Who was Daniel in the bible

Daniel was a jewish Prophet and royal official of Babylon. Daniel probably came from the nobility of Judah, and he was a very young man when he was taken into exile in Babylon.

Despite his traumatic beginnings, however, Daniel prospered—both as an official in the Babylonian royal court and as a follower of God. Daniel first served in the court of Nebuchadnezzar along with his friends Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego), and quickly distinguished himself by his great learning and understanding.

Later Daniel interpreted various dreams for Nebuchadnezzar and was rewarded with promotions and wealth. Daniel also interpreted a divine message given to Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar.

Daniel continued his distinguished government service even after the kingdom changed hands to the Persians. Yet his devotion to God remained unshaken, as demonstrated by the fact that it was his regular times of prayer that were used by his enemies to trap him. With God’s help, Daniel survived the ordeal unscathed and continued to prosper.

Daniel was also a prophet who received several visions from God, mostly about the future rise and fall of various world power. Daniel’s fame as a righteous and wise person must have been widely known even in his own day, because the prophet Ezekiel, who also lived in Babylon during the exile, spoke of Daniel’s righteousness and wisdom three times in his book (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; 28:3).