The Book of Daniel, named after one of the text’s main characters, bears some of the most memorable stories in the entire Hebrew Bible. It narrates a period of Jewish history from the forced emigration of the exiles from Jerusalem, through the period of Babylonian rule, and into the rise of Persian sovereignty in the region. It is unique in the Hebrew Bible for its inclusion of long passages in Aramaic rather than in Hebrew, the only other major examples of which occur in sections of Ezra that quote official correspondence. (Aramaic was a related language to Hebrew and was the lingua franca of the region in the period after the Persian ascendancy.) The first half of the book (Chapters 1-6) is centered on stories of the exiles’ ordeals while serving the governments of Babylon and Persia, and the second half (Chapters 7-12) is devoted to Daniel’s prophetic ministry, with accounts and interpretations of his dreams and visions. 

The book opens with a brief narration of the exile from Jerusalem as experienced by Daniel and three of his friends. They quickly impress the Babylonian officials and are given placements in the administration, with Daniel earning a promotion by successfully interpreting one of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams.