Who wrote the book of Daniel? Who was the author of Daniel?

Answer

The book of Daniel is distinguished among Old Testament works, combining narrative with prophetic elements and apocalyptic visions similar to Revelation. In the Tanakh, it is categorized under the Ketuvim (Writings), emphasizing Daniel’s historical narrative rather than its prophetic visions. Indeed, Daniel’s unique literary style, incorporation of narrative, focus on eschatology, and apocalyptic visions differentiate it from other prophetic writings. Our contemporary Bibles classify the book of Daniel as one of the Major Prophets.

The book of Daniel captures the essence of living faithfully during the Babylonian exile, providing a model for Christians residing as strangers in this world (see 1 Peter 2:11-12). The faithfulness of Daniel and his companions remains applicable today, and his visions underscore God’s sovereignty. The book is divided into two sections: court tales from chapters 1—6 and apocalyptic visions from chapters 7—12.

The book takes its name from Daniel, its author, who lived during the exile and is the central figure throughout much of the narrative. The author’s understanding of Persian and Babylonian history aligns with what is known about Daniel. Daniel’s authorship is further supported by Jesus, who mentioned the “abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” (Matthew 24:15;ESV;cf: Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11).

Several sections in the book of Daniel also feature Daniel speaking in the first person. An instance is Daniel 8:15—17: “While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man” (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; 28:3). Such passages further support the view that Daniel wrote the book. Some segments of Daniel 4, including a royal decree, were likely written by King Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel included them as supporting material.

Some contemporary scholars hold that Daniel was a legendary figure, proposing an anonymous author writing in 167 BC rather than 530 BC when Daniel lived. However, this position of a legendary Daniel is unsubstantiated as Jesus spoke of him as an actual figure. The prophet Ezekiel also mentioned Daniel as a real person, not a legend (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; 28:3). To assert that Daniel is legendary, the Christian would have to accept that Jesus and Ezekiel were either frauds or gravely mistaken. Even more, given the first-person perspective in the book of Daniel, we’d also have to acknowledge forgery.

Based on the testimonies of Jesus and Ezekiel and internal evidence in the text, we conclude that Daniel was a historical prophet who wrote the book that bears his name.