Surviving conquest, living as a people subject to powerful regimes, and enduring persecution and death constitute much of the tragic experience of Israel. The terrible reality of the Babylonian conquest of Judah and the reign of Babylon’s successors over the Jewish people form the literary context for the narratives and visions of the book of Daniel. Reflecting on the great empires that vanquished and exiled the people of Israel as well as on the nations who are yet to come, the book