Editing Book of Daniel (section)

{{short description |Book of the Bible}}
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{{Other uses}}
{{Tanakh OT |Ketuvim |prophetic}}
The '''Book of Daniel''' is a 2nd-century&nbsp;BC biblical [[apocalypse]] with a 6th-century&nbsp;BC setting. Ostensibly "an account of the activities and visions of [[Daniel (biblical figure)|Daniel]], a noble Jew [[Babylonian captivity|exiled at Babylon]]",{{sfn|Reid|2000|p=315}} the text features a prophecy rooted in Jewish history, as well as a [[eschatology|portrayal of the end times]] that is both cosmic in scope and political in its focus.{{sfn|Collins|1984|pp=34–36}} The message of the text intended for the original audience was that just as the [[Yahweh|God of Israel]] saves Daniel from his enemies, so too he would save the [[Israelites]] in their present oppression.{{sfn|Brettler|2005|p=218}}

The [[Hebrew Bible]] includes Daniel as one of the [[Ketuvim]], while Christian [[biblical canons]] group the work with the [[major prophet]]s.{{sfn|Bandstra|2008|p=445}} It divides into two parts: a set of six [[court tale]]s<!-- introduce redlink because this technical term would benefit from a WP article --> in chapters 1–6, written mostly in [[Biblical Aramaic]], and four apocalyptic visions in chapters 7–12, written mainly in [[Late Biblical Hebrew]];{{sfn|Collins|2002|p=2}} the [[Septuagint]], the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, contains three additional sections: the [[Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children]], [[Susanna (Book of Daniel)|Susanna]], and [[Bel and the Dragon]].{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005|p=452}}

The book's themes have resonated throughout the ages, including with the community of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] and the authors of the [[canonical gospels]] and the [[Book of Revelation]]. From the 2nd century to the modern era, religious movements, including the [[Reformation]] and later [[millennialist]] movements, have been deeply influenced by it.{{sfn|Towner|1984|pp=2–3}}
[[File:Daniel scroll.png|thumb|Scroll of the book Daniel in Hebrew]]