Daniel

Bel and the Dragon

There is an interesting note regarding the name of this story. Who were Bel and the Dragon? The major characters of the Babylonia creation story, Enuma Elish, are Marduk a.k.a. Bel and the sea serpent, Tiamat whom Marduk slew as the major act of creation. This story is written as a ridicule of the Babylonia story and gods. The point is that God is Lord over all things.[1]

The first story (vs 1 – 22) regarding Bel is about Daniel’s faithfulness to God – his refusal offer worship at the temple of Bel with King Cyrus. The story is about the proof of Bel’s reality by means of the consumption of the daily gifts offered. A test is set. If the gifts are consumed in a locked temple then Bel is genuine and Daniel dies. The temple is sealed with the King’s signet after the offerings are placed. Daniel spreads ashes around in the temple before it’s sealed. The priests enter through a trap door and are caught by Daniel and the King in the morning when the seals are found intact, but foot prints of the priests, wives, and children are found in the ashes. Daniel’s life is spared, the priests are executed. Following the execution Daniel is given leave to destroy the idol and the temple.

The second story (vs 23 – 27) has to do with the dragon, a serpent revered as a living god. Daniel again refused to worship and test was set. Daniel vowed to kill the dragon without a sword or club. His weapon was cakes of pitch, fat, and hair boiled together. The dragon ate the cakes and exploded, ending the believe that it was a living god.

The third story (vs 28 – 42) begins with the anger of the people. The King has now been responsible for the destruction of Bel and the Dragon. He is accused of being a Jew and they rise up to slay the King as well Daniel. Daniel is handed over to the people and makes his second trip to the lion’s den. Daniel was rescued by the hands of the prophet Habakkuk who was transported by an angel to Babylon and the den.

The outcome of the story is that the King comes to know the greatness of the God of Daniel over the gods of Babylon and comes to worship God alone. Daniel’s rescue is answer by the execution in the lion’s den of those who would have seen Daniel executed. Daniel’s faith and trust in God, his refusal to worship Bel and the Dragon was honored by God and Daniel’s life is spared.

The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

[1] Metzger, Bruce M. and Roland E. Murphy, eds, The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, The New Revised Standard Version, New York: Oxford University Press, 1991; Introduction to Bel and the Dragon, 183 (AP).