The Prophet Daniel - Chapter 1

When I first began to study the book of Daniel more critically in 2009 I did it with great intention. The decision was based upon the request of a group of men I was teaching. At the time I was volunteering in Prison Ministry with our congregation's leader (Gene Keener). We were involved in teaching a Men's study at CRC Norco Men's Prison in Riverside California about an hour away from our Congregation in Los Angeles County. If you happen to read this Gene; thank you for allowing me to be a part of that experience, I needed it to grow.

At the time I didn't fully understand how this undertaking would alter my perception of the Bible itself; the history of the nations that subjugated Israel, and the religion(s) of these nation(s). This season of growth for me came on the heels of a letter from some men at this prison who were reaching out to Messianic Jewish congregations in the surrounding area to teach. I had suggested it one afternoon as we were discussing putting our feet to service. My suggestion; and, this letter caused our congregation to respond. So did I. 

When I look back upon this season; I do so with great happiness, because it was playing a role in my own healing. Something that is ongoing. I have discovered that sometimes healing isn't linear. Of all the people in the Bible that might have understood my statement about healing I suspect Daniel would.

Within this volunteer ministry I discovered that I had an aptitude for deep study; and an ability to teach. What surprised me was that I enjoyed it. For some reason I got a satisfaction out of it that I NEVER got when I was in business for myself.  

It didn't FEEL like work; and, it FED MY SOUL as I prepared myself each week to water those whose freedom was no longer theirs to control. As I would serve them it would give them relief from what troubled them each week. At least as long as we were together in that classroom. Some of them who are now free still reach out from time to time. Some of them I genuinely miss; along with the time of sharpening for us both. 

If you are among one of these whom I was blessed to teach at CRC NORCO; and you are reading this, I love you neighbor. Keep Seeking His Face. Thank you for sharing that difficult part of your life with me. It mattered to me more than you can possibly imagine. I hope that I helped you to see Yeshua more clearly.    

The first time Gene Keener and I went there were some 50-60 inmates from different faiths who had come to hear; ask questions, and respond. It was exhilarating. I wish I could travel back in time to the first day we did that. The impact would have been much greater; had I known then, what I know today. 

My desire in sharing what I learned from this season of my life is to help you better understand both the book of Daniel itself; and, how it is its VISIONS naturally lead us to the book of REVELATION. What you will gain from this study will also help you to better understand what is happening around us in the world today in 2026 as I write this. 

The end result may be jarring for some. But we need to prepare ourselves.

If there is even time left to do so. 

Everything I share with you I do so from a position of LOVE. 

I do so from a position of a wounded/flawed man seeking to PRESERVE what was LEARNED. How? By spreading it as far as I can within the hearts and minds of others. To what end? That they would choose to carry the torch; that others might also see.  

Why is it even important
that we study Daniel? 

Neighbor, their is an empire that shall soon be crushed. By a rock cut without hands (Daniel 2:34). However, before it is vanquished the globe shall undergo a transformation. It has already begun. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9) including the technology used to makes slaves of creation. 

N.C.S.W.I.C. Nothing Can Stop What Is Coming 

WWG1WGA. Where We Go One We Go All 

Babylon a direct derivation of the Akkadian Bābilim (the plural form of Bāb-ilu) meaning Gate of Gods.

In cuneiform Babylon is written as:    𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠

Old Babylonian Script "Akkadian"

𒆍    KA : (door, gate) 

𒀭     DINGIR : (the sign for the sky god) "ANU" 

𒊏    RA : a verb meaning:  

to hit, beat upon, strike down. to drive (animals). to impress (a seal)     

𒆠  KI: ( ) a determinate used after geographical and place names 

place 𒆠𒂷 ― ki-g̃a₂ /kig̃â/ ― at mine (literally, “at my place”)

ground, earth, the netherworld, (relative pronoun) where

Babylon is all about mixing  that which is holy; with that which isn't. 

There are events coming that we cannot truly understand unless we are diligent to study Babylon; and, discover what they understood from the Sumerians; the very culture that influenced Nimrod Himself. The very culture from whence Nimrod's "gods" came. Those who were called "Anunnaki."  Beings we were told were just myths. Beings the world has forgotten; and, the story they weave about the deep past; and, man's creation.

The book of Daniel begins the place we look to discover it's full identity. An Identity that shall soon be obvious to those paying attention to their Bibles; and, what is happening around us in the World here in 2026. 

Why study Daniel? Because in order to unlock the meaning of John the Revelator's warning given to him by Messiah Yeshua in the book "Revelation;" we must first understand Daniel; his visions; and, what they are projecting. Come with me as I share with you what I learned during the six (6) years I spent teaching this book; and, Revelation as a volunteer. 

Lets Begin with Daniel Chapter 1 shall we?

The Prophet Daniel is about a sixteen year old boy; a son of Judah, named Daniel ( דּניּאל ) who has been taken captive and deported from his native land of Israel after its siege by King Nebuchadnezzar II where he is transplanted in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, besieged Jerusalem twice—in 597 BC and 587/586 BC—due to rebellions by Judah's kings, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, who allied with Egypt. 

The final siege resulted in the destruction of the city, burning of the First Temple, and mass deportation of Jews to Babylon. The Deportations occurred in three primary waves as recorded in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings: 24; and Jeremiah 52) and in historical Babylonian cuneiform records.  

The text itself was written in both the Hebrew language; and, Aramaic. 

Hebrew was native to the Children of Israel; yet Aramaic was used all across the Levant like a common tongue. Within Babylon Aramaic was the common tongue of the people; but, Akkadian was the official government language. Aramaic was widely spoken; and, read. Research Aramaic Incantation Bowls from Babylon. The Assyrians used the same pattern; as did the Persians. Aramaic; and, Akkadian. Both of these languages find their way into our Bibles. It's why we have Akkadian loan words in the Bible. If you are intrigued by that take a look at Paul V. Mankowski's "Akkadian Loanwords in Biblical Hebrew" I have embedded at the bottom.

Three Languages written in Cuneiform

Aramaic itself is attested to all the way back in Genesis in the account of Laban and Jacob when they make a Covenant between one another with a Heap of Stones which was a marker. A Separation. A Witness. Essentially. You shall come no further towards me. And I shall go no further towards you.

[Genesis 31:47 HNV] "Lavan called it Yegar-Sahaduta, but Ya`akov called it Gal`ed."

יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא

Yegar Sahaduta. Friends. This is Aramaic.

Spoken by Laban the Aramean

[Genesis 25:20 KJV]

"And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife,
the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram,the sister to Laban the Syrian."

The Word used for "Syrian" is in the Hebrew : ארמּי

Aramaic is more important than you think. Way. Way. Way More Important.

It's attestation in the Bible; and, in Babylon make it worthy of examination.

Daniel and his three companions in the Court of Nebuchadnezzar

 

In the Prophet Daniel we are introduced to several characters whose names have meaning in both the Hebrew language; and, in the Akkadian. Let's look at them together for a moment. 

• King Nebuchadnezzar: ( נבכדנאצּר )  nᵊḇûḵaḏne'ṣṣar. 

His name itself is Akkadian and means: "may Nebo protect the crown"

 

Nebo was the God of Wisdom, literacy, and writing. He is associated with the planet Mercury; and, the Snake Dragon known as "Bel." An interesting thing to note is that Nebuchadnezzar was also the High Priest of the Eanna Temple in Uruk from 626/625 BC to 617 BC. 

                    Here is his name in the Akkadian script:  𒀭𒀝𒃻𒁺𒋀 

 

"On display at Emmaus Baptist College, a simple block of dried clay offers a direct, physical connection to the world of the Bible. It is an inscribed mud brick (pictured on pg. 15) stamped with the name of Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon (605-562 BC). This is the same king who appears in Scripture, the man who conquered Judah, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and carried Daniel and the Hebrew people into captivity. This artifact, and many others in the collection at the Emmaus library, removes the Biblical narrative from the realm of mere story and places it in a solid, verifiable historical context. It is a piece of the very world that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego inhabited."

"This brick was found in the ancient southern city of Larsa. Larsa is the city mentioned in Genesis 14:1 as Ellasar, the seat of King Arioch, who joined the battle against Abraham. This brick, therefore, links the world of Abraham with the world of Nebuchadnezzar. The inscription, pressed into the wet clay in the Akkadian language, is a dedicatory text. It was intended to be buried in the temple foundation to declare the king's piety to his gods and to future rulers."  

𒀭𒀝𒆪𒁺𒌫𒊑𒌶

𒈗 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠

𒍝𒉌𒅔 𒂍𒊕𒅍

𒅇 𒂍𒍣𒁕

𒌉𒍑 𒀀𒊭𒊑𒁺

𒊭 𒀭𒀝𒌉𒍑𒌶 𒈗 

𒁀𒁉𒇻𒆠 𒀀𒈾𒆪

Read in Akkadian as:

“Nabû-kudurrī-uṣur šar Bābili, zāninu Esagil u Ezida, aplu rabû ša Nabû-apla-uṣur, šar Bābili, anāku. E-babbarra bīt Šamaš ša Larsā kīma labīrimma ana Šamaš bēlīya epūš”

The Inscription reads in English as:

"Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Provider of the Ésagila temple and the Ezida temple, prime son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I. Ebabbara, the temple of Shamash in Larsa, I restored as it was in former times, for Shamash, my lord."

 

 

ESAGILA TEMPLE COMPLEX - DEDICATED TO MARDUK - SON OF ENKI

DANIEL AND HIS FRIEND'S WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMPLEX THEIR OWN EYES

• Jehoiakim: ( יהויקים   ) means "YAHUAH Raises Up." 

Jehoiachin (also called Jeconiah or Coniah) was the 19th king of Judah, ruling for just over three months in 598/597 BCE before surrendering Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar II. The 18-year-old king was exiled to Babylon, where he spent 37 years imprisoned before being released and treated with honor by King Evil-Merodach.

• Ashpenaz:  (  אשׁפּנז  ) means "I will make promenant the sprinkled."

Ashpenaz was Master of the Eunuchs. We are instructed that he would give new Akkadian - Babylonian names to the four (4) boys (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael; and, Azariah). These boys had survived the process of being made Eunuchs.

Verse 3 of Daniel 1 tells us that Ashpenaz was instructed by the King "to bring some of the children of Israel; and, some of the King's descendants; and some of the nobles." 

These young men are listed; meaning they were either of the King's descendants; or, they were sons of nobles. If they were indeed eunuchs; I can Imagine ISAIAH 56 gave them needed strength. 

If you are unfamiliar with the passage; you should read it for yourself. It tells us in ISAIAH 56:8 that it is ADONAI YHVH (אדני יהוה) who gathers the outcasts. Friends this title Adonai YHVH (אדני יהוה) belongs exclusively to "The Living GOD." It belongs to the "right hand" of YHVH. Also called "The Holy One of Israel." Messiah Yeshua.    

• Daniel: ( דּניּאל ) meaning "God is my Judge."        

It is thought that Daniel's Akkadian name "Belteshazzar" 

𒊩𒆪𒈗𒋀 Balaṭu-šar-uṣur means: 

"O' Bel Protect His Life" or "Protect the life of the King."  

• Hananiah: ( חנניה ) meaning "God has favored." 

His Akkadian name "Shadrach" means

"Royal" or "The Great Scribe."  

 

• Mishael: ( מישׁאל ) meaning "Who is what God is?" 

                      His Akkadian name "Mishach" means "Guest of a King."

• Azariah: ( עזריה ) meaning "YAH has helped"

His Akkadian name "Abed-Nego" means

"Servant of Nebo."  

We are instructed in Daniel 1:4 that these "...young men in whom there was no blemish; but, good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge; and, quick to understand; who had ability to serve in the King's palace; and, whom they might teach the language; and, literature of the Chaldeans." We are also informed they are given special privileges "a daily provision of the King's delicacies; and, of the wine which he drank; and, three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the King." 

 

I would discover thanks to Dr. Karen Radner's class "Organizing an Empire the Assyrian Way" that there were two writing systems employed in Assyria; which was also copied by the Babylonians; and, the Persians as well. Primarily the use of a Common Tongue (Aramaic); and, the use of Akkadian (Cuneiform) for all official government documentation. Her class is offered for free on Coursera.org. Offered by LMU-Munich. 

I would discover in her class that It takes three (3) years to become proficient in Akkadian. A confirmation of the data we read in the book of Daniel.  

(https://www.coursera.org/learn/organising-empire-assyrian-way) 

 

We are confronted with data about Daniel and his friends who desire not to defile themselves with the king's delicacies; or the wine he drank. It is likely that these "delicacies" included items which were considered "unclean" according to Lev. 11.

Instead Daniel requested of Ashpenaz (Prince of the Eunuchs) that he might not defile himself. The Chief of the Eunuchs is worried that if they appear to be unhealthy; it might endanger his own life. He clearly fears King Nebuchadnezzar's wrath.

Daniel requests that they be tested for ten (10) days. They request vegetables; and, water; and, after ten (10) days they appeared better; and, fatter in flesh than all the young men who at the portion of the king's delicacies. The Steward then took away the wine; and, king's delicacies giving them only vegetables and water. In chapter 1 verse 17 we are instructed that Daniel had understanding in all visions; and, dreams.

 

We are also informed that at the end of the days; probably after the three years of training, they were interviewed by King Nebuchadnezzar; and, among them all none were found like Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah. 

"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten (10) times better than all the magicians; and, astrologers where were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus." Daniel 1:20-21    

What I would like for you to remember about Nebuchadnezzar II (the character of Daniel) is that when he comes on scene there are nine (9) other Babylonian Dynasties that have come before him. Note that his "Lord" is Shamash the Sun God. 

The Circular Disk in the Center is the Symbol of Shamash

What I would discover by studying the names of the Babylonian Kings List; would be that the Moon God "Sin" would be honored by these early dynasties; but, would later fall out of Honor. Then again would be brought back into worship by the final King of Babylon Nabonidus under the Chaldean (Neo-Babylonian Dynasty).  

• Dynasty I (Amorite) - c. 1894–1595 BC (Famous for Hammurabi)
• Dynasty II (First Sealand) - c. 1725–1475 BC
• Dynasty III (Kassite) - c. 1729–1155 BC
• Dynasty IV (Second Isin) - c. 1153–1022 BC
• Dynasty V (Second Sealand) - c. 1021–1001 BC
• Dynasty VI (Bazi) - c. 1000–981 BC
• Dynasty VII (Elamite) - c. 980–975 BC
• Dynasty VIII ("E") - c. 974–732 BC
• Dynasty IX (Assyrian Rule) - c. 732–626 BC

• Dynasty X Chaldean (Neo-Babylonian) (626–539 BC) 

 Notice below that the name of "Sin" is tied to the UR III Period the first time.

Notice here in this list above how the name “SIN” is completely absent where before it was prominent. In this particular Dynasty there is an overabundance of Kings who have been given names honoring other god(s).

Notice the prominence of the name “Marduk.” We also see Ninurta; Nabu; Adad; and, Enlil here in this list. Without the benefit of studying the religion(s) of ancient Babylon and the names of their gods we miss that throughout the history of Babylon.

The moon god/goddess "SIN" lost its place as being the most important god in the pantheon of gods they worshipped. Marduk became the most important deity in the Babylonian pantheon. Marduk literally means “bull calf of the sun."

Shamash (Akkadian: šamaš), also known as Utu

(written 𒀭𒌓; Sumerian: dutu, literally "Sun")

Daniel and his contemporaries would have been obligated to learn about these "gods" within the literature of the Chaldeans. If we truly desire to understand the book of Daniel; and, the Kingdom of Babylon we should be good investigators learning about these "gods" who originated from the Sumerian culture.

The Hebrew Calendar itself is deeply influenced by the Akkadian language. If you have never studied either the Hebrew Calendar or the Babylonian Calendar you might be surprised to see how alike they are. Babylon has influenced the religion(s) of many modern nations. 

In College I took Astronomy hoping that we would be looking up into the heavens with telescopes. Instead I spent many hours in "lab" doing math. I'm not a math guy. However, the Babylonians were good at Math; and, excellent astronomers. We will cover that more in another post.

In the meantime. Pick up your bible today. Spend some time in it!

Spend some time digging into Daniel with me.  

 

LINK HERE