Bel et Draco (translatio Graeca)

Bel and Draco

From the prophecy of Ambakoum son of Iesous, of the tribe of Leui. There was a certain man, a priest, whose name was Daniel, son of Abal, a companion of the king of Babylon. And there was an idol, Bel, which the Babylonians worshipped; and for it were consumed each day twelve artabai of fine flour, four sheep, and six metretai of oil. And the king worshipped it, and the king went each day and prostrated himself before it. Daniel, however, prayed to the Lord. And the king said to Daniel, "Why do you not worship Bel?" And Daniel said to the king, "I worship none except the Lord God who created the heaven and the earth and has authority over all flesh." And the king said to him, "Is this not a god? Do you not see how much is spent on it each day?" And Daniel said to him, "By no means; let no one deceive you. For this is clay within and bronze without; and I swear to you by the Lord God of gods that this has never eaten anything." And the king, angered, summoned the overseers of the temple and said to them, "Show who eats the provisions prepared for Bel; otherwise you will die, or Daniel who claims that they are not eaten by it." And they said, "Bel himself eats them." And Daniel said to the king, "Let it be so; if I do not show that Bel is not the one who eats these things, I will die, and all who are with me.

There were for Bel seventy priests, apart from those who served the temple.

of women and children. And they led the king into the idol-house; and the foods were set before the king and Daniel, and mixed wine was brought in and set before Bel. And Daniel said, "You yourself see that these things are set, O king; therefore seal the keys of the temple, when it is closed." The word pleased the king; and Daniel ordered those from his side who had put everyone out of the temple to sift the whole temple with ash, none of those outside knowing. And then, having sealed the temple, he ordered it to be sealed with the king's ring and with the rings of some of the noble priests; and it was done so. And it came to pass on the next day they arrived at the place; the priests of Bel, having entered through false doors, consumed all the things set before Bel and drank up the wine. And Daniel said, "Look at your seals, whether they remain, O priests; and you, O king, see if anything inconsistent has happened to you." And they found that the seal was as it was, and they removed the seal. And having opened the doors, they saw all the things set out consumed, and the tables empty; and the king rejoiced, and said to Daniel, "Great is Bel, and there is no deceit in him." And Daniel laughed loudly and said to the king, "Come, see the deceit of the priests." And Daniel said, "O king, whose are these footprints?" And the king said, "Of men and women and children." And he went into the house where the priests were staying, and found the foods of Bel and the wine.

And Daniel showed the king the false doors through which the priests entered and consumed the offerings set before Bel. And the king led them out of the temple of Bel and handed them over to Daniel; and the expense for Bel he gave to Daniel, and he destroyed Bel. Now there was a dragon in the same place, and the Babylonians worshipped it.

And the king said to Daniel, "Will you also say that this one is made of bronze? Behold, it lives and eats and drinks; worship it." And Daniel said, "King, give me authority, and I will kill the dragon without iron or rod." And the king granted him permission and said to him, "It is given to you." And Daniel took thirty minas of pitch, and fat, and hair, boiled them together, and made a cake, and cast it into the mouth of the dragon; and having eaten, it burst. And he showed it to the king, saying, "Do you not worship these things, O king?" And all the people from the country gathered against Daniel and said, "The king has become a Jew; he has overthrown Bel and killed the dragon." And when the king saw that the crowd of the country had assembled against him, he called his companions and said, "I give Daniel over to destruction." Now there was a pit in which seven lions were kept, to whom those who plotted against the king were given, and they were supplied each day with two bodies of those condemned to death. And the crowds cast Daniel into that pit, so that he might be devoured and not even receive burial. And Daniel was in the pit for six days. And it happened on the sixth day that Habakkuk was carrying crumbled bread in a bowl with stew and a jar of mixed wine, and was going to the field to the reapers. And an angel of the Lord spoke to Habakkuk, saying, "Gad says to you, the Lord God: 'The meal which you have, carry to Daniel in the lions' pit in Babylon.'

And Habacuc said, "Lord God, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know where the pit is." And the angel of the Lord, taking hold of Habacuc by the hair of his head, set him above the pit in Babylon.

And Habacuc said to Daniel, "Arise, eat the meal which the Lord God has sent to you." And Daniel said, "The Lord God has remembered me, who does not abandon those who love him." And Daniel ate. And the angel of the Lord set Habacuc back where he had taken him on that same day. And the Lord God remembered Daniel. After these things, the king went out mourning for Daniel, and looking down into the pit, he saw him sitting. And crying out, the king said, "Great is the Lord God, and there is no other besides him." And the king brought Daniel out of the pit. And those responsible for his destruction he threw into the pit before Daniel, and they were devoured. From the prophecy of Habacuc, son of Jesus, of the tribe of Levi. There was a certain man, a priest, whose name was Daniel, son of Abal, a companion of the king of Babylon. And there was an idol, Bel, which the Babylonians worshipped. And for it were consumed each day twelve artabae of fine flour, four sheep, and six measures of oil. And the king worshipped it, and the king went each day and prostrated himself before it. But Daniel prayed to the Lord. And the king said to Daniel, "Why do you not worship Bel?" And Daniel said to the king, "I worship no one except the Lord God, who created the heaven and the earth and has authority over all flesh.

And the king said to him, "Is this not a god? Do you not see how much is spent on him each day?" And Daniel said to him, "Not at all; let no one deceive you. For this one is clay on the inside and bronze on the outside. And I swear to you by the Lord God of gods that this one has never eaten anything." And the king, angered, summoned the overseers of the temple and said to them, "Show who eats the provisions prepared for Bel; otherwise you will die, or Daniel who claims that they are not eaten by him." And they said, "Bel himself is the one who devours them." And Daniel said to the king, "Let it be so. If I do not show that Bel is not the one who devours these things, I will die, along with all my people." Now there were seventy priests of Bel, apart from

of women and children. And they led the king into the temple; and the food was set before the king and Daniel, and mixed wine was brought in and set before Bel. And Daniel said, "You yourself see that these things are set out, O king; therefore seal the keys of the temple when it is closed." The proposal pleased the king. And Daniel ordered his attendants to put everyone out of the temple and to sift the whole temple with ash, without anyone outside knowing. And then, having sealed the temple, he ordered it to be sealed with the king's ring and with the rings of some of the noble priests; and it was done so. And on the next day they came to the place; the priests of Bel, having entered through secret doors, consumed all the food set before Bel and drank the wine. And Daniel said, "Look at your seals, whether they remain, O priests; and you, O king, see if anything inconsistent has occurred." And they found the seal as it was, and they removed the seal. And having opened the doors, they saw that all the food set out had been consumed, and the tables were empty; and the king rejoiced, and said to Daniel, "Great is Bel, and there is no deceit in him." And Daniel laughed heartily and said to the king, "Come, see the deceit of the priests." And Daniel said, "O king, whose footprints are these?" And the king said, "Of men and women and children." And he went to the house where the priests were staying, and found the food of Bel and the wine.

And Daniel showed the king the false doors through which the priests entered and consumed the offerings set before Bel. And the king led them out from the temple of Bel and handed them over to Daniel. And the expenditure for Bel he gave to Daniel, and he destroyed Bel. Now there was a dragon in the same place, and the Babylonians worshipped it.

And the king said to Daniel, "Will you also say that this one is bronze? Behold, it lives and eats and drinks; worship it." And Daniel said, "King, give me authority, and I will destroy the dragon without iron or rod." And the king granted him this and said to him, "It is given to you." And Daniel took thirty minas of pitch, and fat, and hair, boiled them together, and made a cake, and cast it into the mouth of the dragon; and having eaten, it burst. And he showed it to the king, saying, "Do you not worship these things, O king?" And all the people from the country gathered against Daniel and said, "The king has become a Jew; he has overthrown Bel and killed the dragon." And the king, seeing that the crowd of the country had assembled against him, called his companions and said, "I give Daniel over to destruction." Now there was a pit in which seven lions were kept, to which were given those who plotted against the king, and each day two bodies of those condemned to death were supplied to them. And the crowds cast Daniel into that pit, so that he might be devoured and not even receive burial. And Daniel was in the pit for six days. And it happened on the sixth day that Habakkuk was carrying loaves broken into pieces in a bowl with boiled food and a jar of mixed wine, and he was going to the field to the harvesters. And an angel of the Lord spoke to Habakkuk, saying, "Gad says to you, the Lord God: 'The meal that you have, take it to Daniel in the lions' pit in Babylon.'

And Habacuc said, "Lord God, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know where the pit is." And the angel of the Lord, taking hold of Habacuc by the hair of his head, set him above the pit in Babylon.

And Habacuc said to Daniel, "Arise, eat the meal which the Lord God has sent to you." And Daniel said, "So the Lord God has remembered me, who does not abandon those who love him." And Daniel ate; and the angel of the Lord set Habacuc back where he had taken him on the same day. And the Lord God remembered Daniel. After these things, the king came out mourning for Daniel, and looking down into the pit, he saw him sitting. And crying out, the king said, "Great is the Lord God, and there is no other besides him." And the king brought Daniel out of the pit. And those responsible for his destruction he threw into the pit before Daniel, and they were devoured. From the prophecy of Habacuc, son of Jesus, of the tribe of Levi. There was a certain man, a priest, whose name was Daniel, son of Abal, a companion of the king of Babylon. And there was an idol, Bel, which the Babylonians worshipped; and for it were consumed each day twelve artabae of fine flour, four sheep, and six measures of oil. And the king worshipped it, and the king went each day and prostrated himself before it, but Daniel prayed to the Lord. And the king said to Daniel, "Why do you not worship Bel?" And Daniel said to the king, "I worship no one except the Lord God, who created the heaven and the earth and has dominion over all flesh." And the king said to him, "Is this not a god, then?

Do you not see how much is spent on him each day? And Daniel said to him, "By no means; let no one deceive you. For this one is clay within and bronze without; and I swear to you by the Lord God of gods that this one has never eaten anything at all." And the king, angered, summoned those in charge of the temple and said to them, "Produce the one who eats the provisions prepared for Bel; otherwise you will die, or Daniel who claims that these things are not eaten by him." And they said, "Bel himself is the one who devours them." And Daniel said to the king, "Let it be so; if I do not demonstrate that Bel is not the one who devours these things, I will die, and all who are with me." Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides

of women and children. And they led the king into the shrine; and the food was set before the king and Daniel, and mixed wine was brought in and set before Bel. And Daniel said, "You yourself see that these things lie here, O king; therefore seal the keys of the temple, when it is closed." And the word pleased the king. And Daniel ordered those from his side who had expelled everyone from the temple to cover the entire temple with ash, none of those outside knowing. And then, having sealed the temple, he ordered it to be sealed with the king's ring and with the rings of certain illustrious priests; and it was done so. —17 And on the next day they came to the place; and the priests of Bel, having entered through false doors, consumed all that was set before Bel and drank up the wine. And Daniel said, "Behold your seals, whether they remain, O priests; and you, O king, see if anything inconsistent has occurred." And they found that the seal was as it was, and they removed the seal. And opening the doors, they saw that all that had been set out was consumed, and the tables empty; and the king rejoiced, and said to Daniel, "Great is Bel, and there is no deceit in him." And Daniel laughed heartily and said to the king, "Come, see the deceit of the priests." And Daniel said, "O king, whose footprints are these?" And the king said, "Of men and women and children." And he went to the house where the priests were dwelling, and found the food of Bel and the wine.

And Daniel showed the king the false doors through which the priests entered and consumed the offerings set before Bel. And the king led them out from the temple of Bel and handed them over to Daniel; and the expenditure for Bel he gave to Daniel, and he destroyed Bel. Now there was a dragon in that same place, and the Babylonians worshipped it. And the king said to Daniel, "Will you not also say that this one is made of bronze? Behold, it lives and eats and drinks; worship it." And Daniel said, "O king, give me authority, and I will kill the dragon without iron or rod." And the king granted it and said to him, "It is given to you." And Daniel took thirty minas of pitch, and fat, and hair, boiled them together, and made a cake, and cast it into the mouth of the dragon; and having eaten, it burst. And he showed it to the king, saying, "Do you not worship these things, O king?" And all the people from the land gathered against Daniel and said, "The king has become a Jew; he has destroyed Bel and killed the dragon." And when the king saw that the multitude of the land had assembled against him, he called his companions and said, "I give Daniel over to destruction." Now there was a pit in which seven lions were kept, to which those who plotted against the king were delivered, and each day two bodies of those condemned to death were supplied to them. And the multitudes cast Daniel into that pit, so that he might be devoured and not even receive burial. And Daniel was in the pit for six days.

And it came to pass on the sixth day that Habakkum had bread crumbled into a bowl of stew and a jar of mixed wine, and he was going into the plain to the reapers. And an angel of the Lord spoke to Habakkum, saying, “Gade says to you the Lord God: The lunch which you have, carry it to Daniel in the lions’ den in Babylon.” And Habakkum said, “Lord God, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know where the den is.” And the angel of the Lord, taking hold of Habakkum by the hair of his head, set him above the den in Babylon. And Habakkum said to Daniel, “Rise and eat the lunch which the Lord God has sent to you.” And Daniel said, “So the Lord God has remembered me, who does not abandon those who love him.” And Daniel ate; and the angel of the Lord set Habakkum back where he had taken him from on that same day. And the Lord God remembered Daniel. After these things the king went out mourning for Daniel, and peering into the den he saw him sitting. And crying out, the king said, “Great is the Lord God, and there is no other besides him.” And the king brought Daniel out of the den. And those responsible for his destruction he threw into the den before Daniel, and they were devoured.