Under a cloud of suspicion. That's how the majority of Christian scholars consider the Old Testament book of Daniel. Many think the book to have been dreamed up by an unknown author about 200 years before Christ. Others say the book was written some 600 years before Christ by a prophet of God named Daniel. This disagreement on dates points up that there are unresolved questions, but it's also a fact that modern archeology has made some amazing discoveries in Daniel's favor.
For instance, one of the greatest puzzles to Bible students throughout the centuries was the identity of King Belshazzar of Babylon. The Bible states, "Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand." Daniel 5:1. Skeptics held that King Belshazzar never really existed because there was no valid record of him in the list of kings of Babylon. Ancient sources traced the kings down to the end of the Babylonian nation and gave the name of the final king as a man called Nabonidus. However, the problem is that the Bible states, "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30. The problem here is obvious, the Bible states that a king named Belshazzar was killed on the fateful night that the kingdom was lost, but ancient historical lists did not contain the name mentioned in the Bible.
Based on the lack of evidence, the Bible was declared to be in error. It was in 1924 that the puzzle was finally solved once and for all when Sidney Smith published the so-called "Verse Account of Nabonidus" of the British Museum. Smith discovered in translating the ancient texts that the king named Nabonidus had appointed his eldest son Belshazzar to be a co-ruler of the nation. The son, Belshazzar, was the acting king in Babylon and functioned as chief of the army. The nation had two kings at the same time. The father, the more important of the two, was recorded in the list of kings, his son was not. In this instance, after hundreds of years of doubt and ridicule, the Bible was proved to be absolutely accurate.
Today, other issues about the book of Daniel remain unsolved, but then again, all of the information is not in. For many, the cloud of suspicion still remains. However, the foremost endorsement of the book of Daniel comes from Jesus Christ. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus calls Daniel a prophet and quotes from his book. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,(whoso readeth, let him understand:). You cannot get a better endorsement than that! Indeed the Bible is the inspired word of God--all of it.

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

There is never a charge for my articles, and if you have a good reason, there is no limit to how many you may request. However, if you find them valuable you may want to order my latest book, History, Mystery and Facts About the Bible. Order at 1-800-845-7618 (ext. 301). You may also order from Amazon.com. Proceeds from the book go to support this ministry.

Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

Http://www.biblehistory.com

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