Name	Ellen DeGeneres
Caption	Ellen DeGeneres (2009)
Birth name	Ellen DeGeneres
Birth date	January 26, 1958
Birth place	Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.
Active	1981 – present
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film
Nationality	American
Spouse	Portia de Rossi (2008–present)

}}

Ellen DeGeneres (; born January 26, 1958) is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season.

DeGeneres has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong, appeared in EDtv and The Love Letter, and provided the voice of Dory in the Disney-Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, for which she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first and only time a voice performance won a Saturn Award.

She also starred in two television sitcoms, Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002. During the fourth season of Ellen in 1997, Degeneres came out publicly as a lesbian in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterwards, her character Ellen Morgan also came out to a therapist played by Winfrey, and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues including the coming out process.

She has won twelve Emmys and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts.

Early life and education

DeGeneres was raised in Metairie, Louisiana, the daughter of Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer), a speech therapist, and Elliott DeGeneres, an insurance agent. She has one brother, Vance DeGeneres, who is a producer and musician. She is of French, English, German and Irish descent. DeGeneres was raised as a Christian Scientist until the age of thirteen. In 1973 DeGeneres' parents filed for separation and were divorced the following year. Shortly after, Betty Jane remarried Roy Gruessendorf, who worked as a salesman. Betty Jane and Ellen moved with Gruessendorf from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Texas. Vance stayed with their birth father.

DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School in May 1976, after completing her first years of high school at Grace King High School in Metairie, Louisiana. She moved back to New Orleans to attend the University of New Orleans, where she majored in communication studies. After one semester, she left school to do clerical work in a law firm with her cousin Laura Gillen. She also held a job selling clothes at the chain store the Merry-Go-Round at the Lakeside Shopping Center. Other working experiences included being a waitress at TGI Friday's and another restaurant, a house painter, a hostess, and a bartender. She relates much of her childhood and career experiences in her comedic work.

Career

Stand-up comedy

DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy at small clubs and coffee houses. By 1981 she was the emcee at Clyde's Comedy Club in New Orleans. Degeneres cites Woody Allen and Steve Martin as her main influences at this time. In the early 1980s she began to tour nationally, being named Showtime's Funniest Person in America in 1982. In 1986 she appeared for the first time on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who likened her to Bob Newhart.

Ellen reached its height of popularity in February 1997, when DeGeneres made her homosexuality public on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Subsequently her character on the sitcom came out of the closet in April to her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey, revealing that she was gay. The coming out episode, titled "The Puppy Episode", was one of the highest-rated episodes of the show. Later episodes of the series did not match its popularity, and after declining ratings, the show was canceled. DeGeneres returned to the stand-up comedy circuit, and later re-established herself as a successful talk show host.

Ellen's Energy Adventure

DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show named Ellen's Energy Adventure, which is part of the Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot. The film also featured Bill Nye, Alex Trebek, Michael Richards and Jamie Lee Curtis. The show revolved around DeGeneres falling asleep and finding herself in an energy-themed version of Jeopardy!, playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, and Albert Einstein. The next film had DeGeneres hosting an educational look at energy, co-hosted with Nye. The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, as Ellen's Energy Crisis but was quickly renamed to the more positive-sounding Ellen's Energy Adventure.

The Ellen Show

DeGeneres returned to series television in 2001 with a new CBS sitcom, The Ellen Show.

2001 Emmy Awards

DeGeneres received wide exposure on November 4, 2001 when she hosted the televised broadcast of the Emmy Awards. Presented after two cancellations due to network concerns that a lavish ceremony following the September 11, 2001 attacks would appear insensitive, the show required a more somber tone that would also allow viewers to temporarily forget the tragedy. DeGeneres received several standing ovations for her performance that evening which included the line: "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?"

In August 2005, DeGeneres hosted the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held on September 18, 2005. This was three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy. She also hosted the Grammy Awards in 1996 and in 1997.

Voice acting

DeGeneres lent her voice to the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss, in the summer 2003 hit animated Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo. The film's director, Andrew Stanton, claimed that he chose Ellen because she "changed the subject five times before one sentence had finished" on her show. For her performance as Dory, DeGeneres won the Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for "Best Supporting Actress"; "Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie" from the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards; and the Annie Award from the International Animated Film Association for "Outstanding Voice Acting". She was also nominated for a Chicago Film Critics Association Award in the "Best Supporting Actress" category. She also provided the voice of the dog in the prologue of the Eddie Murphy feature film Dr. Dolittle. Her win of the Saturn Award marked the first and only time the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has given the acting award for a voice performance.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

DeGeneres launched a daytime television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show in September 2003. Amid a crop of several celebrity-hosted talk shows surfacing at the beginning of that season, such as those of Sharon Osbourne and Rita Rudner, her show has consistently risen in the Nielsen ratings and received widespread critical praise. It was nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show. The show has won 25 Emmy Awards in its first three seasons on the air. DeGeneres is known for her dancing and singing with the audience at the beginning of the show and during commercial breaks. She often gives away free prizes and trips to her studio audience with the help of her sponsors.

DeGeneres celebrated her thirty-year class reunion by flying her graduating class to California to be guests on her show in February 2006. She presented Atlanta High School with a surprise gift of a new electronic LED marquee sign.

In May 2006, DeGeneres made a surprise appearance at the Tulane University commencement in New Orleans. Following George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the podium, she came out in a bathrobe and furry slippers. "They told me everyone would be wearing robes," she said. Ellen then went on to make another commencement speech at Tulane in 2009.

The show broadcast for a week from Universal Studios Orlando in March 2007. Skits included DeGeneres going on the Hulk Roller Coaster Ride and the Jaws Boat Ride.

In May 2007 DeGeneres was placed on bed rest due to a torn ligament in her back. She continued hosting her show from a hospital bed, tended to by a nurse, explaining "the show must go on, as they say." Guests sat in hospital beds as well.

On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated her 1000th episode, featuring celebrity guests such as Oprah, Justin Timberlake, and Paris Hilton, among others.

79th Academy Awards

On September 7, 2006, DeGeneres was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007. This makes her the first openly gay or lesbian person to have hosted the event. During the Awards show DeGeneres said, "What a wonderful night, such diversity in the room, in a year when there's been so many negative things said about people's race, religion and sexual orientation. And I want to put this out there: if there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars, or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that." Reviews of her hosting gig were positive, with one saying, "DeGeneres rocked, as she never forgot that she wasn't just there to entertain the Oscar nominees but also to tickle the audience at home." Regis Philbin said in an interview that "the only complaint was there's not enough Ellen."

DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast.

2007 Writers Guild strike

DeGeneres, like many actors who are also writers, is a member of both the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Thus, although DeGeneres verbally supported the 2007 WGA strike she did not support it when she crossed the picket line the day after the strike began. Her representatives said she was competing with other first-run syndicated shows during the competitive November sweeps period, and that she could not break her contracts or risk her show losing its time slot. As a show of solidarity with the strikers, DeGeneres omitted her monologue during the strike, typically written by WGA writers. The WGA condemned her while the AFTRA defended her.

Commercial spokeswoman

In November 2004, DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign for American Express. Her most recent American Express commercial, a two-minute black-and-white spot where she works with animals, debuted in November 2006 and was created by Ogilvy and Mather. In 2007, the commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.

DeGeneres began working with Cover Girl Cosmetics in September 2008, for which she has been criticized, as her animal-friendly values clash with Procter and Gamble's (the maker of Cover Girl Cosmetics) animal testing. Her face is the focus of new Cover Girl advertisements starting in January 2009. The beauty campaign will be DeGeneres' first.

American Idol

On September 9, 2009, it was confirmed that DeGeneres would replace Paula Abdul as a judge of the ninth season of American Idol. Her role started after the contestant auditions, at the beginning of "Hollywood Week". DeGeneres also reportedly signed a contract to be a judge on the show for at least five seasons. She made her American Idol debut on February 9, 2010.

On July 29, 2010, DeGeneres and Fox executives announced that the comedienne would be departing from the series after one season. In a statement, DeGeneres said that the series "didn't feel like the right fit for me".

Eleveneleven

On May 26, 2010, Ellen announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She mentioned that she had been looking for videos of performances on YouTube to start her label. Her first act to be signed is Greyson Chance, a 12-year-old who gained fame after his cover of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" went viral. Ellen explained her choice of name, claiming that she often sees the number when looking at her clocks, that she found Greyson on the 11th, and that the singer's soccer jersey has the number 11.

Some months later, on September 16, 2010, Ellen announced her label's second signed artist, 16-year old Tom Andrews, from the United Kingdom.

Also as of 2010, pop singer Jessica Simpson has joined the label.

Personal life

DeGeneres was in a relationship (1997–2000) with former Another World actress Anne Heche, who went on to marry cameraman Coley Laffoon. From 2001 to 2004, DeGeneres and actress/director/photographer Alexandra Hedison were in a relationship. They appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation had already been announced to the media.

Since 2004, DeGeneres has had a relationship with former Ally McBeal and Arrested Development star Portia de Rossi. After the overturn of the same-sex marriage ban in California, DeGeneres announced on a May 2008 show that she and de Rossi were engaged, and gave de Rossi a three-carat pink diamond ring. The passage of Proposition 8 cast doubt on the legal status of their marriage but a subsequent Supreme Court judgment validated it because it occurred before November 4, 2008.

DeGeneres and de Rossi live in Beverly Hills, with three dogs and four cats, and both are vegan.

On August 6, 2010, de Rossi filed a petition to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres The petition was granted on September 23, 2010.

In her book, Love, Ellen, DeGeneres' mother, Betty DeGeneres, describes being initially shocked when her daughter came out as a lesbian, but has become one of her strongest supporters, an active member of Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's Coming Out Project.

In 2007, Forbes estimated DeGeneres' net worth at US$65 million.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- align="center" ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1990 | Arduous Moon | Herself | Short film |- | 1991 | Wisecracks | Herself | Documentary |- | 1993 |Coneheads | Coach | |- | 1994 | Trevor | Herself | Short film |- | rowspan=2|1996 | Ellen's Energy Adventure | Herself | Short film |- |Mr. Wrong | Martha Alston | |- | rowspan=2|1998 |Goodbye Lover | Sgt. Rita Pompano | |- |Dr. Dolittle | Prologue Dog | Voice |- | rowspan=2|1999 | EDtv | Cynthia | |- | The Love Letter | Janet Hall | |- | rowspan=2|2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Herself | |- | Finding Nemo | Dory | VoiceAnnie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature ProductionKids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated MovieSaturn Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance |- | 2004 | My Short Film | Herself | Short film |}

Television

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- align="center" ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1988 | Women of the Night | Herself | Comedy Special |- | 1989 | Open House | Margo Van Mete | Episode: "The Bad Seed" Episode: "Let's Get Physicals" |- | 1992 | Laurie Hill | Nancy MacIntyre | Episode: "Pilot" Episode: "The Heart Thing" Episode: "Walter and Beverly" |- | 1994–1998 | Ellen | Ellen Morgan | 109 episodes |- | 1995 | Roseanne | Dr. Whitman | Episode: "The Blaming of the Shrew" |- | 1998 | Mad About You | Nancy Bloom | Episode: "" |- | 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Kal | Segment: "2000" |- | 2001 | On the Edge | Operator | Segment: "Reaching Normal" |- | 2001–2002 | The Ellen Show | Ellen Richmond | 18 episodes |- | rowspan=2|2003 | | Herself | Comedy special |- | MADtv | Herself | Episode: "9.3" |- | 2003–present | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Herself | TV show |- | rowspan=2|2004 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | |- | Six Feet Under | Herself | Episode: "" |- | 2005 | Joey | Herself | Episode: "Joey and the Sex Tape" |- | rowspan=4|2007 | Ellen's Really Big Show | Herself | |- | Sesame Street | Herself | Episode: "The Tutu Spell" (uncredited) |- | Forbes 20 Richest Women in Entertainment | Herself | |- | The Bachelorette | Herself | |- | 2007–2008 | American Idol | Herself | Episode: "Idol Gives Back 2007" "Idol Gives Back 2008" |- | 2008 | Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show | Herself | Comedy special |- | rowspan=2|2009 | Ellen's Bigger, Longer & Wider Show | Herself | Comedy special |- | So You Think You Can Dance | Guest Judge | "Week 7 (July 22, 2009)" |- | 2010 | American Idol | Judge | Season 9. |- | 2010 | The Simpsons | Herself | Episode: "Judge Me Tender" |}

Discography

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- align="center" ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1996 | | Stand-up comedy | Live CD |- |}

Awards

;Daytime Emmy Awards

Outstanding Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Outstanding Special Class Writing, The Ellen DeGeneres Show – 2005, 2006, 2007

;Emmy Awards

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Ellen: "The Puppy Episode" – 1997

;People's Choice Awards

Favorite Funny Female Star – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Favorite Talk Show Host – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Favorite Yes I Chose This Star – 2008

;Kids' Choice Awards

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie – 2004

; Tulane University President's Medal 2009

Bibliography

References

External links

The Ellen DeGeneres Show's official website

Ellen DeGeneres blog

Ellen DeGeneres community Forum

DeGeneres talks about coming out experience, an April 1999 article about her appearance at the University of Michigan

DeGeneres on the JohnJay and Rich radio show helping a mother in need to win a car

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:American film actors Category:American actors of English descent Category:American actors of French descent Category:American actors of German descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American Christian Scientists Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American vegans Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Lesbian actors Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT people from the United States Category:LGBT television personalities Category:LGBT Christians Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Saturn Award winners Category:University of New Orleans alumni Category:Women comedians Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Reality television judges Category:American activists Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors

Name	The Stryder
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Roslyn, New York, United States
Genre	Pop, Alternative Rock
Occupation	Band, Musician
Years active	1999-2003
Associated acts	Peter Toh
Label	Equal Vision Records
Url	The Stryder's Official Website

The Stryder was a band hailing from Long Island, NY. The Band was formed by Peter Toh and Scottie Redix in 1999 after their previous project, Yearly, disbanded following the departure of bassist Eben D'amico who left to join Saves the Day. They added a vocalist and bassist, John Johansen and Nick Wendel (Respectively). They released a 7" on Elkion Records titled "The Hits Just Keep on Comin" and shortly after signed a deal to Equal Vision Records and released their debut album "Masquerade in the Key of Crime" in the summer 2000. The band toured extensively and began writing new material in 2001. They added former Glassjaw drummer Durijah Lang, and moved Scottie Redix up to Guitar and backing vocals. In the summer of 2001 the band parted ways with vocalist John Johansen. 2002 saw the release of "Jungle City Twitch". Debuting a new sound, The Stryder continued to tour the country in support of the new release. In 2003/2004, Elkion Records released "Savor The Danger" which contained a collection of old demos and the 2 songs from the 7" previously released on the label. Peter released his first solo EP "Cleopatra" in 2004 on Elkion Records. Durijah moved on to become the drummer of Classic Case and in 2007, became Pete Parada's replacement in Saves The Day. In 2006, Peter then went on to start an Internet TV/New Media Company, Hidden Track TV with Adam Schleichkorn, and released a solo EP titled "Shoes of a Beast". Peter is currently working on his first full-length album, titled "Wildlife". Scottie Redix now plays under the moniker 'Cassonova Brown' and is currently working on his first full-length as well.

See also

Peter Toh

Discography

Albums

Masquerade in the Key of Crime (Equal Vision Records - 2000)

Jungle City Twitch (Equal Vision Records - 2002)

EPs

The Hits Just Keep on Comin'... (Elkion Records - 2000)

Savor the Danger! (Elkion Records - 2002)

External links

The Stryder's Home Page

Peter Toh's Home Page

Peter Toh's Myspace Page

Hidden Track TV

References

Category:Musical groups from Long Island Category:American musicians Category:Equal Vision Records artists

Daphne Gottlieb (born 1968) is a Queer San Francisco-based Performance Poet. She is the author of Final Girl (Soft Skull Press, 2003), Why Things Burn (Soft Skull Press, 2001), Pelt (Odd Girls Press, 1999) and Kissing Dead Girls (Seal Press, 2008) She is the editor of Homewrecker: An Adultery Reader (Soft Skull Press, 2005) and Fucking Daphne: Mostly True Stories and Fictions (Seal Press, 2008).

Critics have praised her work as "fierce," "unapologetic," "scorching" and "deliriously gutsy." She has been widely published in journals including The Utne Reader, Tikkun, nerve.com, mcsweeney’s.net, Exquisite Corpse and Instant City. Her work has appeared in a number of anthologies including Don’t Forget to Write! (826 Valencia Books, 2005), Red Light: Saints, Sinners and Sluts (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2005), With a Rough Tongue: Femmes Write Porn (Arsenal Pulp, 2005) and Short Fuse: A Contemporary Anthology of Global Performance Poetry (Ratapallax, 2003). She is also the cover girl on San Francisco Noir (Akashic Books, 2005).

Besides anchoring three national performance poetry tours, recently featuring with Maggie Estep, Hal Sirowitz and Lydia Lunch, Gottlieb has also appeared across the country with the Slam America bus tour and with notorious all-girl wordsters Sister Spit. She has performed at festivals coast-to-coast, including South by Southwest, Bumbershoot, and Ladyfest Bay Area.

Until 2006, she served as the poetry editor of the online queer literary magazine Lodestar Quarterly. She was a co-organizer of ForWord Girls, the first spoken word festival for anyone who is, has been or will be a girl, which was held in September 2002.

Gottlieb has taught at New College of California, and has also performed and taught creative writing workshops around the country, from high schools and colleges to community centers. She received her MFA from Mills College.

Awards and nominations

Final Girl was the winner of the Audre Lorde Award in Poetry for 2003 from Publishing Triangle.

Final Girl was named one of The Village Voices Favorite Books of 2003, and received rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Village Voice.

Final Girl was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award by the Horror Writer's Association.

Why Things Burn was the winner of a 2001 Firecracker Alternative Book Award (Special Recognition — Spoken Word) for 2001.

Why Things Burn was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for 2001.

Fucking Daphne: Mostly True Stories and Fictions was a nominee for the 2008 Lambda Literary Award

Kissing Dead Girls was a nominee for the 2008 Lambda Literary Award

Bibliography

Pelt. Odd Girls Press, 1999.

Why Things Burn. Soft Skull Press, 2001.

Final Girl. Soft Skull Press, 2003.

Homewrecker: An Adultery Anthology. Soft Skull Press, 2005. (editor)

Jokes and the Unconscious: A Graphic Novel. Cleis Press, 2006. (Gottlieb, author; DiMassa, Illustrator)

Kissing Dead Girls. Soft Skull Press, 2008.

Fucking Daphne: Mostly True Stories and Fictions. Seal Press, 2008. (editor)

See also

Poetry slam

Punk literature

References

External links

Daphne Gottlieb Official Site

2001 Lambda Literary Award Nominees

2003 Bram Stoker Award Nominees

Interview with Daphne Gottlieb at Hot Metal Bridge

Interview with Daphne Gottlieb at Bloggasm

Interview with Daphne Gottlieb at LiP Magazine

Interview with Daphne Gottlieb at Gay People's Chronicle

Interview with Daphne Gottlieb at Small Spiral Notebook

Two poems by Daphne Gottlieb at the Homestead Review

Poem: "Whitman's Sampler" at McSweeney's

Poem: "Dirty" at Nerve

Poem: "No Poems After Auschwitz" at Poetz.com

Poem: "Nocturnal Missions" at Big Bridge

Review of Final Girl at Bookslut

Review of Homewrecker at Detroit Metro Times

Category:Living people Category:American poets Category:1968 births Category:New College of California Category:People from San Francisco, California Category:LGBT writers from the United States Category:Mills College alumni Category:Punk poets

.]]

Daniel (, meaning "My judge [is] God") is the central protagonist of the Book of Daniel. According to the biblical book, at a young age Daniel was carried off to Babylon where he became famous for interpreting dreams and rose to become one of the most important figures in the court.

Daniel's life.

The following is a summary of the biblical Book of Daniel

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (BC 606), Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the young Jewish nobility carried off to Babylon. The four were chosen for their intellect and beauty to be trained as advisors to the Babylonian court,() Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, i.e., prince of Bel, or Bel protect the king!(not to be confused with the neo-Babylonian king, Belshazzar). Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, respectively. At the close of his three years of discipline and training in the royal schools Daniel was brought out into public life. He soon became known for his skill in the interpretation of dreams (; ). Daniel made known and interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream; as well as a later dream preceding the king's descent into animal behaviour, and many years afterwards, when he was now an old man, amid the alarm and consternation of the terrible night of Belshazzar's impious feast (in which Belshazzar and his concubines drank wine out of the royal Jewish ceremonial goblets of the Temple), Daniel was called in at the suggestion of the queen-mother to interpret the mysterious handwriting on the wall. For successfully reading the cryptic handwriting by an angel of God, Daniel was rewarded by the Babylonians with a purple robe and elevation to the rank of "third ruler" of the kingdom. It is believed that the place of "second ruler" was held by Belshazzar as associated with his father, Nabonidus, on the throne (), though no where in the book of Daniel is Nabonidus mentioned by name and according to the book of Daniel Nebuchadnezzar was the father of Belshazzar. Nabonidus left Babylon in his son Belshazzar's care when he fled because of his refusal to accept the role of Marduk as the prime diety. The Hebrew word translated in the book of Daniel as "son" can mean any descendant. Belshazzar was actually the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel interpreted the handwriting, and "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain".

After the Persian conquest of Babylon, Daniel held the office of the first of the "three presidents" of the empire under the reign of Darius the Mede, and was thus practically at the head of state affairs, with the ability to influence the prospects of the captive Jews (), whom he had at last the happiness of seeing restored to their own land; although he did not return with them, but remained still in Babylon.

, R.A. (1840-1920), 1890 Manchester Art Gallery.]]

Daniel's fidelity to God exposed him to persecution by jealous rivals within the king's administration. The fact that he had just interpreted the emperors' dream had resulted in his promotion and that of his companions. Being favored by the King, Cyrus the Great, he was untouchable. His companions were vulnerable to the accusation that had them thrown into the furnace for refusing to worship the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar as a god; but they were miraculously saved, and Daniel would years later be cast into a den of lions (for continuing to practice his faith in YHWH), but was miraculously delivered; after which Cyrus issued a decree enjoining reverence for "the God of Daniel" (). He "prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Great," whom he probably greatly influenced in the matter of the decree which put an end to the Jewish Captivity (BC 536).

Daniel's ministry as a prophet began late in life. Whereas his early exploits were a matter of common knowledge within his community, these same events, with his pious reputation, serve as the basis for his prophetic ministry. The recognition for his prophetic message is that of other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel whose backgrounds are the basis for their revelations.

The time and circumstances of Daniel's death have not been recorded. However, tradition maintains that Daniel was still alive in the third year of Cyrus according to the Tanakh (). He would have been almost 100 years old at that point, having been brought to Babylon when he was in his teens, more than 80 years previously. Many posit that he possibly died at Susa in Iran. Tradition holds that his tomb is located in Susa at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. Other locations have been claimed as the site of his burial, including Daniel's Tomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, as well as Babylon, Egypt, Tarsus and, notably, Samarkand, which claims a tomb of Daniel (see "The Ruins of Afrasiab" in the Samarkand article), with some traditions suggesting that his remains were removed, perhaps by Tamerlane, from Susa to Samarkand (see, for instance, Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, section 153).

Apocalypse

From Chapter 7 to the end of the book of Daniel, an apocalyptic vision is being described, supposedly from the perspective of Daniel. In the Book of Daniel, the name is spelled with a middle letter suggesting the i of that name — but this letter is not included in Ezekiel, suggesting that the reference there may be to another person, possibly the "Danel" ("Judgement of God") known from Caananite Ugaritic literature (such as the Epic of Aqhat and Anat), whose reputation for wisdom and righteousness had made him legendary. (Vowel-points were not added to the consonantal Hebrew text before well into the Common Era, and the scribes may then have slipped in a vowel-point for "i" as a middle syllable.)

Habakkuk

In the Deuterocanonical portion of Daniel known as Bel and the Dragon, the prophet Habakkuk is miraculously transported by an angel to take a meal to Daniel while he is in the lions' den. In response, Daniel prays, "Thou hast remembered me, O God; neither hast thou forsaken them that seek Thee and love Thee".

Tomb

, Iran.]] There are six different locations claiming to be the site of the tomb of the biblical figure Daniel: Babylon, Kirkuk and Muqdadiyah in Iraq, Susa and Malamir in Iran, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

Liturgical commemorations

On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, the feast days celebrating St. Daniel the Prophet together with the Three Young Men, falls on December 17 (during the Nativity Fast), on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (the Sunday which falls between 11 and 17 December), and on the Sunday before Nativity. Daniel's prophesy regarding the stone which smashed the idol () is often used in Orthodox hymns as a metaphor for the Incarnation: the "stone cut out" being symbolic of the Logos (Christ), and the fact that it was cut "without hands" being symbolic of the virgin birth. Thus the hymns will refer to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) as the "uncut mountain"

In the West, the Roman Catholic Church commemorates Daniel on July 21.

He is commemorated as a prophet in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod together with the Three Young Men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), on December 17.

He is commemorated as a prophet in the Coptic Church on the 23rd day of the Coptic month of Baramhat.

Rabbinic literature

Modern Usage

Daniel is a very common and popular name nowadays in a variety of countries, notably those with a Judeo-Christian heritage. Usually used as a first name, it is followed by a last name.

Daniel in Islam

Muslims traditionally consider Daniel (Arabic: دانيال, Danyal) as an Islamic prophet, alongside the other major prophets of the Old Testament, namely Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Although he is not mentioned in the Qur'an, there are a few Hadith which bear his name and which refer to his time spent in the den of the lions. There are debates, however, that go on about Daniel's time of preaching and some Muslims believe that he was not a prophet but a saintly man.

See also

Islamic view of Daniel

Tanakh

Prophecy

Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon

Book of Daniel (book of the Bible)

List of names referring to El

Persian Jews

References

External links

Translated Inscriptions of Nabonidus (ANET)

Book of Daniel (Biblical Passage)

Daniel by Rob Bradshaw Detailed dictionary-style article.

Daniel in the TaNaKh Detailed authorized Jewish translation of the original

Who is Ezekiel's Daniel? : The Ugaritic Danel

An exposition of the book of Daniel

Daniel 11 in Context Overview of the allusions to the Syrian Wars in Daniel 11

Category:Hebrew Bible people Category:Jewish writers Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar Category:Prophets in Christianity Category:Prophets of Islam Category:Year of death missing Category:Book of Daniel