When was Daniel written?

When God allowed Babylon to conquer Judah, some faithful people such as the prophet Daniel were exiled. While in captivity, Daniel remained devoted to God despite the idolatry and constant pressure to conform to the ways of Babylon. The book of Daniel records events that took place primarily in Babylon during the exile. Internal and external evidence suggests that Daniel wrote the book between 536 and 530 BC, near the end of his time in captivity.

Supporting the view that Daniel wrote the book during the exile are several verses in which he identifies himself as the author. For example, Daniel 8:1 says, “In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.” He refers to himself again in the following chapter, specifically noting Israel’s seventy years in exile. He says, “In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Daniel 9:2; cf. 8:27; 10:2, 7; 12:4–5).

Furthermore, Jesus affirmed Daniel’s authorship when He referred to “the abomination that causes desolation” and specified that it was “the prophet Daniel” who recorded that prophecy (Matthew 24:15; cf. Mark 13:14). By referring to Daniel in this way, Jesus affirmed both the book’s content and its author. Knowing the book’s author, we know the approximate time it was written.

Certain details from Daniel’s life clarify when he wrote the book. In the first chapter, the Babylonians took him from Judah as a teenager around 605 BC (Daniel 1:3–4). He lived in exile for about 70 years, first under the Babylonian Empire, then under the Medo-Persian Empire, starting in 539 BC (Daniel 1:21). Starting in Daniel 7:2, the writing changes to the first person, meaning Daniel uses words like I and me. This shows that the first part of the book (chapters 1—6) records history, while the second part (chapters 7—12) gives Daniel’s own account of the visions he saw. These details support the view that Daniel wrote the book between 536 and 530 BC.

Other Old Testament prophets also help confirm when Daniel was written. For instance, Jeremiah prophesied that Judah would be in Babylon for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10). Daniel later referred to that prophecy while living in exile (Daniel 9:2). Ezekiel, who was also taken to Babylon, mentioned Daniel by name and praised his wisdom and righteousness (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; 28:3), showing that Daniel was already a recognized figure during that time. These verses help place Daniel within the context of the exile.

All the evidence, from Daniel’s own words to the testimony of Jesus, supports the view that the prophet wrote the book between 536 and 530 BC. Parts of the book are written in his own words and match the final years of the exile. The timing of the book, written during a hard time under Babylonian rule, reminds readers of one of its main messages: God is in control and always keeps His promises.