Untitled Sermon (15)

Introduction to the Book of Daniel

by Cooper P Abrams III

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Historical Background

Only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in Canaan before the Babylonian captivity. The ten northern tribes called Israel had been taken into captivity approximately 722 B.C. This left only the two southern tribes called Judah in the land of Israel.

Judah also was taken into captivity beginning first with an invasion by the Chaldean king, King Nebuchadnezzar. The word "Chaldeans" refers to the Babylonians. Chaldea was originally a small providence in the southern territory of Babylonia at the head of the Persian Gulf. Later when King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562) established the Neo-Babylonian Empire ("neo" means "new") the name came to be applied to most all of Babylonia.

Judah was not completely destroyed, but was looted extensively. This invasion is referred to as the first deportation. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, took all the vessels from the Temple and deported the healthiest of the Hebrews back to Babylonia to be slaves. Judah was made a vassal state and was allowed to keep its king. Daniel was among those taken into captivity. Eight years later there was a second deportation in 598 B.C., when Ezekiel was prophesying, followed almost eleven years later in 588 B.C. when Judah was completely destroyed and cease to exist.

The reason God allowed this to happen is found in the following passages of Scripture:

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God's stated reasons for allowing the destruction of Judah and their deportation were (1) their continued idolatry, (2) they mocked and abused God's messengers, (3) they failed to let the land lay fallow every seventh sabbatical year.

Israel's Failures: Idolatry

Idolatry is not only worshiping idols and false gods, but any created thing that is put before God. God's First Commandment is ". . . to have no other Gods before Me."() Israel came into being at the divine decree of God. He made them a special people, the people to whom He would give the special privilege of revealing Himself to the world. No one could know of God and receive eternal life apart from the agency of the Nation of Israel. He further gave the special promises of land and prosperity and most of all He promised them the Messiah the Savior of the world. This was the reason God created Israel and the Jews. They had more knowledge of God than any people on the earth, yet with the knowledge of God they refused to obey God's instruction and receive salvation and eternal life. They rebelled at almost every step of their history.

Rather they chose to worship inanimate objects such as stones, trees, rivers and a host of other things in nature. They worshipped the heavenly bodies as the sun, moon and stars. To try and understand why is to look into the very depravity of man. Man is at heart carnal and a sinner. Paul in states it clearly.

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." () Israel knew God, but as Jesus said in "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." ()

God said to the Jews, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels." ()

However, God's love is shown in that even when man willingly rejected Him, He would not be deterred from His plan to save man. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ()

Israel's Failures: They Despised the Word of God Mocking and Misusing God's Messengers.

It should be understood that not all of the Hebrews rejected God. Through Israel's history there were those few who believed God and longed for the day when their nation and its leaders would also. (See as an example) They worshipped God and they lived their lives trusting God in faith.

These believers were always the minority and were always oppressed and persecuted by those who practiced false religion. These true saints and prophets believed and taught God's truth which offended the hypocrites and leaders of false religion within their nation. These wicked men hated the very word of God because it exposed their false teachings and their sins. Their shameful treatment of God's messengers the prophets is clear evidence of their despising the Word of God. The messenger was the one who delivered the word of God, but the message was from God! Yet, with no apparent fear of God, they imprisoned and murdered many of the prophets God sent to them.

Note what God says of them in the Bible's Hall of Faith, "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." ()

It is clear that the unrighteous hated the men who delivered God's Word to them. Many would even conclude that it was the messenger's fault. But think for a minute. Who called and sent them the messenger? Who was it who chose "that" particular man? The answer is clearly revealed in God's Word. God did. Jesus said in , that His sheep hear His voice! Those that are truly sheep know when God's speaks and they know who speaks for God. There is no rebellion against the message of God from His children. But that is not so with the children of this world. They hate the instruction from God and they will rebel against it and the messenger sent of God. Jesus said the time would come when in the name of religion they would kill the saints of God and think they have done God a service. ()

They Refused to Observe the Sabbatical Years

In , God directed the Children of Israel to allow the land to rest each seventh year. After the forty ninth year they were to declare a special "jubilee" in which all land returned to its original owner and slaves were returned to their families. In , God promised to bless them abundantly in the sixth year with enough harvest to provide for them in the seventh year when no crops were to be planted or harvested. This was God's way of testing Israel and teaching them to trust in Him and live by faith. (See )

Israel never kept even one sabbatical year! For four hundred and ninety years all went well and not obeying God seemed to be of little consequence. In -1-27 God instructed Israel to allow the land to rest every seventh year. God promised that in the sixth year He would abundantly bless them and the land would yield enough food to last them for two years. Thus, to keep the sabbatical year was an act of faith in trusting in God's provision recognizing that they were God's people. This would be a testimony to all Israel, their children, and to the nations around them of God. Yet, the Bible does not record that Israel ever kept even on sabbatical year. However, God's day of accounting was coming and as states the land rested for seventy years. Because of their deportation they would not be in the land to disturb it. This period is figured from the time of the first deportation in 605 BC until 536 BC when the foundation of the temple was rebuild. (See and )

If Israel had repented God would have forgiven them and they would have been spared this judgment. They refused. God is loving and merciful and His long suffering can be seen in that He waited for them to repent for four hundred and ninety years!

God wanted Israel to live by faith and live according to His promises, yet they would not. They refused to trust God to meet their needs. Their trust was in human ability and them missed the blessing of God and reaped the destructive result of their sin. In human terms, it was unthinkable to "waste" a year of crops. Humanly it would seem they would be poorer for trusting God. It was a simple test of their faith. In the six years before the sabbatical year they did not live by faith and their ignoring God's instruction in the seventh was proof they were not living by faith at any time. Further, the showed they had no fear of God, either reverential or being afraid of his wrath and power. "God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." ()

Background on the Book

The modern Bible places the Book of Daniel as the first of the Minor Prophets, as well as did the LXX (The Septuagint [70], the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) and the Vulgate (Latin Bible). However, in the Hebrew Bible the Book of Daniel is placed among the Poetic Books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Ester, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Chronicles.

Daniel was not a prophet in the normal sense because God did not deliver a message through him directly and publicly to the people. Yet,Jesus called Daniel a prophet in . Through him God revealed some of the most revealing of all the prophecies of God. The Book is referred to as being the "Book of Revelations" of the Old Testament because both books are apocalyptic. "Apocalyptic" means an unveiling, disclosing or revelation.

The Book is believed to have been written in 537 BC after the Captivity was ended. The liberal unbelieving scholars (so called by themselves) of the 18th and 19th Century rejected Daniel as the writer of the Book. Their chief premise was that the prophecies in Daniel of the fall of the Babylonian Empire followed by the Persian, Greek and Roman Empires was proof that the Book was written during the Roman period because no could have known of the session of these empires in their correct order. They denied that God could reveal coming history to a man many years in advance. They purported other supposed discrepancies in the Book, however their arguments have been proven invalid by many modern archaeological discoveries. Their main fault is they are unbelievers who deny God to their shame and destruction.

It is clearly established Daniel could and did write the Book. In , he claims to have written the Book and this is verified in the New Testament by Christ's reference to him. (, ) It is hard for those who deny God to accept a godly man such as Daniel lived and was greatly used of God. To deny the vality of the inspiration of the Book of Daniel is to deny God's word and man's responsiblity to his God and Creator.

About the Prophet Daniel

Daniel's name means, "God is my judge". In , , the righteousness of Daniel is attested to as well as to his wisdom in . He is a testimony of God's blessings and use of a man who will believe and yeild himself to be used of God.

God testifies through Ezekiel, "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. . . . Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness." (,)

Daniel was born to the royal family and of noble birth (,). His physical appearance is said in , as being without blemish and well favored. The Book of Daniel covers his life from a teenager to his death as a captive in Babylon. It shows what God can do with a young person that will hold him in good stead throughout his life. He lived to the end of the Captivity and was possibly eighty five when he died, if he was taken into captivity at age sixteen.

The Book of Daniel Chapter One

by Cooper P Abrams III

Events Leading the Daniel and the Hebrew Boys Being Taken Captive.

           Jehoiakim was the eighteenth King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. His name was Eliakim, but he was given the name Jehoiakim, by the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco (or Nechoh). Neco had attacked Judah and made them a vassal state. Jehoahaz, the younger brother of Jehoiakim became king when their father Josiah died.

1 Jehoahaz favored allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar

Jehoahaz favored allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar in the north rather than the Egyptians. Pharaoh Neco, attacked Judah capturing Jehoahaz who followed Josiah, taking him captive to Egypt. He then made Eliakim the king of Judah in 609 BC changing his name and making him responsible for collection of a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. (See , )      

  Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem after the battle of Carchemish when he defeated the Egyptians. He then made Judah a vassal state of Babylon. He took Jehoiakim captive, binding him with bronze chains and was planning to take him to Babylon. However, he changed his mind and set Jehoiakim up as king of Judah. (See , )  

Jehoiakim was not a good king and God instructed Jeremiah to denounce him. Jeremiah, had his prophecies written down by the scribe Baruch and read publicly in the Temple. This greatly displeased the king who had the scrolls partly read before him and then cutting them into pieces he had them burned. Jeremiah, however had other copies made and added another roll which strongly denounced Jehoiakim. This took place in the fourth year of his reign.

2 in the north rather than the Egyptians. Pharaoh Neco, attacked Judah capturing Jehoahaz who followed Josiah, taking him captive to Egypt. He then made Eliakim the king of Judah in 609 BC changing his name and making him responsible for collection of a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. (See , )          Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem after the battle of Carchemish

Jehoiakim who always favored Egypt over Babylon after three years as a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar withheld the tribute money. In Nebuchadnezzar's deportation of the nobles of Judah, which included Daniel, seems to have taken Jehoiakim as well. He details of his death are obscure as simply says "he slept with this fathers." But as Jeremiah has predicted, came to a violent end.() Josephus, wrote that Nebuchadnezzar had him slain and cast his body outside the walls of Jerusalem.

3 when he defeated the Egyptians. He then made Judah a vassal state of Babylon. He took Jehoiakim captive, binding him with bronze chains and was planning to take him to Babylon.

However, he changed his mind and set Jehoiakim up as king of Judah. (See , )   Jehoiakim was not a good king and God instructed Jeremiah to denounce him. Jeremiah, had his prophecies written down by the scribe Baruch and read publicly in the Temple. This greatly displeased the king who had the scrolls partly read before him and then cutting them into pieces he had them burned. Jeremiah, however had other copies made and added another roll which strongly denounced Jehoiakim.

This took place in the fourth year of his reign. Jehoiakim who always favored Egypt over Babylon after three years as a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar withheld the tribute money. In Nebuchadnezzar's deportation of the nobles of Judah, which included Daniel, seems to have taken Jehoiakim as well. He details of his death are obscure as simply says "he slept with this fathers." But as Jeremiah has predicted, came to a violent end.() Josephus, wrote that Nebuchadnezzar had him slain and cast his body outside the walls of Jerusalem.

  At the time of his battles with Egypt and Judah, Nebuchadnezzar was not the king of Babylon, as his father was still on the throne. His father Nabopolassar, died in 605 and Nebuchadnezzar took the throne of Babylon.          

King Nebuchadnezzar after the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC and took the vessels out of the Temple taking them to Babylon and placing them in the temple of his idol God Bel-Marduk.

Israelite Kings Date Chart (Based on the chronology of John Bright) Dennis Bratcher

The United Monarchy

Dates (BC) Kingdom of the Israelites 1020-1000 Saul 1000-961 David 961-922 Solomon The Divided Kingdoms Dates (BC) Israel (Northern) Judah (Southern)Dates (BC)922-901Jeroboam I Rehoboam 922-915 Abijah 915-913Asa913-873 901-900 Nadab 900-877 Baasha 877-876 Elah Jehoshaphat873-849876ZimriTibni 876-869 Omri 869-850 Ahab 850-849 Ahaziah Jehoram 849-843 849-843 Joram (Jehoram) Ahaziah843 843-815Jehu Athaliah (non-Davidic Queen) 843-837 815-802 Jehoahaz Joash 837-800 802-786 Jehoash (Joash) Amaziah 800-783 786-746 Jeroboam II Uzziah (Azariah) 783-742 746-745Zachariah Jotham (co-regent) 750-742745Shallum Jotham (king)742-735 745-737Menahem 737-736Pekahiah 736-732Pekah Ahaz735-715 732-724Hoshea 721 Fall of Samaria . . Hezekiah 715-687 Manasseh 687-642 Amon 642-640 Josiah 640-609 Jehoahaz609 Jehoikim (Eliakim) 609-598 Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) 598-597 Zedekiah (Mattaniah) 597-587 Fall of Jerusalem587

Copyright ? Dennis Bratcher, All Rights Reserved Used by permission.

Daniel and the Hebrew Boys Taken Captive to Babylon

Daniel 1:3-7       

   Nebuchadnezzar instructed his chief eunuch, Ashpenaz to take a number of the young Hebrew boys to be specially trained in Babylon. These boys were to be, "Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." ()      

5 Ashpenaz to take a number of the young Hebrew boys to be specially trained in Babylon.

These boys were to be, "Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." ()        

  The purpose for taking them captive and giving the special training was to make them servants in the king's royal court. This favored treatment included being given the same food as the king's court which included the king's meat, and wine.          

This favored treatment included being given the same food as the king's court which included the king's meat, and wine.          

Among the youths who were taken captive was Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. In was customary for a person name to be changed to denote their change in station or position in life. Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, meaning "Bel has protected the King" or "May Bel protect his life." Bel refers to the name of Nebuchadnezzar's God, Bel-Marduk. It had no reference to Daniel's character.         

In was customary for a person name to be changed to denote their change in station or position in life. Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, meaning "Bel has protected the King" or "May Bel protect his life." Bel refers to the name of Nebuchadnezzar's God, Bel-Marduk. It had no reference to Daniel's character.         

  Hananiah was given the name "Shadrach" the meaning of the word being unsure but thought to mean, "in command of Aku." "Aku" was the ancient Sumerian moon God. It could refer to Murduk. Mishael, was renamed, "Meshach" its meaning is unknown. This was probably the name of some Chaldean god. Azariah, the third of the Hebrew youths was named "Aded-nego." This name meant "a servant of Nego."

�� Figure 1 - The god Marduk and his Muhu (idol).

Daniel Refuses to Take the King's Food

           Daniel was greatly concerned about defiling himself by eating food that was not slain in accordance with Jewish law, that had been offered as a sacrifice to idols, or that was forbidden by Old Testament law. He chose to remain faithful to God and not break the Mosaic Law. The food and drink from the King's table had been dedicated to idols and to partake the food was to in fact recognize these false deities.           Daniel understood God's doctrine of separation. Though the food was not physically harmed in any way Daniel understood that in the minds of those who took it, it had been blessed by this idol god. In the New Testament in this was a problem for the Jewish believers in Jesus Christ. 6 In the eyes of those who revered the idol they worshiped it and received its blessings by eating the food. Daniel refused to do anything that would, in anyone's mind, think he was denying God. 7 The fact Daniel was in captivity was as a direct result of God's judgment on the Children of Israel for their past idolatry and disobedience. Daniel certainly knew of Jeremiah's prophecies about the destruction and restoration of Israel. () Jeremiah had prophesied that although Israel would be taken from the land in captivity He promised "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land." () Daniel knew God's promises to Israel of the future kingdom and Messiah would be fulfilled and thus he remained faithful to God in spite of most of his countrymen admonishing God and having not faith in His promises.            Thus Daniel sought to do what was right and to worship God. To take the king's food would mean their abandonment of God, His Law and the promises God had made to restore Israel. Thus in remaining pure Daniel and the young men were showing their faith in God's promises to Israel.           Daniel understood that the food had been sacrificed to demons (idols). Paul explains this in , "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." This was reason enough to refuse the food, but the greater reason was Daniel's commitment to and faith in God.            Daniel used good sense in that he did not cause a confrontation over the matter but went to the eunuch and privately asked for permission to eat "pulse" and water instead. Pulse was food grown from seeds such as vegetables. It is important to understand that God knew Daniel's heart and commitment to obeying Him. God intervened and caused the eunuch to have a fondness for Daniel. The eunuch feared that if he granted Daniel's request that he would be guilty of not taking proper care of them which would displease the king, who would behead the unfaithful eunuch.           Daniel convinced the eunuch to put the matter to a test. He assured him that after only ten days there would be a marked difference for the better between those eating pulse and water, and those eating the king's food. As Daniel predicted, after ten days, ". . .their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." ()           We should note that God does not leave himself without a witness even in the worse of times. The Jews did not have a faithful religious leader to follow, yet these four young men turned to their own faith and remained faithful to the Lord. The lives that counted were those that were different who did not follow the crowd. Most of the Hebrew captives took the king's meat and abandoned their faith. To disobey the king would mean death, but they had no faith in God to protect them. We know nothing of these personally, nor even their names who abandoned God. They chose the easier life and in turn they lost God's promise of salvation and thereby losing their souls. They lost the opportunity to stand up and bring honor to the Lord. In most cases. in the examples in the Bible, the majority was wrong! However, God and only one faithful child of God is the real majority.            God blessed these four Hebrew young men and He "gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom." To Daniel who was their leader God gave the ability to interpret visions and dreams. It should be understand that their increase in knowledge was not necessarily only because they ate vegetables, but because of their faith and commitment to God. God blessed their faithfulness. Verse 17, specifically says that God gave them these abilities. Eating vegetables is good for our health, but Daniel and these three young men remained true to God's laws, because they believed God and in faith refused to disobey God.           At the end of the trial period the king called all the Hebrews boys into his presence and among them was Daniel and his three companions. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood out from the rest in their appearance. Clearly they were physically superior to the others who had eaten the kings rich food. Nebuchadnezzar talked with them testing their knowledge and wisdom. He examined them with his court magicians and astrologers and found them ten things brighter and more intelligent. The magicians were priests of the gods of Babylon and the astrologers were those who dealt in the occult arts.            , states that Daniel lived unto King Cyrus, the Persian, defeated the Babylonians and took over their empire.( See ) It was Cyrus who issued the decree that ended the exile of Israel and allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and its walls. This means that Daniel lived pass the time of the exile, but there is no mention that he returned to Israel. He was a very old man and died in Babylon. Daniel and His Companions Are Rewarded for their Devotion to God              God blessed their devotion and faithfulness to Him in keeping His laws and remaining undefiled by the food and philosophy of the ungodly Babylonians. In return this allowed God give them great knowledge and skill in learning. They were enrolled in the king's wise men's school which trained magicians and astrologers. It was the highest education one could receive and God enabled them to learn excel in their studies.              Daniel was greatly blessed by the Lord and was given the extra ability in understanding dreams and visions. This special talent given to Daniel would enable him to be greatly used of the Lord the rest of his life. We can see that God had a special purpose in bestowing this gift on Daniel. This reminds us again that the abilities or talents God gives the Christian is for the purpose of being used of the Lord. God has a will for each of our lives and He equips us with the talents to fulfill that will. Hudson Taylor is quoted to have said, "God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's supply."             At the end of the three years of training the prince of the eunuchs, who had been responsible for their schooling, brings them all before the king. It is graduation day! Four young men would graduate "summa cum laude." The king then personally talks to each of the group questioning them and testing their knowledge. In the examination, Daniel and his companions stood head and shoulders above the rest of the group. The other young Hebrew captives had abandoned the Levitical laws and God's instructions to remain separated unto God and separated from the world. They chose the easier way and thereby disobeying God. The Lord cannot bless those who disobey Him and His blessings was not with them and all they had learned was done in the flesh. None of them even came close to the achievements of Daniel and the three Hebrew young men. What a waste of their lives. They loved the world and followed its sinful ways. Their eating the king's food was the result of a deeper spiritual failure. They drank the wine God said to abstain from and they lived the world's scrumptious life style and they were defied by it. They had a great and wonderful opportunity to be involved in the eternal things of God that would stand as a testimony for God and for truth, but they willingly and knowingly threw it all away.....and for what? They gave all this up for some rich food and drink?!             It appears from the account that Nebuchadnezzar not only tests Daniel and his companions against the other Hebrew captives. He is so impressed with them that he further tests them against all the wise men in his court. The Bible says he found they were ten times more knowledgeable that than the magicians, astrologers that were in the kings realm. We should not be surprised by this because one cannot live a better life than one lived for the Lord. , says that God's children are the salt of the earth.              I am sure that these young men, unlike all students who are involved in higher learning, found that school was difficult at times. They were being trained in a pagan atmosphere that certainly must have been repulsive to them. For three years it was for them a test of their character and trust in God. But these four men were motivated by a sincere faith in God and a belief in His purposes for their lives. This devotion to the Lord held them in good stead. Surely, they did not know what the future held for them, but they applied themselves wholly to where they were and the task at hand. We do not have to know what God has for us in the future, but we must accept that God is now preparing us for His future plans. If we are slack, lazy, and unfaithful to God's will, we will not experience the blessing of being used of God. It may be to some boring to attend Sunday School, Bible study and worship services, but they are part of God's plan given to the local church for our benefit. We at the moment may not see the purpose or value in our faithfulness, but the lessen we hear and learn today and the sermon given by God's faithful minister, may be the instrument God uses tomorrow to use us in his plan to see others saved and His work done. God's word tell us His heart in the matter, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" ( ).End Notes:1 Josiah was a good king of Judah who followed the Lord. His father Amon was an evil king that promoted idolatry in Judah. However, his son Josiah was nothing like his father and he destroyed everywhere high places, groves, images and all outward signs and relics of idolatry. The temple was restored under a special commission; and in the course of the repairs Hilkiah the priest found that book of the law of the Lord which quickened so remarkably the ardent zeal of the king. He was aided by Jeremiah the prophet in spreading through his kingdom the knowledge and worship of Jehovah.2 Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful Babylonian king, was the son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins. He was the greatest and most powerful of all the Babylonian kings. Nebuchadnezzar also subdued the whole of Palestine, and took Jerusalem, carrying away captive a great multitude of the Jews, among whom were Daniel and his companions.3 Carchemish fortress of Chemosh was a city on the west bank of the Euphrates. It was the capital of the kingdom of the northern Hittites. The Babylonian army, under Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, here met and conquered the army of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt (B.C. 607). It is mentioned in monuments in B.C. 1600 and down to B.C. 717.4 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 19395 The word eunuch means bed-keeper or "chamberlain". In the strict and proper sense they were the persons who had charge of the bed-chambers in palaces and larger houses. They were sexually mutilated making them impotent. 6 See , , , , "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

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