Bel and the Dragon

Daniel shows the futility of worshiping the false god Bel or a dragon.

Daniel refused to worship the Persian god Bel, who is an idol incapable of thought or action. The king told the priests to place food in the temple and to seal the entrance, so that when the food was gone the next day it would be clear that Bel consumed it. The priests did so, but Daniel spread ashes on the floor of the temple. That night, the priests entered the temple through a secret passageway and ate the food; but in the morning Daniel exposed fraud by pointing to their footprints in the ashes. The king then told Daniel to worship a great dragon, but Daniel killed the dragon by feeding it poison cakes. The priests were angered and threw Daniel into the lions' den, but God sent the prophet Habbakuk to give Daniel food. The king was astonished at Daniel's survival and threw the priests into the den, where they were eaten instantly. This story appears in Daniel chapter 14 in Roman Catholic Bibles.

 


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