1-OT 35 Daniel 1-6

Lesson #35 – Daniel 1-6 2019 Before starting this lesson, read Daniel, chapters 1-6. You may find it helpful to read the chapters, go thru the lesson and then read the chapters once again. Since it is a short section, it will not be difficult to do. The Old Testament is basically the story of God’s people, the Jews. As a nation, when they obeyed God, He blessed and used them. When they disobeyed, He warned them. If they refused to listen, He brought judgment to the nation. During the time of the Jewish civil war, God sent 5 prophets to the northern nation of Israel – Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos, Hosea But God’s people refused to listen, so after 208 years, God sent the Assyrians to destroy the nation and take the people into exile. . BC 1050 1000 950 900 850 800 750 700 650 600 550 L ISRAE Amos Elijah Elisha Israel Jonah Hosea 70 yrs. in Babylonian exile . Saul David Solomon JUD Judah AH . Micah Joel Isaiah Note: Lines reflect only the approximate years of prophetic ministry. Their birthdate would be 20-30 yrs. prior to beginning of line. BC 1050 1000 950 900 Jeremiah Zephaniah Ezekiel Habakkuk Daniel Nahum Obadiah 850 800 750 700 650 600 550 In the southern nation of Judah, God has sent 7 prophets and 8 godly or partially godly kings to warn them. A minority or remnant always followed God. But over 344 years, for most of the time, the majority of God’s people said no to God. So in 586 BC, God sent the Babylonians to destroy their nation and take the people into exile. However, God did not give up on them or abandon them. He sent Ezekiel & Obadiah to be prophets among the exiles in Babylon. He continued to use Jeremiah with those who went to Egypt. God’s lesson for His people was that even in times of national judgment, He was with them and always in control. The Babylonians naturally thought they were in control. After all, if they could conquer the Jews, it proved they and their gods were greater than the Jewish God. So God’s lesson for the Babylonians was that while His people could be conquered, He, Yahweh God could never be conquered. To prove it, God places His man in their palace. Daniel is God’s man. For some 72 years - from 605 to 534 BC, Daniel lives in Babylon and demonstrates the power of Yahweh God. He also wants to give the evidence of God’s power thru his book His THEME - God is in control. OUTLINE History proves God is in control 1 – 6 Prophecy proves God is in control 7 - 12 Chapter 1 and chapters 8-12 deal with issues of the Jews and so are written in Hebrew. Chapters 2-7 deal with Gentile nations and how they would affect the middle East. They are written in Aramaic, a language that Gentiles understood and used during the next several hundred years. Chapter 1 explains how the time of Gentile influence begins; and yet how God is always in control, even over the Gentiles. As the book opens, it is 605 BC. Nebuchadnezzar has just become king of Babylon. He wants to continue the empire that he and has father have developed. Nebuchadnezzar has led his armies westward and conquered all the area north of Judah. He then comes south to Jerusalem and demands allegiance from the Jewish king. He also will take young members of the royal family to use in his government. He knows Judah would never come and attack him if Jewish royalty is in Babylon as part of the government. THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE - 605 BC Members of the Jewish royal family taken to serve in the Babylonian palace Babylon JUDAH DESERT While Nebuchadnezzar takes many young men, we only know about 4 of them – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah - they are about 15 years old. What is so amazing is that in a nation that has rejected God for the last 100 years, there are still teenagers with a strong and vibrant faith. They are part of the remnant or godly minority. When God is looking for people He can use, many times He bypasses adults and chooses young people who are committed to Him. Never underestimate the faith of a teenager and what God can do thru him or her. Chapter 1 says Daniel and his friends are young, handsome, wise and able to learn. Training for government service begins as soon as they arrive in Babylon, THEIR PREPARATION First of all, their names are changed. Their Jewish names honor Yahweh, God of Israel. So Nebuchadnezzar gives them names that honor the gods of Babylon, Bel, Aku, Merodach and Nego. Daniel’s name, which means God is my Judge, is changed to Belteshazzar - prince of Bel Bel was the most important god of the Babylonians. Hananiah’s name, Yahweh is gracious is changed to Shadrach, command of Aku. Mishael, who is equal to God? becomes Meshach, who is as Merodach? Azariah, Yahweh is my help becomes Abednego, servant of Nego. A second part of the preparation is their diet. All their food is to come from the king’s table. These Jewish teenagers have nothing against eating meat or drinking wine. That was always part of the Jewish diet. Their problem is that the meat from the king’s food is not kosher. It may include pork or other meat that God has forbidden the Jews to eat. None of the animals would be killed or prepared in the Jewish way. But there is something even more important. In the Middle East, food and wine were given as offerings to the pagan gods. Because the people believed the gods blessed these offerings, the meat and wine were then taken to the king’s table so that anyone who ate or drank them would have the blessing of the gods passed to them. It would guarantee them wisdom, health and prosperity. Daniel and his friends understand this culture and thinking. If they drink the king’s wine and eat the king’s food, everyone will think their health and success has come from the Babylonian gods. This is why they ask for vegetables and water. Notice, their request does not even include fruit. This is because only vegetables and water were never offered to the gods. Therefore, this would be the only food without the gods’ blessing. Knowing this background explains the fear of the king’s official. He is afraid they might get sick without the protection of the Babylonian gods. If that happened, he would be killed. I appreciate Daniel’s wisdom. He does not make demands or start an argument about pagan gods and the sin of idolatry. He asks for a 10-day trial. If they are healthy, then let them continue on the diet. If they are not, then they will eat what is put in front of them. God made sure that at the end of the 10 days, the 4 teenagers look healthier and better nourished than the others in their class, so they are permitted to keep their special diet. These verses are about food from pagan gods that would give health and success. These verses are not teaching that a vegetarian diet is superior and God’s ideal. Of course diet is important, but this chapter is not the basis for deciding about eating meat or drinking wine. Guidance for us, the Church, the Body of Christ, comes from the New Testament in Paul’s books of Romans, 1 Corinthians and Timothy. There is no command in the New Testament that says we cannot eat meat or drink wine. 2 What we are commanded, is to not over-indulge in food or to get drunk with wine. Notice, it is a matter of moderation. So we are free to enjoy meat or wine or free to avoid them. It is a matter of conscience between God and each individual and therefore we are not to criticize others for their decisions. But for Daniel and his 3 friends, because of the Babylonian beliefs, the only way they can honor God is to limit their diet to vegetables and water. Their names have been changed, their diet is changed. Now their education is changed. They begin a 3-year university course. They study literature, astronomy, linguistics, mathematics, agronomy (land management), law, meteorology and Babylonian religion. At the end of 3 years, their final exams show that Daniel and his 3 friends are 10 times wiser than any of the other students in their class. So in spite of their youth, at 18 years old, Nebuchadnezzar puts them in government service. This is the first proof of God’s control. The Jewish nation of Judah is under Babylon, but God is over Babylon. He is in control of Babylon’s government and palace. He places the people He wants, where He wants. Chapter 2 is prophecy. It is the key to the other chapters of prophecy so we will study it in the next lesson. Chapter 1 covered 3 years, from 605 - 603 BC. Seventeen years go by. Chapter 3 It is now 585 BC. The nation of Judah has been destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar has been king of Babylon for 20 years. His power and glory are beyond question. To symbolize this greatness, he decides to make a golden image 90 feet tall by 9 feet wide - an image representing himself. Then he requires local leaders from thruout the empire to come for a religious ceremony. He wants everyone to acknowledge his power and worship his empire. Anyone that refuses is to be thrown into a blazing furnace. Daniel and his 3 friends have been in the Babylonian government for the last 17 years and now are in their mid-30’s. Daniel has become prime minister. Since he is not mentioned in the story, it means he is not in the capital. Secular history tells us that during this time, Nebuchadnezzar sent an ambassador to intervene between 2 warring nations. The most likely person to send would be Daniel. So Daniel is out of town on government business, but his 3 friends are not! This means they have to attend the ceremony. When the music plays, out of all the thousands who have come, there are only 3 who refuse to kneel. That is truly being in the minority. Immediately they are taken to the king. Because he has come to respect them over the years, Nebuchadnezzar gives them another chance. But the young men continue to refuse. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. BUT, EVEN IF He does not, we want you to know, O king, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. 3:17-18 Nebuchadnezzar is furious. He tells his soldiers to make the furnace even hotter and then to throw the 3 men inside. The fire is so intense, the soldiers who throw them into the furnace are themselves killed by the heat. But nothing happens to the 3 men. All of a sudden there is a 4th person walking beside them. To appreciate this part of the story, we need to remember the prophet Isaiah, who lived some 100 years earlier. While in Jerusalem, God had directed Isaiah to write part of his book for the Jews when they would be in exile. He wanted them to have encouragement. Listen to what God had said thru Isaiah When you pass thru the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass thru the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk thru the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze, for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. 43:2-3. God was using fire and water as picture language for the problems they would have during their years of exile. He was giving them a promise of His presence and help. But God was also capable of doing this literally. Isaiah wrote in the 700’s BC. The Jewish people had his book over the next 100 years. The 3 young men had grown up in Jerusalem, continually reading this book and knowing this promise. They now claim it literally, for their situation in Babylon. God responds by joining them in the furnace. He had said, I will be with you. When Nebuchadnezzar sees the 4th person in the furnace, he also believes the person is supernatural. He calls to the 3 men to come out. They walk out, with no harm from the fire in any way. The king sets them free. He and his Babylonian leaders discuss what they have just seen. 3 It is at this point the king takes a beginning step in his journey of faith. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way. 3:28-29 He recognizes their God Yahweh, is greater than other gods. Despite the king’s intentions, God has proved – He is in control. Nebuchadnezzar has power and glory - his kingdom is great, but the real kingdom, power and glory belong to God, now and forever. Of the many gates in the walls, Ishtar gate, to the north of the city, was the most famous. Way Temples al ssion Proce Nebuchadnezzar uses his abilities as planner and builder. First of all, he makes it secure with double and triple walls 300 feet high, the height of our typical 30-story building. The walls are 12-25 feet thick, surrounded on the outside with a moat of water over 260 feet wide. Greek historians tell about the Babylonian soldiers using chariots on top of the wall. A chariot with 4 horses could turn around on top of the wall with no problem whatever. s River Euphrate Chapter 4 Ten more years go by - years of relative peace. It is now 575 BC. Nebuchadnezzar has developed the capital of Babylon into the most beautiful city of the ancient world. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is the largest city of that time - some 4 square miles or 2500 acres. palace Ishtar gate The gate itself was N covered with blue enameled brick and then decorated with raised carvings of brown and yellow lions, bulls and dragons, 6 feet long. In the early 1900’s, German archeologists found some of the original bricks from this gate and used them to rebuild it. They then took it to the state museum in Berlin, Germany where it can be seen today. 1/4 mile Passing thru the gate, a person was on the main street called the Processional Way. It was ½ mile long and paved with rows of red stone on the outer layers and a yellow row in-between. On either side were 50 foot side walls with over 120 raised carvings of lions, flowers and enameled yellow tiles. The Euphrates river had been channeled to run thru the city and from it were irrigation canals. Nebuchadnezzar built some 15 - 20 temples, his palace, a private zoo and the hanging gardens, 1 of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. These were all part of Nebuchadnezzar’s great accomplishments. 4 Then one night - in the midst of this vast building program, Nebuchadnezzar dreams about a large, beautiful tree. Suddenly it is cut down. Only the stump and roots are left with a band of iron around it. In those days, when people cut down a tree, but wanted it to grow again, they put a band of iron around it, to keep it from splitting or rotting. The band was a guarantee of renewed growth. Nebuchadnezzar knows this dream is important. Daniel explains the tree represents Nebuchadnezzar himself. When he becomes proud, thinking it is by his wisdom and ability he has become great - when he thinks of himself as more than a man, God will make him less than man. He will be struck with mental illness and live in the field like an animal. But after a period of time, God will restore him to his kingdom. The dream and meaning make an impression. But as time passes, Nebuchadnezzar becomes even more involved with his building program. He forgets what God told him. Twelve months go by and then one day he goes out on the palace balcony. As he admires the immense grounds and buildings around him, he says, Is not this the great Babylon I have built …by my … power and for my glory ? Immediately the dream is fulfilled and God takes away his reason. Nebuchadnezzar lives among and like the animals. Now instead of enjoying his private zoo, he becomes part of it. In medical terms his condition is known as boanthropy. It is a rare, but diagnosed mental illness that has been seen and recorded. There was a case in England in 1946. Nebuchadnezzar’s condition lasts for possibly 7 years. At the end of those years, God restores his mental health and his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar recognizes he is king because Yahweh God has given him power. He writes, At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High. I honored and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as HE pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. NO one can hold back His hand or say to Him, What have You done?… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are fair - just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble. 4:34-35, 37 From a king who worshipped pagan gods all of his life, this is quite a statement. Nebuchadnezzar is telling all the people whom he has conquered, Yahweh God has now conquered me. It has taken almost 40 years, but Nebuchadnezzar is finally convinced, Yahweh is God alone. This story raises 2 questions. First of all, does secular history confirm this part of Nebuchadnezzar’s life. The answer is yes. A Babylonian historian named Berosus confirms Nebuchadnezzar suffered from an illness at this time. Archeologists have also found an inscription by Nebuchadnezzar where he said, I ceased for a time to build and maintain my kingdom. The 2nd question has to do with the empire itself. How could it continue if the king was gone for up to 7 years? The answer is Daniel. He held the kingdom together. As prime minister, he made decisions in the king’s name. He assured the advisors and nobles the king would have a complete recovery. It was therefore in their best interest to stay loyal to the king. Most likely there were few who even knew about the king’s problem. Even today there are countries like China, Russia and North Korea where a king or leader is out of sight for an extended time and the prime minister leads. After Nebuchadnezzar regains his health, he rules another 5-8 years. Then after a short illness, he dies at the age of 68. His son becomes king for 2 years, but is killed by Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law. He becomes king, but is killed in battle 4 years later. His son, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, rules for 9 months. But then an outsider - a man by the name of Nabonídus leads an insurrection and becomes king. All the previous kings had been connected to Nebuchadnezzar. So Nabonidus, as an outsider, is not seen as a legitimate king. Cultures of that day said an outsider could become an insider if they married a wife or daughter of a former king. So this is what Nabonidus does. Altho he is already married and has grown children, he takes Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter as his 2nd wife. By this time she is in her late 40’s and a widow. 5 BABYLONIAN KINGS Time ruled Nebuchadnezzar daughter + son son in law + Nabonidus son son, Belshazzar 43 yrs. 2 yrs. 4 yrs. 9 mo. 2 yrs. 16 yrs. The oldest son of Nabonidus, by his first marriage, is named Belshazzar. Several times in chapter 5 it says Nebuchadnezzar was the father of Belshazzar. Many people use this to prove the Bible has historical errors. What they do not realize is that the Aramaic word for father, can also mean grandfather, ancestor or predecessor. Remember, Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter became Belshazzar’s step-mother. This means Nebuchadnezzar was his step-grandfather. So according to the culture and language of that day, the text is absolutely correct. Chapter 5 says Belzhazzar is king. Technically he is joint-king with his father. When Nabonidus became king, the city of Babylon was suffering from inflation and famine. After 2 years, when things do not improve, Nabonidus becomes very unpopular. So he decides to leave politics and get involved in his hobby of archeology. He plans to be gone for 10 years, so he names Belshazzar as ruler and joint-king of Babylon. This explains why later on in the story, the greatest reward Belshazzar can offer is 3rd highest position in the kingdom. He and his father have the first 2 positions. History tells us that Nabonidus moves to Haran to oversee the rebuilding of a temple honoring the moon goddess. Later, he lives in northern Arabia. In the early 1800’s, people said this chapter was myth because history never mentioned anyone named Belshazzar. Then in 1854, an inscription was found at one of the temple sites in Babylon. It was a prayer by Nabonídus requesting long life for himself and his eldest son - Belshazzar. More recently this same inscription has been found on a 4-inch clay cylinder. Nabonidus writes, Belshazzar the son, first born, the offspring of my body … On a similar cylinder, King Cyrus of Persia mentions both Nabonídus and Belshazzar. Cyrus writes of Belshazzar, A weakling has been installed as the ruler of his country... Both of these cylinders can be seen at the British Museum in London, England. Daniel served the Babylonian government some 47 years. When Nabonídus became king, he forced Daniel into early retirement. After the 2 years of Nabonidus, Belshazzar rules for 16 years, still leaving Daniel in retirement. Chapter 5 It is now 539 BC. Things are falling apart in the Babylonian empire and morale is at its lowest. So to help forget the problems, Belshazzar decides to throw a party. He wants to show his authority as well as his contempt for the Jews and their God. So he uses the sacred Jewish goblets Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Jerusalem temple and put in storage. All of a sudden, in the midst of the party, the fingers of a man’s hand appear and writes four Aramaic words on the wall mene, mene, tekel upharsin. Everyone could read the words and knew their basic meanings, counted, weighed, divided. But neither the king nor his wise men could explain their significance. The queen mother, Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter, tells them to send for Daniel. She remembers how he explained all the dreams that her father had. Daniel comes and explains the writing. Each word is a monetary unit but also has a regular meaning. The first word mene means counted or numbered. The hours of Belshazzar’s life are numbered or counted out. How true this is! Within 8 hours Belshazzar will be lying dead on the banquet floor. The word mene is repeated twice to say, this is important; it is also urgent. Tekel means weighed The king has been placed on God’s balances and he does not measure up to God’s standards. He has known the truth about Yahweh, but has rejected it. In fact he has deliberately showed contempt for the God of the Jews. Upharsin, or the singular form peres means divided, It can also mean And Persians. There is a play on the 2 meanings, so that it not only says the kingdom of the Babylonians will be divided, but also WHO will divide it - the Medes and PERSIANS. That very night the Medes and Persians come, conquer the city of Babylon and kill Belshazzar. It is 539 BC. Once again, God shows He is in control of kings and nations. No one can defy Him and get away with it forever. Since both the Medes and Persians conquer Babylon, they both want a share in the leadership. Cyrus king of Persia remains in charge of the army. He spends the next 3 years consolidating the empire. During this time, Darius the Mede acts as governor in the capital city. Darius is a Persian name meaning He possess. – It was sometimes used as a title for a government official. From secular history, we know his actual name is Gubáru or the Greek form, Gobryas. 6 Chapter 6 One of the first actions of Darius the Mede is to name 3 administrators with 120 governors under them. Daniel is brought out of retirement and named as 1 of the 3 administrators. He has now been in Babylon some 67 years, which means he is in his 80’s. When Darius sees Daniel’s abilities, he wants to give him even more authority, but this causes problems. The others in government are jealous and want to kill Daniel. Knowing that Daniel prays to his God 3 times a day, they decide to use his faith against him. They present a law to Darius that no one can pray to, or ask a favor of any god or man except Darius. Anyone breaking the law will be thrown to the lions. Darius does not see thru the plot and so in a moment of vanity, he signs the law. The following day, after Daniel has prayed 3 times, the men denounce him to the governor. Altho Darius is upset, there is nothing he can do. The law is signed and cannot be changed. Daniel is put in the lion’s den. Because God is in control, He closes the mouths of the lions and Daniel has a wonderful night’s sleep. But not the governor. After a very sleepless night, early the next morning, Darius goes to the den. He calls out, Daniel, by chance, are you still alive? This shows he is aware Daniel’s God can do unusual things. When he finds Daniel alive, he commands his release and the punishment of his accusers. They are thrown to the lions and are killed immediately. Their families are also killed because they had helped in the plans. Darius is convinced Daniel’s God is in complete control. I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. 6:26 First Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian and now Darius the Mede know Yahweh is God alone. When Daniel writes his story about the lion’s den, the Holy Spirit guides him to write it in a specific way. Some 500 years later people would discover it was a picture of Jesus. Daniel – a picture of Jesus NO FAULT Daniel is described as not having a fault in him - meaning no fault in his actions. Pilate said about Jesus, I find no fault in Him. Jesus had no fault in His actions or His nature. HIGH POSITION TO PUNISHMENT OF CRIMINAL Daniel went from the position of prime minister to the punishment and assumed death of a criminal. Jesus went from the glory of heaven with His Father to die the death of a criminal on a cross. FALSELY ACCUSED Daniel and Jesus were falsely accused because of their enemy’s envy and hate. UNJUSTLY CONDEMNED because of their relationship with God. Daniel because he prayed to God; Jesus because He said He was God the Son. STONE With Daniel, there was a stone set in front of, or over the lions den and sealed. When Jesus was placed in the tomb, there was a stone set in place and sealed. DELIVERED FROM DEATH miraculously Daniel before his death Jesus, out from death, thru the resurrection. EXALTED POSITION Both were given an exalted position. Daniel taught the people of his day. He also has much to teach us in our day. First and foremost, we need to learn and be convinced that God controls history. Nations and leaders will rise and fall. When they make wise choices, God uses them for good. But as Nebuchadnezzar said, Those who walk in pride He is able to humble. 7 In our eyes, the world around us is spinning out of control. But from God’s point of view, everything is right on schedule, to accomplish His plans. He is in control. We also need to learn about faith When we use faith to obey, it may make us unpopular, bring rejection or even endanger our life. This may involve the truth we teach in our churches, ethics in the work-place, relationships we develop or relationships we pull away from, where we choose to go or what we choose to watch. I am not suggesting we become obnoxious and try to force our values on the world around us. God wants us to use wisdom to avoid confrontation. But if we are pressured to deny God’s truth or pressured to disobey God’s commands, we have to make a choice. In faith, we know God could intervene - He could defend us and make us look good. But even if He does not, are we still willing to obey? Are we willing to suffer for His sake? As we use our faith, we discover there are 2 kinds or 2 levels of faith. It is one level of faith to believe God will answer our prayer and miraculously change our situation. But there is another level of faith to accept God’s answer, even if it is not the miracle we prayed for. In the New Testament, the author of Hebrews devotes chapter 11 to heroes of faith. In Hebrews 11:33-34, he talks about those who thru faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, Daniel; quenched the fury of flames, Daniel’s 3 friends, and escaped the edge of the sword… This is our concept of real faith – when God responds in miraculous and spectacular ways. But verse 35 continues, Others were tortured… verses 36-37. Some faced jeers and flogging while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in 2, Isaiah; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. Verse 39 then adds, these were ALL commended or approved for their faith. It is one thing to have faith God can deliver; it is quite another kind of faith to let God choose HOW He will deliver. We get the first level of faith by learning about God and what He can do. We get the next level of faith by going deeper into Scripture and understanding God’s ways. Yes, God can deliver us from sickness, death, divorce, financial disaster, broken relationships, loss of job, rebellion of a family member. God is still in the business of working miracles. But sometimes He chooses not to. Sometimes His deliverance is to let these things happen. Are we willing to believe that even thru loss, He is bringing another form of deliverance for our lives? Can we say, Our God is able to rescue us, but even if He does not, our faith is still grounded in Him. EXTRA INFORMATION FOR THE STUDIOUS AND INQUISITIVE Some Bibles have chapters 13 – 14 in the book of Daniel. These are part of the deuter-canonical (2nd group of books) Jewish literature that was written between 400 and 0 BC They were included in the Septuagint (Greek) translation. However it was never part of the Hebrew Scriptures, even to this day. Refer to Lesson 1B for further details. DATE OF BABYLONIAN RULERS Nebuchadnezzar 605 - 562 King at 25 yrs. old son 562 - 560 son in law 560 - 556 son 556 Nabonidus 556 - 554 son, Belshazzar 554 - 539 8