ADDITIONS TO DANIEL Meaning and
Definition
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"Additions to Daniel" refers to a collection of literary additions or supplementary texts that are appended to the original Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. It specifically pertains to the section known as the "Apocrypha" or "Deuterocanonical Books" found in some Christian Bibles, including the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions.
The "Additions to Daniel" include three distinct writings that are not present in the standard Hebrew version of Daniel. These additional texts are considered canonical by some religious traditions, while others consider them to be apocryphal or non-canonical.
The first addition is the "Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews." It depicts the story of three Jewish young men thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar but miraculously saved by God.
The second addition is the story of "Susanna," which narrates the events leading up to her false conviction of adultery and subsequent exoneration by the prophet Daniel.
The final addition is the "Bel and the Dragon," recounting the tale of Daniel's encounter with the idol Bel and the Dragon, exposing their false divinity.
These additions, though not universally accepted as part of the canonical scriptures, contribute to the enlarged narrative of the Book of Daniel, providing further insights into the religious, moral, and historical contexts of ancient Judaism.
