The Book of Daniel: Study Materials

by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.


I) Introduction: Composition History

 


II) Contents:

Ch. 1 – Daniel & Companions at the Babylonian Court

Ch. 7 – Vision of the Four Beasts

Ch. 2 – Nebuchadnezzar’s First Dream: Great Statue

Ch. 8 – Vision of a Ram and a Goat

Ch. 3 – Three Companions in the Fiery Furnace

Ch. 9 – Angel Gabriel and the Seventy Weeks

Ch. 4 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream: Great Tree

Ch. 10–12 – Historical Visions, Battles, the End

Ch. 5 – Belshazzar’s Feast: Writing on the Wall

Ch. 13 (Greek) – The Story of Susanna

Ch. 6 – Daniel remains safe in the Lion’s Den

Ch. 14 (Greek) – The Stories of Bel and the Dragon


III) An Overview of the Great Empires of the Ancient Middle East

 


IV) Daniel's Apocalyptic Visions as related to Ancient Jewish History

Statue in Dan 2:31-45 Beasts of Dan 7:1-28 Ram & Goat of Dan 8:1-25 Empire
vv. 32a, 37-38:
head of gold
vv. 4, 17:
lion w/ eagle's wings
-x- Babylonians
vv. 32b, 39a:
chest & arms of silver
vv. 5, 17:
bear w/ three tusks
vv. 3-4, 20:
ram w/ two horns 
Medes
vv. 32c, 39b:
middle & thighs of bronze
vv. 6, 17:
leopard w/ 4 wings & 4 heads
(same as above) Persians
vv. 33a, 40:
legs of iron
vv. 7, 17, 19, 23:
terrifying beast w/ iron teeth
vv. 5-7, 21:
goat w/ one horn
Greeks: 
Alexander the Great
vv. 33b, 41-43:
feet partly iron, partly clay
vv. 20a, 24a:
and with 10 horns
vv. 8, 22:
it breaks & becomes four horns
Ptolemies & Seleucids
-x- vv. 8, 20b-21, 24b-25:
another horn w/ arrogant mouth 
vv. 9-14a, 23-25d:
another horn acts arrogantly
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
vv. 34-35, 44-45:
stone that becomes mountain 
9-14, 18, 22, 26-27:
Ancient One & Son of Man
vv. 14b, 25e:
(restoration implicit; not by human hands)
[God restores Israel forever] 

Remember: Although their plot setting is during the Babylonian Exile (6th cent. BC), the stories actually come from the 3rd and early 2nd centuries BC, and the whole book was compiled ca. 167-164 BC.

 


V) Babylonian, Mede and Persian Rulers

BABYLON MEDIA PERSIA
Nebuchadnezzar (605-562) Cyaxares (625-585) 



Cyrus (550-530)
defeats Astyages (550)
captures Babylon (539)
Amel-marduk (562-560) Astyages (585-550)


(Darius the Mede?)
Neriglissar (560-556)
Nabonidus (556-539)
Belshazzar (co-regent 549-539)   .
 .
Cambyses (530-522)
Darius I Hystaspes (522-486) 
Xerxes I (486-465)
Artaxerxes I (465-424)
Xerxes II (423)
Darius II (423-404)
Artaxerxes II (404-358)
Artaxerxes III (358-338)
Arses (338-336)
Darius III (336-331)


VI) The Seleucid and Ptolemaic Dynasties (Greek)

332-323: King Alexander the Great leads the Greek armies invading the East, but he dies of a fever at age 33.

323-321: General Perdiccas is appointed regent over the whole empire, but is soon assassinated.

321-281: The Wars of the Diadochi: Alexander's generals and their successors (Ptolemy, Antigonus, Cassander, Lysimachus, Antiochus, Seleucus, Laomedon, etc.) divide the empire into four parts, but fight each other for forty years to gain control of more territory; by 281 the two main rulers controlling the East are Seleucus & Ptolemy.

At first Palestine was controlled by the Ptolemies (320-198), but later by the Seleucids (198-141).

PTOLEMAIC DYNASTY (Egypt) SELEUCID DYNASTY (Syria)
Ptolemy I "Soter" (323-282; a.k.a. Ptolemy Lagi) Seleucus I "Nicator" (312-281)
Ptolemy II "Philadelphus" (282-246) Antiochus I "Soter" (281-261)
Antiochus II "Theos" (261-246)
Ptolemy III "Euergetes" (246-221) Seleucus II "Callinicus" (246-226)
Seleucus III "Soter" (226-223)
Ptolemy IV "Philopator" (221-204) Antiochus III ("The Great") (223-187)
Ptolemy V "Epiphanes" (204-180) Seleucus IV "Philopator" (187-175)
Ptolemy VI "Philometor" (180-145)
     Cleopatra I (180-176)
     Cleopatra II (170-164)
Antiochus IV "Epiphanes" (175-164)
Antiochus V "Eupator" (164-162)
Demetrius I "Soter" (162-150)
Ptolemy VII "Neos Philopator" (145-44) Alexander Balas (150-145)
Ptolemy VIII, "Euergetes II" (170-163; 144-116) Demetrius II "Nicator" (145-139, 129-125)
[Antiochus VI "Epiphanes Dionysus": 145-142]
Antiochus VII "Sidetes" (138-129)
116-30: more Ptolemies (IX-XV) and Cleopatras (III-VII)
ruled until the Romans take over
125-65: descendants of Demetrius II and Antiochus VII
fight for control until the Romans take over

[For more detail, see also my webpage on the Hellenistic Era Rulers.]

 


VII) The Hasmonean Family (Main Leaders by Generations)

 


VIII) Bibliography: Recommended Readings


IX) Use of Daniel in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass

A selection from Daniel is used as the First Reading on only two Sundays in the three-year liturgical cycle:

First Reading Sunday or Feast Lect # - Year Content
Dan 7:13-14 Christ the King (34th Sunday in Ord. Time) 161-B The Son of Man receives eternal kingship
Dan 12:1-3 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 158-B Daniel's vision of the Resurrection

A selection from Daniel is used as the First Reading on a few weekdays of Lent every year, and in the last week of Ordinary Time in odd-numbered years:

First Reading Weekday Lect # - Year Content
Dan 1:1-6, 8-20 Ord. Time, Week 34, Mon 503 - Year 1 Four young Israelites at the royal court in Babylon
Dan 2:31-45 Ord. Time, Week 34, Tues 504 - Year 1 Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue
Dan 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 Lent, Week 5, Wed 253 - Years 1&2 Three young Israelites are kept safe in the fiery furnace
Dan 3:25, 34-43 Lent, Week 3, Tues 238 - Years 1&2 Part of the prayer of Azariah while in the fiery furnace
Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 Ord. Time, Week 34, Wed 505 - Year 1 Daniel interprets the writing on the wall during King Belshazzar's banquet
Dan 6:12-28 Ord. Time, Week 34, Thurs 506 - Year 1 Daniel survives the night after being thrown into the lions' den
Dan 7:2-14 Ord. Time, Week 34, Fri 507 - Year 1 Daniel's vision of the beasts and the Son of Man
Dan 7:15-27 Ord. Time, Week 34, Sat 508 - Year 1 The interpretation of Daniel's vision of the beasts
Dan 9:4b-10 Lent, Week 2, Mon 230 - Years 1&2 One of Daniel's prayers of petition and confession
Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
(or 13:41c-62)
Lent, Week 5, Mon 251 - Years 1&2 Daniel saves Suzanna from the wicked elders

The Responsorial Psalm is usually taken from the Book of Psalms; but sometimes a Canticle from the Old Testament (or the New Testament) is used as the response to the First Reading at Mass.
Thus, a few verses from the long "Prayer of the Three Companions" (Daniel 3:52-90) are used as the Responsorial on only one Sunday and on a few weekdays of Ordinary Time in odd-numbered years:

Responsorial Liturgical Day Lect # - Year Refrain
Dan 3:52, 53, 54, 55 Holy Trinity (Sunday after Pentecost) 164 - Year A "Glory and praise for ever!"
Dan 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Ord. Time, Week 16, Thurs 398 - Year1 "Glory and praise for ever!"
Dan 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Ord. Time, Week 34, Mon 503 - Year1 "Glory and praise for ever!"
Dan 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61 Ord. Time, Week 34, Tues 504 - Year1 "Give glory and eternal praise to him."
Dan 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 Ord. Time, Week 34, Wed 505 - Year1 "Give glory and eternal praise to him."
Dan 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 Ord. Time, Week 34, Thurs 506 - Year1 "Give glory and eternal praise to him."
Dan 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 Ord. Time, Week 34, Fri 507 - Year1 "Give glory and eternal praise to him."
Dan 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 Ord. Time, Week 34, Sat 508 - Year1 "Give glory and eternal praise to him."

 

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