by Wendy Widder | Dec 8, 2011 | Aramaic, Daniel 2, The Book of Daniel
The second chapter of Daniel marks the beginning of a puzzle that has perplexed students of the Bible for a very long time. It’s not quite as bad as the “puzzles” that plague the dreaming king Nebuchadnezzar in chapters 2 and 4, and it’s definitely not as bad as the...
by Wendy Widder | Dec 1, 2011 | Babylon, Daniel 2, Daniel 3, Daniel 4, Daniel 5, Daniel 6, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel
Most of the “court tales” we hear these days relate to the NBA and the recent lockout. The book of Daniel certainly features big egos, a bit of sport, and plenty of suspense, but its early chapters tell a completely different kind of court tale than the NBA tells....
by Wendy Widder | Nov 27, 2011 | Daniel 1, The Book of Daniel
It’s taken only eight weeks to get through Daniel 1. Just wait until we get to chapter 7 (sometime in 2013, if we’re lucky). You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. Before we turn the page to chapter 2, we’re going to pause and take inventory of what’s happened in chapter 1. It...
by Wendy Widder | Nov 17, 2011 | Daniel 1, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel
When I first heard about Ezekiel Bread, I was in the middle of translating the book of Ezekiel for a year-long Ph.D. class. So when my roommate asked if I’d heard of Ezekiel Bread, I had…and I hadn’t. I certainly knew about the bread in the book of Ezekiel (chapter...
by Wendy Widder | Nov 10, 2011 | Babylon, Daniel 1, How to read the Bible, The Book of Daniel
I have enough failed resolutions in my life to appreciate the difference between making up my mind to do something and then actually getting it done. Daniel makes up his mind in 1:8 not to eat what the king is serving – but actually keeping his resolution without...
by Wendy Widder | Nov 5, 2011 | Babylon, Daniel 1, The Book of Daniel
We have barely met Daniel (v.6) before we learn that his name is changed to the more Babylonian appropriate “Belteshazzar,” which probably meant something like “Bel (oh, great Babylonian god!), protect his life!” (v.7). Having informed us of this fact, the narrator...
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