1. Amongst the captives at Babylon were several youths of the royal race. Amongst these were Daniel and his three companions, Azarias, Ananias, and Misael. By the command of King Nebuchadnezzar, they were selected, as well for the beauty of their persons as for their intelligence, and orders were given to feed them daily from the royal table.
2. But by the Jewish law several kinds of meats were forbidden to be eaten. These young men, fearing they would be required to eat of these forbidden meats, came to the chief eunuch of the king and begged him to let them for ten days be fed on pulse and to drink water only, and then if they were not fatter and fairer than those who were fed from the icing's table, they would submit and eat what he wished.
3. The proposition pleased Malabar, the chief eunuch, and et the end of ten days their faces were fatter and fairer than those who had been fed from the king's table. From this time forward they were fed on pulse and water only.
4. God gave them, besides comeliness of person, great abundance of wisdom, so that when some time afterwards they were called before the king, none were found equal to them. Thus they were selected and placed in the service of Nebuchadnezzar.
Questions to Consider : 74.—Tell the history of Daniel and his companions.
1. Among the Jewish captives at Babylon was a man named Joachim, as distinguished for his goodness as his wife, Susanna, was for her beauty and her virtue. Many of the Jews came to his house, for there two of the ancients were wont to administer justice.
2. Joachim had an orchard near his house, where his wife, Susanna, was accustomed to walk at mid-day. The two judges, who were wicked men, knew this, and one day concealed themselves in the orchard. According to custom Susanna came in to walk, when they came to her and strove to persuade her to commit sin with them, but she refused. They then threatened to accuse her before the people.
3. When Susanna saw herself thus straitened on every side, she knew not what to do. "If I yield," said she, "I am ruined before God; and if I do not, I will not escape your hands. However, it is better to fall into your hands innocent than to sin against God."
So she cried with a loud voice, and the old men cried also. When the people were come together the two men accused Susanna.
4. On the morrow Susanna was cited before the tribunal. She came accompanied by her parents and friends, all weeping for the disgrace that had happened to them. The old men renewed their charge, and faith was placed in their words. Susanna was condemned to death, but she prayed to the Lord and He heard her.
5. When they were leading her forth to be stoned, Daniel, enlightened by the Spirit of God, cried out: "Let there be another trial; these men have borne false witness!" The people, hearing this, returned in haste.
6. Then Daniel commanded the two old men to be separated one from the other. When this was done Daniel asked the first under what tree he had seen Susanna. He answered: "Under a mastic-tree." He was then put aside and the other asked under what tree he had seen the woman. He answered: "Under a holm-tree."
7. When the people heard their contradictory stories they Saw how false had been their accusation against the virtuous Susanna; and praised God, who thus preserved those who trusted in Him.
From that day Daniel was great in the eyes of the people.
Questions to Consider : 75.—Tell the history of Susanna, Where was Susanna sited on the morrow? To what was she condemned? Who saved Susanna? How?
1. Nebuchadnezzar made a statue of gold, and setting it up, commanded the grandees and people of his kingdom to tall down and adore it. Every one obeyed—Ananias, Misael, and Azarias excepted. Daniel was not present, or he also world have disobeyed. The Babylonians, seeing that the three young men would not adore the idol, accused them to the king.
2. When Nebuchadnezzar saw that even he could not in, duce them to adore his statue, filled with fury, he ordered a furnace to be heated seven times more than usual, and the young men to be thrown into it. His order was immediately obeyed. However, the men who threw them in were burned to death.
3. An angel descended with the three young men, whilst God sent a soft, dewy air, that blew within the furnace like an evening breeze. Not a hair of their heads vas singed, nor were their clothes touched by the fire.
4. When the king heard this wonder he came and looked into the furnace himself. "Did we not," he asked, "cast three men, bound, into the fire? Behold! I see foul, loose, and unhurt; and the fourth is like the Son of God." Then the king cried out: "Servants of God, come forth!"
5. They obeyed; and when the king saw there was no sign of fire upon them, he thanked God, who had thus saved His servants, because they had preferred to die rather than sin. Nebuchadnezzar also published a decree that no one should blaspheme against the God of the Jews. The young men were advanced to the highest dignities.
Questions to Consider : 76.—Tell the history of the golden statue. What was done to the three young men? How were they saved?
1. After Nebuchadnezzar's death, his grandson, Belshazzar, reigned in Babylon. He made a great feast for his nobles and their wives. When they were all full of wine, the king ordered the golden vessels which his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had brought from the Temple of Jerusalem, to be brought in, that he and his guests might drink from them. Whilst they were drinking a hand appeared upon the wall, and wrote certain words.
2. When Belshazzar saw this he became greatly troubled, and, trembling with fear, sent for his soothsayers; but no one could interpret the handwriting. Then Daniel was sent for.
He said: "These are the words: Mane, Thecel, Phares; and this is the interpretation: Mane—the days of thy kingdom are numbered, and it is at an end; Thecel—thy merits are weighed in the balance, and thou are found wanting; Phares—thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
3. That same night this prophecy was fulfilled. The Medes and the Persians, by turning the bed of the river Euphrates, entered Babylon during the night, and Belshazzar was slain and his kingdom divided. Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom of Babylon.
Questions to Consider : 77.—What happened to Belshazzar? What was the hand-writing? Who interpreted it? Was it fulfilled? How?
1. Cyrus, King of Persia, soon made himself master of Babylon. He showed much attention to Daniel, and often invited him to his table. One day Cyrus asked Daniel why he would not adore Bel, the god of the Babylonians. Daniel answered that he adored only the living God, by whom all things were created.
2. But the king said: "So is Bel a living god; he eats daily a dozen measures of flour and forty sheep, and, besides, drinks six pitchers of wine." But Daniel only laughed at him, and bade the king not to be deceived: "for clay and brass could not eat." Then Cyrus sent for the priests of Bel, and told them what Daniel had said.
3. The priests proposed that the king should himself place the meats before Bel, and seal the door of the temple, and if, on the morrow, they were not eaten, then they would willingly suffer death. This proposition pleased Cyrus.
4. When Cyrus had put the priests out of the temple, he set the meats before Bel. But Daniel, in the presence of the king, sifted fine ashes on the floor of the temple. They then closed the door, and sealed it with the king's ring.
During the night, as was their custom, the priests entered the temple by a secret door, and, together with their wives and their children, eat up the sacrifices that were placed before the idol.
5. Early in the morning, Cyrus and Daniel came to the temple and found the seals unbroken. When they entered, and the king saw the empty table, he cried out: "Great is Bel, and he cannot be deceived!" But Daniel pointed to the footprints that were upon the pavement. Having examined the place a little closer, the secret door was found under the table on which the meats had been placed. When the king saw how he had been deceived he killed the priests, and Daniel destroyed the god Bel and burned his temple.
Questions to Consider : 78.—What is said of Bel? How did Daniel undeceive Cyrus?
1. Besides the god Bel, the Babylonians also adored a great dragon. Cyrus said one day to Daniel: "However, you can not say this is not a living god." Daniel, without discussing the king's words, proposed to kill the dragon without sword or club. When Cyrus consented, Daniel boiled pitch and fat together, into which he mixed hair. He then made balls of the mixture, and, putting them into the dragon's mouth, the so-called god burst asunder.
2. When the Babylonians heard what had happened, they came, in great fury, and demanded that Daniel be delivered up to them. At first Cyrus refused, but at length yielded to the fury of the mob. Daniel was delivered to then, and they cast him into the lions' den. On purpose no food was given to the seven furious lions that were there confined, with the hope that Daniel would be the sooner devoured; but Daniel remained unhurt.
3. After six days Daniel was hungry. Now, at this time, there lived amid the ruins of Jerusalem a prophet, named Habakkuk. He had boiled some pottage, and was carrying it to the reapers that were in the field.
While on the way an angel appeared to him, and ordered him to carry the dinner he had in his hands to Daniel, who was then in the lions' den. Habakkuk answered: "He had never been in Babylon, and did not know the den of which he spoke." The angel took Habakkuk by the hair of the head and, with the rapidity of lightning, carried him to Babylon, and placed him over the den where Daniel was.
4. When Daniel had eaten the dinner thus so miraculously sent him, he thanked God, who had not forgotten him in hilt distress. But the angel carried back Habakkuk, and placed him where he had found him.
5. On the seventh day the king came to the lions' den, and found Daniel quietly sitting in the midst of the wild beasts. When Cyrus saw this he was much astonished, and immediately caused Daniel to be drawn out and his persecutors to be thrown in. Before these wicked men had fallen to the bottom of the den they were torn to pieces and devoured by the starved and angry lions. The king also published au edict, in which he commanded all to venerate and fear the God of Daniel, because He was the Savior, working signs and wonders upon earth.
6. The young men in the furnace and Daniel in the lions' den were figures of Christ. Daniel came forth from the lions unhurt; Christ rose, from the tomb glorious and immortal. Daniel remained with the Jews (luring their long captivity to console and cheer them; so does Christ remain with His Church to guard and protect her against her enemies.
Questions to Consider : 79.—How did Daniel kill the dragon? What was done to Daniel? Who brought food to Daniel? How was Daniel delivered? Who were figures of Christ? How?
1. When the seventy years of captivity foretold by the prophets were finished, God moved the heart of Artaxerxes, King of the Medes and Persians, with compassion for the captives. In the year 538 before Christ Artaxerxes published an edict that the Jews might return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the Lord.
2. Under the leadership of Zorobabel, a prince of the people, more than forty thousand Jews returned at this time. Artaxerxes was very kind to them, giving them money, and restoring the vessels of gold and silver Nebuchadnezzar had taken away. When the people arrived at Jerusalem they built an altar, until the Temple could be finished. For twenty-one years they labored upon the new Temple. When it was finished, and the old men came to see it, they wept and lamented; for its magnificence was not to be compared to the Temple of Solomon.
3. Twenty years after Zorobabel had gone to Jerusalem, Ezra, a holy priest, gathered together many of the Jews that still remained in Babylon and led them back to their own country. Here, with the aid of his saintly friend, Nehemiah, he strove to instruct the people in the law of God, and purify them from the abominations which they had contracted among their pagan masters.
4. Nehemiah moreover urged the people to rebuild Jerusalem. With ready willingness they followed his example, and, from the high-priest to the least among them, each put his hand to the work.
When the Samaritans saw with what rapidity the city rose from its ashes, fearing for their own safety, they strove by plots and falsehoods to stop the work; but they failed. So earnestly did everybody work, that at the end of fifty-two days the walls of Jerusalem and the gates and the towers were finished. In time the city also was built up.
Questions to Consider : 80.—Under whom did the Jews return? What did thy build? What is said of the new Temple? Who led many of the Jews back? What did Ezra and Nehemiah do? What did the Samaritans strive to do?