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Profile:
Name: Book of Daniel
Author: unknown
Dating: finished by 164 BCE
Book of Daniel:
The book of Daniel is set during the Babylonian Captivity, around the year 586 BCE,
but it was probably written by 164 BCE. This makes it the most recent of all the books
in the Bible and this acceptance did not occur until 90 CE. Because it was written so
late, it was placed among the "Writings" instead of among the "Prophets."
Nevertheless, it is not a "godless" book like Proverbs, but is instead an apocalyptic and prophetic text which has captured the imagination of Jewish and Christian readers for centuries. At the time, the Jews needed a text which told of God's power and majesty because they were suffering at the hands of King Antiochus IV (175-164 BCE), a ruler of the Seleucid Dynasty (founded by a general of Alexander the Great, Seleucis I (312-281 BCE).
Like Seleucus I, Antiochus ruled over most of what had once been the Babylionian Empire while a successor of Ptolemy ruled over Egypt. Judah, as usual, was caught right in the middle between two powerful and rival empires. The Jewish rulers at the time were known as the Sanhedrin, ultimately lead by the Temple's high priest. Cultural and political pressures were causing many people to simply abandon the faith of their ancestors, adopting instead Greek ways - thus leading to the Hellenization of the Jews. It was at this time that a group known as the hasidim arose to counter such effects.
In the end, Antiochus IV invaded Judah and took over Jerusalem in 169/8 BCE in an effort to stablize his western borders. He then enacted laws in an effort to eliminate Jewish customs and religious practices. Things like circumcision, purity laws, religious feasts and more were all prohibited. This, then, was the context in which Daniel was written, as part of an effort to reestablish people's faith in the old religious ways.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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