An early Christian writer and scholar named Jerome refuted these arguments in his commentary on Daniel. Porphyrius couldn’t believe the prophecies, so he suggested the later date. The first recorded suggestion for a Maccabean date for Daniel was by the Neoplatonic philosopher Porphyrius of Tyre (third century A.D.). Supposedly, the purpose for writing Daniel at that time was to inspire God’s people on to victory during the Maccabean wars. The Book of Daniel predicts events of the second century before the coming of Jesus (especially the period 175-164 B.C.) with such precision that doubting critics believe it had to have been written after that period, during the time of the Maccabees (in-between the Old and New Testaments). He told us that Daniel wrote the book of Daniel: Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14).ī. Fortunately, Jesus took away all doubt on the matter. One can compare Exodus 20:2 ( I am the LORD your God) and Exodus 20:7 ( for the LORD will not hold him guiltless). Even God switches between the grammatical first and third person when speaking of Himself. The one Old Testament exception to this is the Book of Nehemiah, which is in the form of a personal diary. However, it was customary for ancient writers to speak in the third person even when writing about themselves. The author mostly speaks in the third person, except for Daniel 8:1, 9:2, 9:20, and 10:2, where he speaks in the “I, Daniel” form. The Book of Daniel claims to be written by Daniel himself, and the fact that it is written mostly in the third person does not contradict that claim. The Book of Daniel is a target of critics who doubt that the Daniel described in the book actually wrote the book, especially in light of the book’s amazing prophecies.Ī.

The Phoenicians made the first known sea journey around Africa.The Greeks introduced the olive tree to Italy.Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico.Construction began on the Acropolis in Athens.Setting the time: The prophet Daniel lived in the sixth century before the birth of Jesus.

Book of daniel timeline by verse