Daniel 1 Footnotes

1:1 Some commentators deny the historicity of this invasion, yet Babylonian documents record that Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish in late spring of 605 BC and quickly subdued northern Syria. Immediate threats against Egyptian allies such as Judah’s king Jehoiakim (2Kg 23:34) would be expected, and the Babylonian priest-historian Berosus (ca 300 BC) reported that Nebuchadnezzar took Jewish captives in his 605 BC campaign (Josephus, Against Apion 1.19). Jeremiah dates the battle of Carchemish to Jehoiakim’s fourth year (Jr 46:2), whereas Daniel (Dn 1:1) places the siege of Jerusalem, which took place shortly after that battle, in Jehoiakim’s third year. During this period the Jews used both the Babylonian spring and Judean fall calendars (see Ezk 29:17; 30:20; 32:17 where the “first month” reflects a spring new year). The months between Nisan (March–April) and Tishri (September–October) 605 BC, when the events took place, fell in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign according to the Babylonian calendar but were still in Jehoiakim’s third year following the Judean system. Nebuchadnezzar was crowned “King . . . of Babylon” subsequent to the siege of Jerusalem, but Daniel wrote after Nebuchadnezzar’s coronation and likely spoke of the king’s position from the standpoint of a later time (Jr 46:2). Moreover, a Jewish writer could appropriately refer to the crown prince as king because father-son coregencies were commonplace in Judah.

In the Hebrew Bible, this book is not in the Prophets section but the Writings section, following the five “Scrolls” or megillot (Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations).

1:3 A century and a half earlier, Isaiah warned Hezekiah that some of his descendants would be carted off as officials to Babylon (Is 39:7)—an amazing example of fulfilled prophecy.

1:5 Tablets listing the provisions allotted to the exiled King Jehoiachin (2Kg 25:30; Jr 52:34) have been uncovered in Babylon and corroborate Daniel’s testimony that captives were assigned royal rations. The Babylonian training period of three years was apparently similar to that of the Persians. Plato wrote that Persian youths began their education when fourteen (Alcibiades 1.121), and Xenophon testified that they finished when sixteen or seventeen (Cyropaedia 1.2.8). According to the Persian Avesta, a Zoroastrian scripture, a student trained with a religious teacher for three years.

1:7 Dual names were not uncommon in ancient times. Pharaoh assigned Joseph an Egyptian name (Gn 41:45), and Hadassah is better known by her Persian name, Esther (Est 2:7).