Catholic Biblical School: Daniel 1-6, 13-14

Recorded February 20th, 2014

Daniel is an unusual book in the Old Testament for several reasons. It is classed among the Prophets, but it is more properly an example of Apocalyptic literature. This is a type of literature popular between the second century BC and the first century AD, produced by Jews and later Christians facing severe persecution. It shares many features of prophetic writing, calling it’s hearers to faith in God and to a righteous life. It looks forward to the coming of “The Day of The Lord” and the end of history, when God will come in judgement, vindicate the innocent and punish the wicked. The Book of Revelation is also an apocalyptic work, and so also are passages in the Gospels.

Daniel is also unusual in that it is written partly in Aramaic (chapters 1-7) and the rest in Greek. The section we looked at today includes some sections of “didactic fiction” teaching people how to behave, in particular, how to be faithful and trust in God under pagan persecution. These stories include the three young men in the fiery furnace (above), the unmasking of the fraud of the idol Bel, Daniel’s disposal of the Dragon (a crocodile, pictured below), and the vindication of the innocent Susanna.