Additions to Daniel
The book of Daniel is longer in the Septuagint
The Prayer of Abednego
In the third chapter after Daniel 3:23
Abednego has been thrown into a burning oven with two friends. There, he confesses the sins of his people and begs for salvation. The fire does not burn the men and they sing a song of praise. They praise God and call on creation to sing God’s praise.
The Story of Susanna
The second story is about a woman, Susanna. She is falsely accused of adultery by two men because she refuses to sleep with them. A young man named Daniel saves her. He ensures that it is not Susanna, but the two men who are sentenced to death.
Two Separate Stories
The third addition is a story about Daniel and Bel, and a story about Daniel and the dragon. In both stories, Daniel is the protagonist.
In the first story, he shows that the Babylonian god Bel is a false god. In the second, Daniel fights a dragon who is worshipped as a god. Both stories serve to convince the reader that all foreign religions are ridiculous.
Dating
The dating of the fragments is unclear, but they must have existed when the book of Daniel was translated for the Septuagint in around 100 BC.
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