THE ELITE OF JERUSALEM’S YOUTH

7, 8. From Daniel 1:3, 4, and 6, what can we deduce about the background of Daniel and his three companions?

⁷ More than the treasures of Jehovah’s temple were brought to Babylon. Says the account: “Then the king said to Ashpenaz his chief court official to bring some of the sons of Israel and of the royal offspring and of the nobles, children in whom there was no defect at all, but good in appearance and having insight into all wisdom and being acquainted with knowledge, and having discernment of what is known, in whom also there was ability to stand in the palace of the king.”—Daniel 1:3, 4.

⁸ Who were chosen? We are told: “There happened to be among them some of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.” (Daniel 1:6) This sheds some light on the otherwise obscure background of Daniel and his companions. For example, we note that they were “sons of Judah,” the kingly tribe. Whether they were from the royal line or not, it is reasonable to think that they were at least from families of some importance and influence. Besides being of sound mind and body, they had insight, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment—all when they were at an age young enough to be called “children,” perhaps in their early teens. Daniel and his companions must have been outstanding—the elite—among the youths in Jerusalem.

A BATTLE FOR THE MIND

10. What were the young Hebrews taught, and what was the purpose of this?

¹⁰ Immediately, a battle for the young minds of these exiles began. To make sure that the Hebrew teenagers would be molded to fit in with the Babylonian system, Nebuchadnezzar decreed that his officials “teach them the writing and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” (Daniel 1:4) This was no ordinary education. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains that it “comprised the study of Sumerian, Akkadian, Aramaic . . . , and other languages, as well as the extensive literature written in them.” “The extensive literature” consisted of history, mathematics, astronomy, and so on. However, “associated religious texts, both omina [omens] and astrology . . . , played a large part.”