Daniel Timeline

Daniel Timeline in Biblical History

620 BC Daniel is born.
605 BC Daniel, along with his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (later named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), is taken to Babylon, where they are ordered to learn Babylonian culture on Nebuchadnezzar’s orders. – Daniel 1:3-7
602 BC Daniel and his friends complete their three years of learning. – Daniel 1:18-20
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. – Daniel 2:26-45
589 BC Nebuchadnezzar begins siege of Jerusalem. – 2 Kings 25:1-3
586 BC Jerusalem’s wall breaks and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, setting fire to the temple and the palace. – Jeremiah 52:7-14, 2 Kings 25:4-10
Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and orders everyone to worship it or be thrown into the furnace. – Daniel 3:1-6
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuses to pay homage to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. – Daniel 3:12
Nebuchadnezzar confronts Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego about their disobedience. – Daniel 3:13-15
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego continue to refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. – Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the furnace but are unharmed. – Daniel 3:19-25
563-562 BC Nebuchadnezzar experiences visions of a tree and being driven away from people and losing his sanity. He praises God, and after seven months, his sanity is restored. – Daniel 4:27-37
562-556 BC Nebuchadnezzar dies and is replaced by a succession of short-lived kings.
556 BC Nabonidus becomes king of Babylon.
553-549 BC Nabonidus appoints his son, Belshazzar, as his co-regent.
Daniel experiences a vision of the four terrifying beasts but kept the vision to himself. – Daniel 7:1-7
548-547 BC Daniel receives a vision of a ram and a goat. A voice tells him the meaning of the vision, and Daniel lies exhausted by the vision for many days after. – Daniel 8:1-12
539 BC Belshazzar holds a great feast and uses the holy vessels taken from Jerusalem. – Daniel 5:1-4
A handwriting appears on the wall and Belshazzar calls for Daniel who interprets it as a judgement from God. – Daniel 5:5-29
Belshazzar is killed when Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon. – Daniel 5:30
Cyrus, emperor of Persia, captures Babylon.
Cyrus, emperor of Persia, appoints Darius the Mede as viceroy in Babylon.
~540 BC Darius notes Daniel’s good qualities and plans to elevate him to the highest administrative position. The other administrators resented this and thought of ways to bring ruin to Daniel. – Daniel 6:1-6
The administrators who are envious of Daniel tricks Darius to issue a decree prohibiting anyone to worship in the next thirty days or be thrown to the lion’s den. Darius makes the decree public. – Daniel 6:6-9
Daniel is spotted by the administrators while he is worshiping the Lord inside his house, and they report him to Darius. – Daniel 6:10-15
Darius orders Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den and wishes Daniel that he be saved by his God. – Daniel 6:16
Darius hurries to the lion’s den the following day to see what happened to Daniel and learns to his astonishment that Daniel is unharmed. Daniel proclaims to Darius that God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. – Daniel 6:21-22
Darius orders Daniel to be freed out of the lion’s den and have the administrators thrown in instead, along with their wives and children. – Daniel 6:23-24
Darius issues a decree proclaiming that people should fear the God of Daniel. – Daniel 6:26-27
Daniel prays and fasts about what lies ahead and the Jewish people’s indifference to their captivity. – Daniel 10:2-3
536 BC Daniel dies at 84 years old. – Daniel 12:13
538 BC Cyrus allows the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. – Ezra 1:1-4
537 BC Following Cyrus’ decree, around 50,000 Jews return home to Judea, led by Zerubbabel.
515 BC The temple in Jerusalem is completed. – Ezra 6:14-18