Daniel is most known for his steadfast faithfulness to God despite the many pressures of being held captive in Babylon. Indeed, he was a man who lived up to the etymology of his name “God is my judge†(and my only judge). Many colorful stories surround Daniel in the Biblical Book bearing his name. His knack for interpreting dreams won him high positions in the royal courts of Babylon (although he never cared about such favors – his only allegiance was to God). In fact, his ability to correctly interpret dreams convinced Nebuchadnezzar II in the existence of Yahweh. In his later years, Daniel is famous for interpreting the meaning behind the “handwriting on the wallâ€, words which suddenly appeared on the palace walls during a feast hosted by the then-current Babylonian ruler Belshazzar. A dismembered hand, a relic from the fallen Temple, wrote these words: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin†(Number, Number, Weight, Divide), indicating that Belshazzar’s days were numbered, his rule had been weighed and found lacking, and his kingdom would be divided by the Persians. This is precisely what happened. Thanks to God, Daniel was always spot-on.
