. Even a late date of the 2nd century BC for Daniel doesn't account for all the fulfilled prophecies. Daniel spoke of Christ our Lord with great precision (Dan. 9). He also spoke about four world-ruling empires. The Roman Empire was the fourth (Dan. 2 & 7). Josephus says so (Antiquities 10:11:7). Daniel himself also indicates it was Rome.

9. Ezekiel, the sixth-century prophet, mentioned Daniel three times in his book (Ez. 14:14, 20; 28: 3). Critics, however, insist Ezekiel was speaking of a mythological hero named Danel who appears in the ancient Ugaritic epic “The Tale of Aqhat.” A decisive argument against such a theory is that the epic Danel was an idolater, hardly a model of faithfulness to Israel’s God. Ezekiel must have been referring to the author of the book of Daniel.

10. The book professes to have been written by Daniel (see 7: 1; 12: 4), to be an account of a historical individual who experienced the exile and lived in Babylon, and to predict future events (e.g., 2: 29-45; 7: 2,15-27; 8: 15-26; 9: 24-27; 10: 14; 11: 2– 12: 4). The NT writers and Jesus Himself accepted the traditional understanding of the prophecy (cp. Mt 24: 15 and Mk 13: 14; Mt 26: 64 and Mk 14: 62 and Lk 22: 69; Heb 11: 33-34).