Definitive Date for the Book of Daniel

BY ANTON WILLIAMS, FOUNDER

Critical View

Daniel chapters 2,4,7, 11 describe events that occurred after the Babylonian-Persian time frame of the book itself. (Daniel 1:20)
The presence of Greek words may indicate that the book was written in the second century BCE

Conservative View

Bible contains prophecies so it is to be expected that it would contain future events because they are predicted by God. An example of a prophecy written well later than critics say the book was is Daniel 9:24-27. There are Seventy sets of 7. (Dan. 12:9 shows 1/2 of a 7 is 3 1/2 years so a full 7 is one year). The prophecy is from command to restore and build Jerusalem, its walls until the Messiah (Priest who is a Prince) is 483 years. From the command to build the city and walls (Ezra 7, Ezra 9:9-10) which occurred in 457 BCE unto the start of Jesus public ministry (Luke 3:1-2) about 26 CE is exactly 483 years. Its impossible for this to be written after the fact as there are manuscripts of Daniel from the second century BCE
Other scholars have shown that the presence of Greek words doesn't prove the text was written second century BCE as these Greek words were found in text from 7th century BCE

EZEKIEL'S USE OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL DEFINITIVELY ANSWERS THE QUESTION ON ITS DATE OF COMPOSITION. EZEKIEL WRITING IN 588 BCE QUOTES DANIEL'S BOOK, REFERENCES DANIEL'S BOOK AND MAKES APPLICATION OF THE MESSAGE OF DANIEL'S BOOK

Ezekiel 28 use of the Book of Daniel in 588 BCE

Ezekiel 28 (which was written about 588 BCE according to Ezekiel 26:1) has as direct quote of Daniel 4 as well as the implication of the passage and applies the message of the passage to his text

Ezekiel 28:3 is a direct quote of Daniel 4:9 (which itself is a reference to Daniel 2 of the prophet interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar dream).
Ezekiel 28:3 "behold, you are wiser than Daniel, 'There is no secret that can be hidden from you' is a quote from the book of Daniel. Speaking of Daniel the prophet (Dan. 4:8) the quote is 'no secret that troubles you" (Dan. 4:9). One passage is written in Hebrew originally and the other in Aramaic but the parallel of the quote is there especially after naming who is being quoted as Ezekiel names Daniel.
Ezekiel says that the king of Tyre wisdom had gained him wealth like Daniel (Ezekiel 28:4) which follows Daniel in which Daniel 2:48-49 as he was given wealth in accords to his wisdom. This is a natural connection as the passage of Daniel 4 quoted by Ezekiel is a reference to Daniel 2.
Ezekiel applies the message of Daniel 4 (from which the quote in his book appears) to the King of Tyre. Daniel 4 is about a prideful pagan king being humbled by the God of Israel. Ezekiel 28:1-10 is an application of the passage as its about a prideful pagan ruler the prince of Tyre being humbled by the God of Israel
Ezekiel 26:7 is a direct quote of Daniel 2:37. Daniel gives Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1) the title of "king of kings" (Daniel 2:37) in the passage he interprets his dream. Ezekiel 26:7 also calls Nebuchadnezzar "king of kings" (Ezekiel 26:7). There is not another biblical writer which gives King Nebuchadnezzar the title Daniel did in Daniel 2 that Ezekiel quotes in Ezekiel 26.

Ezekiel 14 use of the Book of Daniel in 588 BCE

Ezekiel 14 names Noah, Job and Daniel as examples to intercede on behalf of Israel to their God.
The passage describes the people of God coming to a prophet to intercede for them. (Ezekiel 14:4, 14:7) Noah, Daniel and Job are given as examples to come before God (Ezekiel 14:14, Ezekiel 14:20) in their role as prophets of God (Ezekiel 14:16, 14:18)
Ezekiel 13 is part of the same passage as Ezekiel 14 regarding the issues of idolatry, false prophets and true prophets.
Each prophet is written in the holy scriptures of Israel both in Ezekiel 14 and the parallel passage in Jeremiah 15:1 which refers to Moses and Samuel as intercessory prophets. Noah, Job, Moses and Samuel are prophets mentioned specifically in the holy scriptures then consistency would indicate Daniel is the Daniel of holy scriptures.
Ezekiel 13:9 strengthens that the Daniel of Ezekiel 14 is the prophet Daniel as the polemic given against the false prophets as that they would not be written in the records of the house of Israel. Prophets written in the records of the house of Israel would be the holy scriptures as they were kept within the temple according to both scripture (2 Kings 22:8) and Josephus the ancient historian (Antiquities 3.1.7) (Antiquities 5.1.17 referring to Joshua book that it laid in the temple) (Against Apion 1.8 refer to 22 book canon of scriptures kept in "holy places") - among others.

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