Outline

The apparent purpose of the Bel and the Dragon narrative is to show Cyrus’ conversion and thus, perhaps, to explain his release of the Jewish people from captivity along with other biblical passages that depict him positively (Isa 44:28–45:1; compare Darius’ proclamation in Dan 6:25–27; Bel 5–6 to Isa 46). In the story, Daniel is identified as a priest rather than a sage (in the Old Greek version, verse 2; compare Dan 1:12–13).

The story of Daniel is generally viewed as three episodes plus an introduction. Bel and the Dragon may be outlined as follows (Collins, Daniel, 409):

1. Introduction: The identification of Daniel and the setting (1–2)

2. Daniel and Bel (3–22)

a. Identification of Bel and his worship (3–4a)

b. Daniel challenges the king about the Bel idol, and they arrange a test (4b–9)

c. Implementation of the test (10–15)

d. Discovery that the priests are deceiving the king (16–21)

e. Execution of the priests and destruction of the idol and its temple by Daniel (22)

3. Daniel and the serpent (or dragon; 23–27)

a. Identification of the serpent (23)

b. The king challenges Daniel about the serpent, and they arrange a test (24–26)

c. Daniel performs a test with food, and the serpent bursts (27)

4. Daniel and the lions’ den (28–42)

a. People claim the king has become a Jew and Daniel is thrown in the lions’ den (28–32)

b. Habakkuk visits Daniel and preserves Daniel’s life (33–39)

c. The king discovers Daniel is still alive and calls Daniel’s God great (40–41)

d. The king removes Daniel from the lions’ den and feeds the accusers to the lions (42)