Who is the author of the Book of Daniel? Historical Context and Purpose The Book of Daniel is set primarily during the Babylonian exile, when Jerusalem fell to King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and significant numbers of the people of Judah were deported (Daniel 1:1–2). The narrative follows Daniel’s life and visions under successive rulers—Babylonian and later Persian—and presents both historical accounts in narrative form (chapters 1–6) and prophetic visions of future events (chapters 7–12). Throughout Jewish and Christian tradition, this book is regarded as a work of prophecy and revelation. From ancient times, there has been consistent recognition that the primary author of this text is Daniel himself, a Judean noble taken captive to Babylon (Daniel 1:7). Various elements of historical data, early manuscripts, and external writings corroborate the 6th-century BC setting and help confirm Daniel as the authentic writer of the book bearing his name. Internal Evidence for Daniel’s Authorship First-Person Sections Starting with chapter 7, the text explicitly switches to first-person narration: “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream…” (Daniel 7:1). This includes numerous occurrences of “I, Daniel” later in the book (e.g., Daniel 9:2, 10:2). Such first-person testimony indicates that the events and visions were recorded by the same Daniel experiencing and recounting them. Uniform Theological Perspective A cohesive theological perspective threads through all twelve chapters, emphasizing God’s sovereignty over individual lives and world kingdoms (Daniel 2:20–21). The content consistently presents Daniel’s covenant faith, his practice of prayer, and his reliance on divine revelation. This uniform theology suggests a single author intimately familiar with the events described. Jesus’ Testimony In the New Testament, Jesus refers to “the prophet Daniel” by name (Matthew 24:15; also Mark 13:14). This direct recognition aligns with the longstanding Jewish understanding that Daniel wrote the book that bears his name. Since Christ personally cites Daniel as the author, Christian tradition has historically valued His affirmation as definitive. External Witnesses in Jewish and Christian Tradition Jewish Tradition The Jewish Talmud (b. Megillah 3a) and ancient synagogal traditions consistently attribute Daniel’s writings to Daniel himself. The earliest Jewish historians and scribes viewed Daniel not as an anonymous compiler but as a known exile and prophet in the Babylonian and Persian courts. Josephus’ Testimony The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (1st century AD), in his work “Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 10, chapters 10–11), refers to Daniel as a historical figure and a prophetic author whose writings accurately foretold world events. Josephus’s reliance on the Book of Daniel for historical chronology underscores that he firmly believed Daniel composed it during or soon after the events described. Dead Sea Scrolls Evidence Fragments of Daniel found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran (e.g., 4QDan) show that the text was considered Scripture well before many modern critics claim it was written. The presence of Daniel manuscripts, which exhibit marks of sacred handling alongside other Old Testament prophetic books, supports an earlier date of composition. These manuscript findings indicate that Daniel was received as authoritative prior to the 2nd century BC—a timeline consistent with Daniel’s lifetime in the 6th century BC. Archaeological and Historical Corroboration Babylonian Chronicles and Belshazzar For centuries, critics dismissed Belshazzar’s existence because he was not listed as a king in many historical accounts. However, the Babylonian Chronicles and the Nabonidus Cylinder, discovered in the 19th century, confirm Belshazzar was indeed the son and co-regent of King Nabonidus, consistent with Daniel 5:1–30. This archaeological evidence underscores that the writer of Daniel possessed accurate knowledge of the Babylonian royal court. Use of Official Titles The Book of Daniel demonstrates knowledge of official titles and administrative structures, precisely reflecting the Babylonian and Persian eras. Such accurate knowledge suggests firsthand experience or, at the very least, immediate contemporary sources. This level of detail would be exceedingly difficult to replicate centuries after the fact, bolstering the case for a 6th-century BC composition by Daniel himself. Addressing Common Critical Objections Late-Dating Theory Some scholars propose that the Book of Daniel was written in the 2nd century BC to encourage the Jewish people during the Seleucid persecutions. However, the testimony of Jesus (Matthew 24:15), the references in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the text’s detailed historical knowledge of Babylonian and Persian empire customs collectively weigh against this view. Language and Vocabulary Daniel contains sections in Hebrew (Daniel 1:1–2:4a; 8–12) and Aramaic (2:4b–7:28), and critics sometimes question the bilingual nature of the text. Yet this switch mirrors the setting of a Judean exile in a predominantly Aramaic-speaking Babylonian context. Bilingual documents exist among other historical records of exiled Jewish communities, making Daniel’s Hebrew-Aramaic composition historically probable and consistent. Prophetic Fulfillment Accuracy of Predictions Many prophecies in Daniel, such as the descriptions of subsequent empires in Daniel 2 and 7, align with historical developments from Babylon to the emergence of Greek and Roman dominance. The specificity of these fulfilled prophecies has long been cited as evidence that only an inspired writer living closer to the events—or foreseeing them by divine revelation—could produce such detail. Ezekiel’s Reference Ezekiel, a contemporary prophet to Daniel, mentions him by name: “even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it…” (Ezekiel 14:14). Here, Daniel is singled out as a righteous individual known in that era, further supporting the authenticity of his prophetic ministry. Conclusion The dominant witness from Scripture, ancient Jewish tradition, New Testament testimony, and archaeological discoveries consistently identifies Daniel as the author of the Book of Daniel. The first-person accounts, corroborated events, and historical precision match a 6th-century BC context—precisely the time period in which Daniel lived. Subsequent affirmations by Jesus Himself, early Jewish historians, and the placement of the text among revered prophetic writings all reaffirm Daniel’s authorship. While discussions arise about the timing and details of Daniel’s composition, the overarching weight of internal and external evidence points to the exiled Judean noble and prophet, Daniel, as the Book’s rightful author. His unique vantage point in the Babylonian and Persian courts, combined with the unmistakable prophetic elements recognized by generations of believers, testifies to a unified and authentic composition by the prophet whose name it bears. |
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