Already here we find a tension characteristic of life in Diaspora. The point, of course, is not to recommend vegetarianism, but to assert that Jews would not suffer if they refused Gentile ways, but would rather be blessed by their God. Even if Daniel is not specifically following the laws of the Torah, some observances, such as the avoidance of pork, were traditional long before the Torah was formalized.ĭaniel and his friends flourish on their vegetarian diet. It is difficult to believe, however, that the refusal is not related to food laws. Some scholars explain the refusal to eat the royal fare as a gesture of political resistance, and a way of maintaining a measure of independence. But we do not find any clear references to the Torah in Daniel 1-6. Most readers assume that they are concerned to observe kashrut, the food laws derived mainly from the book of Leviticus.
They by no means refuse to enter the royal service, but they place a limit on their assimilation by refusing the royal food, and asking for vegetables instead. The main issue raised in chapter is the degree to which Daniel and his friends would assimilate to customs of their conquerors. Later, in the Persian period, Nehemiah would become cup-bearer to the king, a position of considerable responsibility. The Babylonians sought to co-opt the best of the peoples they conquered. They are to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans. We will meet the temple vessels again in Daniel 5.ĭaniel and his friends are singled out for the royal service because they are promising young men, without physical defect. The Book of Daniel here is only concerned to set the scene, and explain how Daniel and his companions came to be in Babylon. It appears that Chronicles and Daniel confused the two kings of Judah. According to 2 Chronicles 36: 5-8, however, Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim prisoner to Babylon and also took the temple vessels. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon, and also too the temple treasures. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king. According to 2 Kings 24 and the Babylonian Chronicle, the first siege of Jerusalem, in 597 BCE, took place after the death of Jehoiakim, although Jehoiakim had been subject to Babylon for three years. Daniel chapter 1 begins with an historical problem.
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