Daniel’s claim to fame is not his vegan-kosher diet, although that is one of his unique lifestyle choices we encounter right at the start of the book that bears his name.
This enigmatic character, in a book that is most likely fiction inspired by reality, introduced several radical new concepts into the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish mindset. These innovations include the first specific mention of an afterlife and resurrection, the concept of martyrdom, and the next level of dream interpretation and political prophetic visions.
Who was Daniel, when was this book written, what is it all about, and what’s with the diet?
The official setting of the story dates back to 6th century BCE Babylon and into the 5th century BCE Persian empire, which is why it comes right after Esther and before Ezra.
But all modern scholars scoff at this pseudo-historical attempt and prove that it was likely written during the 2nd century BCE as a literary response to the harsh religious decrees imposed on the Jews by the Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. It’s this tough time that led to the Maccabean revolt and the Hanukkah story. That’s why some of the concepts such as resurrection make sense - they were not known or popular during the preceding centuries. The Book of Daniel is also the only one in the Hebrew Bible to be written mostly in Aramaic and not in Hebrew - another telling clue that it was written much later than all other biblical books. It may in fact be the last and most recent addition to the canon.
The basic plot of Daniel’s heroic journey begins with the Babylonian Empire’s forced exile of the Judean King and royal court to Babylon - before burning down the Jerusalem temple and discounting the House of David from ruling ever again. There are some discrepancies between what’s in this book and the known facts but the basic gist of it is that Daniel, among others, is a privileged refugee.
Among the exiled of Jerusalem are gifted children who are brought to the royal court of Nebuchadnezzar to be trained as palace servants or some sort of elite guard.To ensure they know the local etiquette they are subjected to rigorous training conducted by the palace eunuchs.
Daniel, whose name means ‘God has judged me’, along with three other intelligent and handsome young Judean boys, is among those destined for training.
The first thing we are told about them is that their names are changed to Babylonian ones. Daniel’s new official name is Belteshazzar but he’ll only be known by his original name - that has its own history that we’ll get to - throughout the book.
But as soon as the palace training course begins, Daniel, apparently a pious Jew with dietary restrictions, refuses to eat what is offered and requests the first official kosher-vegan meal in history.
He convinces the chief-eunuch to serve him and his three friends nothing but seeds, or possibly lentils for a ten day trial. If they can prove sufficient nourishment with this meager diet - their wish will be granted:
וּמִקְצָת יָמִים עֲשָׂרָה נִרְאָה מַרְאֵיהֶם טוֹב וּבְרִיאֵי בָּשָׂר מִן־כׇּל־הַיְלָדִים הָאֹכְלִים אֵת פַּת־בַּג הַמֶּלֶךְ׃
When the ten days were over, they looked better and healthier than all the youths who were eating the king’s food.
Daniel 1:8
And that’s how this young man is introduced to the palace, and to the world. Along with the three other Judean youth now with new Babylonian names, Daniel-Belteshazzar becomes part of the palace scene. He will soon stand out for this unique ability to decipher dreams:
וְהַיְלָדִים הָאֵלֶּה אַרְבַּעְתָּם נָתַן לָהֶם הָאֱלֹהִים מַדָּע וְהַשְׂכֵּל בְּכׇל־סֵפֶר וְחׇכְמָה וְדָנִיֵּאל הֵבִין בְּכׇל־חָזוֹן וַחֲלֹמוֹת׃
God made all four of these young men intelligent and proficient in all writings and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding of visions and dreams of all kinds.
Daniel 1:17
Daniel’s book has overlapping details and themes with both the Book of Esther and the Joseph story from Genesis. These three stories concern Jews in exile attaining status in a foreign land.
Daniel Taub, British born Israeli scholar and diplomat, shares more than a name with the original Daniel. As someone who served as Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom he reflects on the unique features and familiar tensions between identities that this book presents - along these other diasporic narratives:
“The insider-outsider dissonance of a young immigrant striving for success while holding onto his traditions echoes other biblical narratives, most clearly those of Joseph and Esther. These accounts, sometimes called "the diaspora novels", share many linguistic and structural similarities, as well as a fantastical Aladdin-like atmosphere complete with lavish feasts and mysterious dreams.
The opening chapter of the book of Daniel highlights another similarity, one that offers an insight into the nature of Jewish leadership in the diaspora. In each case, a young Jewish immigrant, separated from or without parents, is nurtured by an official in the host society. Strikingly, in each case, the word used to describe the adopting official is 'saris', literally 'a eunuch', someone unable to have children themselves. A critical common element of the stories then is that a childless non-Jewish official adopts a Jewish immigrant child without parents, in a kind of cross-cultural umbilical cord that helps them integrate into and rise in the host society…
But the stories also hint at an underlying vulnerability. The rise to power is dependent on an extraordinary series of coincidences, including finding a rare sympathetic mentor. Later, Daniel will learn, as did Joseph and Esther, that even support from the King himself is no guarantee of security; he may be replaced or influenced by unscrupulous advisors.”
It is indeed thanks to the kindness of one of the palace eunuchs that took pity on him that Daniel’s diet is allowed to persist, setting the tone for his religious distinction - a feature that will become his main trait.
What did he eat exactly?
Scholars suggest that it was either legumes, nuts or rice.
Not nourishing enough but perhaps, like others thrust into exile before and after him, Daniel adjusted with time to better balance the religious restrictions of his origins with the dietary, social, theological and linguistic demands of his new life?
The first chapter of the book is the only one to be written in Hebrew - starting with the next chapter the text is entirely in Aramaic - a clear sign that we’ve entered a new historical era, territorial reality and literary context that invites us to walk in the footsteps of refugees, exilesת and all of us who learn who to live parallel lives with multiple identities, strangers in a strange land. It often begins with what is or isn’t on our plate.
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These are fascinating biblical literary (and religious) parallels.
Fascinating biblical literary (and religious)