Daniel

The Bible is filled with wonderful readings, and the Book of Daniel is my absolute favorite. Daniel correctly guessed and interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which earned him a trusted, prominent position under the king. At the time, there were three other devout believers who refused to worship idols, leading to a famous conclusion that anyone familiar with the story would know. Moving a bit forward in history, Josephus similarly made a prophecy to Vespasian during his military campaign and was highly favored as a result. On the other hand, there was also the man who prophesied Caesar's assassination, meeting a tragic fate. Regarding Daniel, he fell in love at first sight with Bathsheba after spotting her from his rooftop, and they spent a night together. Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, was away on a military campaign at the time. Soon after, Bathsheba became pregnant. When Uriah returned from the campaign, Daniel ordered him to go home. However, Uriah refused to comply and stayed at the king's palace with his comrades. When it was time to go back to war, Daniel placed Uriah on the front lines, which ultimately resulted in Uriah's death in battle. The Bible merely states these events as facts, and I never had the chance to think deeply about it before. However, the order for Uriah to go home came from a profound calculation: if Uriah went home, Bathsheba's child could be recognized as his. If he didn't, the child could not be claimed as Uriah's, making it impossible to raise a child that was clearly fathered by the king. Tragically, the child born from this union had to die, and the second child, Solomon, became the next king. True to the term "battle royale," Solomon's brothers all perished as well. The current Bible truly reflects the historical verification expected of a text canonized at the Council of Nicaea in 325. The names of the Persian kings who promised the return of the Jewish people, and those who actually permitted it, are quite difficult to remember. Similarly, many successive Roman emperors shared the same name. While they are distinguished as "the Second" or "the Third," they are also known by epithets, such as Boulgaroktonos or Mourtzouphlos. Marcus Aurelius also originally had a different name. Among the various books in the Bible, I find the Book of Daniel the easiest to understand and the most enjoyable. The Book of Isaiah is quite difficult, whereas the Acts of the Apostles reads almost like a collection of personal memos. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were saved by an angel, and their names have been passed down through generations. Although Caesar was assassinated, his name became a common noun used to signify subsequent emperors. Perhaps the person who gave the prophecy to Caesar should have told him that his name would endure forever.