The man who wrote the book of Daniel was indeed Daniel. The name Daniel means God is Judge and throughout the book of Daniel that is clearly proven. Daniel was noble in character and courageous in God. He was born and raised in Jerusalem until the age of about twelve and there he learned to study God's word and was taught to pray regularly. Two of Daniels most powerful skills were given to him by God and they were the spiritual gifts of interpreting dreams and seeing visions. By the time chapter six is taking place Daniel is very old, probably around his eighties. He was faithful to God his entire life and his life was a powerful testament. Daniel chapter six lays right, or almost, in middle of the book. The book is split into two parts, the historical half and the prophetic half. Chapter six is the last chapter in the historical part of the book of Daniel and this half of the book clearly shows the people of that day, and of the modern day, how to live for God through faith and prayer. In the first six chapters of Daniel, Daniel and his friends walk with God through the many trials brought upon them. During the time of the first chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and took many things as plunder, but he also took a small group of boys who had no defects, were of noble character and would be able to learn. This is where Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are first really introduced in the book of Daniel. They are brought back to Babylon where they started their schooling in the Babylonian Empire. These four boys were subject to war and were taken away from their homes and assimilated into a new culture. They then went through trials presented by King Nebuchadnezzar, but they were able to endure, through prayer and obedience to God. Daniel interprets two of King Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and by his doings he ascends in the ranks of the government. The other three, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, disobey Nebuchadnezzar and he throws them into a furnace as punishment. God does not forget about them and he sent an angel who saved them from the fire. The three of them walked out of the fire completely untouched. In chapter four King Nebuchadnezzar was walking up on the roofs and he was boasting about his kingdom and in that moment God came down and humbled him. Nebuchadnezzar was "driven from men ¦ [and was] made to eat grass like an ox  (Daniel 4:23). Around the end of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he "lifted [his] eyes to heaven ¦and praised and honoured him who lives forever  (5:34). After this King Belshazzar takes his father's place and rules over Babylon. Belshazzar hosted a large feast where he saw a hand scribbling on the wall around him. He sent for his wise men in order that they might decipher it for him. Finally Belshazzar asked Daniel to interpret it and as a result Belshazzar was told that he must honour the true God like his father did. Daniel was promoted to one of the three rulers of the kingdom, but Belshazzar did not honour God. That very evening Cyrus, a Persian king, conquered Babylon and destroyed the Babylonian Empire. King Cyrus was king over Babylon for nine years (according to the ESV Study Bible) and then Darius I received the kingdom. The second half of Daniel focuses on Daniel's visions and dreams. This half of the book would have served as a reassurance to the people in Babylon. With God providing Daniel with visions, He was also providing the people with evidence that he was still taking care of them even though the times had been hard. Daniel had many visions which he then interpreted for the people in the city. From this the people could believe that God was still in control. Looking at the book of Daniel in a larger perspective, it lies within the sub-category of the bible called the Books of the Prophets. In Ezekiel, the book before Daniel, it is written that there was a lot on confusion in Jerusalem at the time. Babylon had attacked Jerusalem, destroying the temple, most of the city, and taking back treasures and certain small groups of people, like Daniel and his friends. The Babylonians exiled Jehoiakim and established a Babylonian king over Jerusalem. The politics were complex because of the various different kings ruling over various cities and people. Ezekiel describes the times in Jerusalem as humbling, because God was raising kings and destroying kings constantly, and difficult, because of the new and different laws that each king supported. After the book of Daniel, it is the story of Hosea in the book of Hosea. The background in Hosea is that Israel was going through political hardships as well. Israel was filled with violence within the country and with outer forces. In just over thirty years Israel saw six kings on the throne. Israel attacked Syria in order to acquire Galilee and Gilead and oddly enough, after that attack, Israel and Syria attacked Judah together. As Israel was at war with Judah, Assyria came down and God gave Israel int