3. The Tradition… Hostage Student Interpreter Protected Visionary Statesman

4. The Challenge… Porphyry 232-305 A.D. Jewish Philosopher Attacked Christianity Because of Daniel! Daniel a fiction! Written after the fact!

5. The Continuation… 18th Century Enlightenment Skeptical of ALL Biblical history Skeptical of Daniel Continues to this day!

6. The Maccabees… Antiochus IV Epiphanes Attacked Jews Prohibited Practices Defiled the Temple Maccabees Revolted Hannukah! Daniel 11

7. Original ViewModern View

8. Real Daniel Original ViewModern View

9. Real DanielFake Daniel Original ViewModern View

10. Real Daniel Written 6th Century B.C. Fake Daniel Original ViewModern View

11. Real Daniel Written 6th Century B.C. Fake Daniel Written 2nd Century B.C. Original ViewModern View

12. Real Daniel Written 6th Century B.C. Prophecy foretelling history Fake Daniel Written 2nd Century B.C. Original ViewModern View

13. Real Daniel Written 6th Century B.C. Prophecy foretelling history Fake Daniel Written 2nd Century B.C. History in the guise of prophecy Original ViewModern View

14. “Daniel is now accepted as a pseudepigraph written, at least in its present form, in the Maccabean period, and few Christians lose sleep over this.” Maurice Casey, “Porphyry and the Origin of the Book of Daniel,” JTS, 27 (1976), p. 15.

15. Contents of Daniel 1. Historical Dates 2. Historical Names 3. Two Languages 4. Dated Dreams and Visions 5. References to Other Books

17. “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar…

18. to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god… [along with] certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well- favored, and skilful in all wisdom… Daniel 1:1-4

19. “The Word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet… against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim… Jeremiah 46:1-2

20. Which is it? Daniel 1:1-4 -- THIRD YEAR of Jehoiakim Jeremiah 46:1-2 -- FOURTH YEAR of Jehoiakim

21. The Babylonian Chronicle 605-594 B.C. Translated 1956!

22. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 608 B.C. 1st Year Jehoiakim 607 B.C. “0” Year Year 609 B.C. 2nd Year 1st Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars

23. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 607 B.C. 2nd Year Jehoiakim 606 B.C. 1st Year 608 B.C. 3rd Year 2nd Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars

24. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 606 B.C. 3rd Year Jehoiakim 605 B.C. 2nd Year 607 B.C. 4th Year 3rd Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars

25. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 4th Year Jehoiakim 604 B.C. 3rd Year 606 B.C. 5th Year 4th Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars

26. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 4th Year Jehoiakim 604 B.C. 3rd Year 606 B.C. 5th Year 4th Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars Battle of Carchemish

27. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 4th Year Jehoiakim 604 B.C. 3rd Year 606 B.C. 5th Year 4th Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars Battle of Carchemish August 16

28. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 4th Year Jehoiakim 604 B.C. 3rd Year 606 B.C. 5th Year 4th Year Jehoiakim Ancient Calendars Battle of Carchemish August 16 September 7

29. BEROSUS Babylonian historian, 3rd Century B.C. “Nabopolassar… committed to his son Nebuchadnezzar, who was still but a youth, some parts of his army, and sent him against Pharaoh Necho of Egypt’. So when Nebuchadnezzar had given battle… he beat him,… and made that country a branch of his own kingdom; but about that time it happened that his father Nabopolassar fell ill, and died in the city of Babylon, when he had reigned twenty-one years.

30. And when he heard this,… that his father had died, and having settled the affairs of Egypt, and the other countries, as also those that concerned the captive Jews, Phoenicians, Syrians, and those of the Egyptian nations, and having committed the conveyance of them to Babylon to certain of his friends,… he hurried… over the desert, and came to Babylon.” History of Babylon, Book 3; Josephus, Antiquities, Bk 10, Chap. 11, par. 219-222. BEROSUS Babylonian historian, 3rd Century B.C.

35. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 1st of King Nebby 604 B.C.606 B.C. 5th Year 0th of King Nebby Ancient Calendars Battle of Carchemish September 7

36. If the author of the Book of Daniel wrote in the 2nd century BC in Jerusalem, he would have used the Jerusalem system of dating, and the year stated by Jeremiah.

37. Instead, the author used the Babylonian calendar, as would be expected, if he were actually living IN Babylon at the time he wrote the book.

38. This information was lost in 482 B.C. when Xerxes I razed and destroyed the city of Babylon, burying all of Babylon’s chronicles until rediscovered in the last century.

40. And in the second year of the reign of Ne- buchadnezzar, he dreamed dreams…. Daniel 2:1

41. Modern Jerusalem Babylon Winter Fall Spring 605 B.C. 1st of King Nebby 604 B.C.606 B.C. 5th Year 0th of King Nebby Ancient Calendars Battle of Carchemish September 7

43. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hananiah) (Mishael) (Azariah) “Hanunu - Chief of Royal Merchants” “Mushalim Marduk - Overseer of the Harem” “Aridi-Nabu - Secretary to the Prince” Five-sided Clay Prism, Istanbul Museum; J.B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, pp. 307-308

44. It was common practice in the ancient middle east to erect a statue of the ruling emperor in the provinces and vassal territories, and to demand that all the citizens of the region bow down in obeisance to that statue as an act of loyalty to the emperor. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hananiah) (Mishael) (Azariah)

45. Chronicle of Sargon I

46. Sargon, King of Agade, by Ishtar’s royal insignia was exalted… … in the eleventh year his hand subdued the west to its full extent. He united them under one control; He set up his images in the west.

51. Nebuchadnezzar Cylinder Describes the various buildings and civil works Nebuchadnezzar built in Babylon during his reign Nebuchadnezzar, Builder of Babylon

52. Brick inscribed in honor of Nebuchadnezzar One of 15,000,000 found so far

53. Nebuchadnezzar, Builder of Babylon ‘Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who cares for Esagila and Ezida, eldest son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon’

54. Nebuchadnezzar, Builder of Babylon East India House Inscription Describes Nebuchadnezzar’s many building projects in Babylon

55. Nebuchadnezzar, Builder of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar Cylinder Describes Nebuchadnezzar’s many building projects in Babylon

56. Nebuchadnezzar, Builder of Babylon BEROSUS “Now in his palace he erected very high walkways, supported by stone pillars, and by planting what was called pensile Paradise, and replenishing it with all sorts of trees, he recreated an exact resemblance of a mountainous country. This he did to please his queen, because she had been brought up in Media, and was fond of a mountainous view.” Book III; Josephus, Antiquities

57. The Babylonian Chronicle Toward the end of his life, Nebuchadnezzar disappears from his own chronicle for several years.

58. Abydenus ∆Abudhnov~ A Greek historian, author of “A History of the Chaldeans and Assyrians,” wrote:

59. Abydenus ∆Abudhnov~ “In his latter days, the king was possessed by some god or other while in his palace,… and disappeared.” Quoted in Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica, 9.41.1

61. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince Nabonidus Chronicle 556-530 B.C. In his third year, he names his son Belshazzar as his coregent.

62. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince Nabonidus Cylinder Names his son as crown prince and coregent

63. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince Nabonidus-Belshazzar Cylinder Contains prayers in behalf of the king Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar

64. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince In the third year of his reign (553 B.C.), Nabonidus made his son Belshazzar his coregent, and entrusted the rulership of Babylon to his son, while he went south to live in the oasis of Tema in Arabia.

67. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning Daniel, that he should be the THIRD ruler in the kingdom.” Daniel 5:29

68. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince First in the kingdom - Nabonidus Second in the kingdom - Belshazzar Third in the kingdom -- Daniel

69. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince Cyrus Cylinder

70. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince “A weakling has been installed as the ruler of his country… He interrupted in a fiendish way the regular offerings… The worship of Marduk, the king of gods, he changed into abomination.” Cyrus Cylinder

71. Nabonidus and Belshazzar Absentee King and Playboy Prince “We shall presumably never know how our author learned that the new Babylon was the creation of Nebuchadnezzar as the excavations have proved… and that Belshazzar, mentioned only in Babylonian records, in Daniel, and in Baruch 1:11, which is based on Daniel, was functioning as king when Cyrus took Babylon.” R. H. Pfeiffer, Introduction to the Old Testament, pp. 758-759

73. GUBARU And Darius the Mede Babylon fell to Cyrus’ forces on October 13, 539 B.C. [Babylonian Chronicle] “So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty- two.” Daniel 5:31

74. GUBARU And Darius the Mede Cyrus placed Gubaru, a Median, in charge of Babylon, while he continued his conquests westward. According to Babylonian Records, Gubaru was born in 601 B.C., making him 62 years old in 539 B.C. The word “Darius” refers to his position, rather than his name.

75. GUBARU And Darius the Mede “On the 16th day, Gubaru… along with the army of Cyrus, entered Babylon without opposition… The city was no longer at war, peace being restored. Cyrus then sent his best wishes to the residents living there. His governor, Gubaru, then installed leaders to govern over all Babylon.” Babylonian Chronicle

76. GUBARU And Darius the Mede According to the Babylonian/Persian Chronicles, GUBARU was the son of Ahasuerus, a ruler of the Medes. “He WAS MADE king over the realm of the Chaldeans.” Daniel 5:32; 9:1; 11:

78. Sirach and Solomon Schechter And Daniel 8 In 1899, a medieval synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, under renovation, was found to have a secret room - a GENIZAH - which contained over 100,000 ancient Jewish manuscripts. One of those manuscripts was a Hebrew version of THE WISDOM OF BEN SIRACH ‘ECCLESIASTICUS’

79. Sirach and Solomon Schechter And Daniel 8

80. Sirach and Solomon Schechter And Daniel 8 This “Hebrew Original” behind the LXX Greek translations could only be dated to more than a century BEFORE the time of the Maccabees. IT CONTAINS DIRECT QUOTATIONS FROM DANIEL 8 - 12.

81. Given these discoveries, and more, it is impossible to date the writing of the Book of Daniel to after the time of the Maccabaean Revolt of 165 B.C.

82. The ONLY way for the author of Daniel to have known these things was if he were actually there in Babylon in the 6th century B.C. as claimed!

83. WHAT WE KNOW – Daniel became a hostage in 605 B.C., age 13 Daniel interpreted the king’s dream in 603 B.C. Daniel’s beastly dream happened in 553 B.C. Daniel’s second vision occurred in 550 B.C. Daniel’s encounter with Gabriel happened in 538 B.C. Daniel was still working in Babylon as late as 535 B.C., the third year of Cyrus.

84. Why is this important? 1.Prophecy is REAL 2. Daniel PREDICTS Jesus 3. Daniel PINPOINTS when 4. Daniel EXPLAINS “Why?”