Daniel in the lions' den

Although Peter Paul Rubens' depiction shows Daniel as a young man (top), Daniel would have been over eighty years old at the time of this incident,^[1] making Briton Rivière's picture (bottom) more accurate.

Daniel in the lions' den (chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel) tells of how the biblical Daniel is saved from lions by the God of Israel "because I was found blameless before him" (Daniel 6:22).^[2] It parallels and complements chapter 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: each begins with the jealousy of non-Jews towards successful Jews and an imperial edict requiring them to compromise their religion, and concludes with divine deliverance and a king who confesses the greatness of the God of the Jews and issues an edict of royal protection.^[3] The tales making up chapters 1–6 of Daniel date no earlier than the Hellenistic period (3rd to 2nd century BC)^[4] and were probably originally independent, but were collected in the mid-2nd century BC and expanded shortly afterwards with the visions of the later chapters to produce the modern book.^[5]

^ Boice 2006, p. 68.
^ Seow 2003, p. 3,85–86.
^ Seow 2003, p. 86-88.
^ Collins 1984, p. 28.
^ Seow 2003, p. 7-8.

[FOOTNOTEBoice200668-1] Boice 2006, p. 68.

[FOOTNOTESeow20033,85–86-2] Seow 2003, p. 3,85–86.

[FOOTNOTESeow200386-88-3] Seow 2003, p. 86-88.

[FOOTNOTECollins198428-4] Collins 1984, p. 28.

[FOOTNOTESeow20037-8-5] Seow 2003, p. 7-8.

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