THE STORY OF DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN

The lands which had been the Babylonian or Chaldean empire, now became the empire of Persia; and over these Darius was the king.  King Darius gave to Daniel, who was now a very old man, a high place in honor and in power.  Among all the rulers over the land, Daniel stood first, for the king saw that he was wise and able to rule.  This made the other princes and rulers very jealous, and they tried to find something evil in Daniel, so that they could speak to the king against him.

These men saw that three times every day Daniel went to his room and opened the window that was toward the city of Jerusalem, and looking toward Jerusalem, made his prayer to God.  Jerusalem was at that time in ruins, and the Temple was no longer standing; but Daniel prayed three times each day with his face toward the place where the house of God had once stood, although it was many hundreds of miles away.

These nobles thought that in Daniel’s prayers they could find a chance to do him harm, and perhaps cause him to be put to death.  They came to King Darius, and said to him: 

“All the rulers have agreed together to have a law made that for thirty days no one shall ask anything of any god or of any man, except from you, O king; and that if any one shall pray to any god, or shall ask anything from any man during the thirty days, except from you, O king, he shall be thrown into the den where the lions are kept.  Now, O king, make the law, and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, for no law among the Medes and the Persians can be altered.”

The king was not a wise man; and being foolish and vain, he was pleased with this law which would set him even above the gods.  So without asking Daniel’s advice, he signed the writing; and the law was made, and the word was sent out through the kingdom, that for thirty days no one should pray to any god.

Daniel knew that the law had been made, but every day he went to his room three times, and opened the window that looked toward Jerusalem, and offered his prayers to the Lord, just as he had prayed in other times.  These rulers were watching near by, and they saw Daniel kneeling in prayer to God.  Then they came to the king, and said: 

“O King Darius, have you not made a law, that if any one in thirty days offers a prayer, he shall be thrown into the den of lions?”

“It is true,” said the king.  “The law has been made, and it must stand.”

They said to the king:  “There is one man who does not obey the law which you have made.  It is that Daniel, one of the captive Jews.  Every day Daniel prays to his God three times, just as he did before you signed the writing of the law.”

[Illustration:  Thrown into the den of lions]