DANIEL (}trin, i.e., God is my a celebrated prophet in the Chaldman and Persian period. There are in the Bible two other persons of the same name : a son of David (z Chron. iii. i), and a Levite of the race of Ithamar (Ezra viii. 2 ; Neh. x. 6). The latter has been confounded with the prophet in the apocryphal Addenda to the Septuagint (Dan. xiv. 1, Sept.), where lie is called Zepein llvop.a LtavdA aids (Hieronym, Praia. in Daniel).
Daniel was descended from one of the highest families in Judah, if not even of royal blood (Dan. i. 3; comp. Joseph. Antiq. x. So. I). Jerusalem was thus probably his birthplace, though the pas sage (Dan. ix. 24) quoted in favour of that opinion, is considered by many commentators as not at all conclusive.
We find the lad Daniel, at the age of twelve or sixteen years, already in Babylon, whither he had been carried, together with three other Hebrew youths of rank, Ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, at the first deportation of the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim. He and his com panions were obliged to enter the service of the royal court of Babylon, on which occasion he received the Chaldman name of Belshatzar (i. e., Beli princeps, princeps cui Betas favet), according to eastern custom when a change takes place in one's condition of life, and more especially if his personal liberty is thereby affected (comp. 2 Kings xxiii. 34 ; xxiv. 17; Esth. ii. 7 ; Ezra v. In this his new career, Daniel received that thorough polish of education which Oriental eti quette renders indispensable in a courtier (comp. iii. 6 ; Plat. Alcib., sec. 37), and was more espe cially instructed ' in the writing and speaking Chal dxan' (Dan. i. 4), that is, in the dialect peculiar to the Chaldans [CHALDEE LANGUAGE]. In this dialect were composed all the writings of the eccle siastical order, containing the substance of all the wisdom and learning of the time, and in the know ledge of which certainly but few favoured laymen were initiated. That Daniel had distinguished himself, and already at an early period acquired renown for high wisdom, piety, and strict observ ance of the Mosaic law (comp. Ezek. xiv. 14-20 ;
xxviii. 3 ; Dan. i. 8-16), is too evident from pas sages in the truly authentic Scriptures to require any additional support from the ill-warranted Apocryphal stories concerning the delivery of Susannah by the wisdom of the lad Daniel, etc. A proper opportunity of evincing both the acuteness of his mind, and his religious notions, soon pre sented itself in the custom of the Eastern courts to entertain the officers attached to them from the royal table (Athenmeus, iv. to, p. 145, ed. Casaub.) Daniel was thus exposed to the temptation of par taking of unclean food, and of participating in the idolatrous ceremonies attendant on heathen ban quets. His prudent proceedings, wise bearing, and absolute refusal to comply with such customs, were crowned with the Divine blessing, and had the most splendid results.
After the lapse of the three years fixed for his education, Daniel was attached to the court of Nebuchadnezzar, where, by the Divine aid, he suc ceeded in interpreting a dream of that prince to his satisfaction, by which means—as Joseph of old in Egypt—he rose into high favour with the king, and was entrusted with two important offices— the governorship of the province of Babylon, and the head -inspectorship of the sacerdotal caste (Dan. ii.) Considerably later in the reign of Nebuchad nezzar, we find Daniel interpreting another dream of the king's, to the effect that, in punishment of his pride, he was to lose, for a time, his throne, but to be again restored to it after his humiliation had been completed (Dan. iv.) Here he displays not only the most touching anxiety, love, loyalty, and concern for his princely benefactor, but also the energy and solemnity becoming his position, pointing out with vigour and power the only course left for the monarch to pursue for his peace and welfare.