The Book of DanielThe Book of Daniel

An IntroductionAn Introduction

Carcemish

*

NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar

succeeded by son,succeeded by son,

Evil-MerodachEvil-Merodach

killed bykilled by

NeriglissarNeriglissar (Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law)(Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law)

succeeded by son,succeeded by son,

LabosoarchadLabosoarchad

succeeded bysucceeded by

NabonidusNabonidus

shared rule with son,shared rule with son,

BelshazzarBelshazzar

Rulers of Babylon during the CaptivityRulers of Babylon during the Captivity

Daniel in Babylon,Daniel in Babylon,

from teen to octogenarianfrom teen to octogenarian

Daniel 5: Belshazzar’s FeastDaniel 5: Belshazzar’s Feast

Cyrus: “I am sure I cannot see how any one could take by storm walls so massive and so high…unless you have some other method to suggest, I propose that we use this method of laying siege…”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 7-33)

Chrysantas: “Does not this river flow through the midst of the city? And it is more than two stadia in width.”

Gobryas: “Yeah, Ri-ight…”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 8)

Chrysantas: “Does not this river flow through the midst of the city? And it is more than two stadia in width.”

Gobryas: “Aye, by Zeus, and its depth is such that two men, one standing on the other’s shoulders, would not reach the surface of the water, so that the city is better defended by the river than by its walls.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 8)

Nonetheless, Cyrus went for the plan.

• They dug “an immense trench” around the sides of the city.

• The Babylonians were confident, thinking the Persian efforts were a laughable attempt at building siege works.

• Cyrus cleverly encouraged the confidence of the Babylonians.

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 8)

“The enemy upon the walls laughed his siege-works to scorn, in the belief that they had provisions enough for more than twenty years.

“Upon hearing of this, Cyrus divided his army into twelve parts as if intending each part to be responsible for sentry duty during one month of the year.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 13)

The Babylonians were further made confident by the composition of Cyrus’ army:

They “laughed much more scornfully still, at the thought of Phrygians and Lydians and Arabians and Cappadocians keeping guard against them, for they considered all these to be more friendly to them than to the Persians.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 14)

“At last the ditches were completed. Then, when he heard that a certain festival had come around in Babylon, during which all Babylon was accustomed to drink and revel all night long, Cyrus took a large number of men, just as soon as it was dark, and opened up the heads of the trenches at the river. As soon as that was done, the water flowed down through the ditches in the night, and the bed of the river, where it traversed the city became passable for men.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 15-16)

“And do you, Gadatas and Gobryas, show the streets, for you are familiar with them. And when we get inside the walls, lead us by the quickest route to the royal palace.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 24)

“And when the day dawned and those in possession of the citadels discovered that the city was taken and the king slain, they surrendered the citadels , too.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Xenophon’s AccountXenophon’s Account (Cyropaedia, VII.v. 33)

Cyrus “turned the Euphrates by a canal into the basin, which was then a marsh, on which the river sank to such an extent that the natural bed of the stream became fordable.”

“...the Persians came upon them by surprise and so took the city. Owing to the vast size of the place, the inhabitants of the central parts...long after the outer portions of the town were taken, knew nothing of what had chanced, but as they were engaged in a festival, continued dancing and revelling until they learnt the capture but too certainly.”

The Fall of BabylonThe Fall of Babylon

Herodotus’ AccountHerodotus’ Account (1.190-191)

47 yrs

70 years?70 years?

58 yrs

70 years?70 years?

66 yrs

70 years?70 years?

70 yrs

70 years?70 years?

????

70 yrs

70 years?70 years?

516 B.C. 516 B.C. 2nd Temple 2nd Temple finishedfinished

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

Remember the Sabbath Remember the Sabbath yearyear......

Lev. 25:3-4Lev. 25:3-4

Six years you shall sow your field, and six Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.prune your vineyard.

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

……and the Jubilee...and the Jubilee...

Lev. 25:11Lev. 25:11

You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in gather in fromfrom its untrimmed vines. its untrimmed vines.

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

Lev. 26Lev. 26

26:1426:14 'But if you do not obey Me and do not 'But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments...carry out all these commandments...

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

Lev. 26:32-35Lev. 26:32-35

I will I will make the land desolatemake the land desolate so that your so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it.enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it.

You, however, I will scatter among the You, however, I will scatter among the nations….nations….

Then Then the land will enjoy its sabbathsthe land will enjoy its sabbaths all the all the days of the desolation, while you are in your days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the days of its sabbaths. All the days of itsits desolation desolation it will it will observe the rest which it did not observe on observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on ityour sabbaths, while you were living on it..

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

2 Chron. 36:212 Chron. 36:21

ConnectsConnects

JEREMIAH’S PROPHECY OF 70 YEARSJEREMIAH’S PROPHECY OF 70 YEARS

withwith

THE LAND ENJOYING ITS SABBATHSTHE LAND ENJOYING ITS SABBATHS

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

2 Chron. 36:20-212 Chron. 36:20-21

Those who had escaped from the sword he Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of JeremiahLORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land , until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.were complete.

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

2 Chron. 36:20-212 Chron. 36:20-21

Those who had escaped from the sword he Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of JeremiahLORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land , until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years until seventy years were completewere complete..

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

2 Chron. 36:20-212 Chron. 36:20-21

Those who had escaped from the sword he Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land until the land had enjoyed its sabbathshad enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its . All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.were complete.

70 years?70 years?

Perhaps a symbolic significancePerhaps a symbolic significance

2 Chron. 36:20-212 Chron. 36:20-21

Those who had escaped from the sword he Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were completewere complete..

The Book of DanielThe Book of Daniel

Contents of the Book of DanielContents of the Book of Daniel

chapters 1-6, Narrativechapters 1-6, Narrative

chapters 7-12, Visionschapters 7-12, Visions

chapters 2-7, language is Aramaicchapters 2-7, language is Aramaic

Message of the Book of DanielMessage of the Book of Daniel““For His dominion is an everlasting dominionFor His dominion is an everlasting dominion

And His kingdom endures from generation to And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.generation.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,nothing,

But He does according to His will in the host of heavenBut He does according to His will in the host of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of earth”And among the inhabitants of earth”