Where dragon is in bible

Bel and the Dragon is a fascinating apocryphal text that tells the story of a wise Jewish man named Daniel and his encounter with two mythical creatures, Bel and the Dragon. This text is part of the larger collection of writings known as the Additions to Daniel, which are included in the Greek version of the Old Testament but not in the Hebrew Bible.

The story of Bel and the Dragon begins with King Cyrus of Persia appointing Daniel as one of his three chief administrators. The other two administrators, however, become jealous of Daniel's favor with the king and conspire to undermine him. They persuade the king to pass a decree that anyone who prays to any god or man other than the king will be thrown into the den of lions.

Despite the decree, Daniel continues to pray to God three times a day, as he has always done. The other administrators catch him in the act and report him to the king, who is heartbroken because he has always respected Daniel as a wise and loyal servant. But the king is bound by his own law and orders Daniel to be thrown into the den of lions.

Miraculously, God sends an angel to close the mouths of the lions, and Daniel emerges unscathed the next morning. The king is overjoyed and orders the administrators to be thrown into the den instead, where they are immediately devoured by the lions.

After this incident, the king is approached by a priest who tells him of a great idol in the city of Babylon named Bel, which is said to consume large amounts of food and wine each day. The king is intrigued and decides to investigate the matter. He asks Daniel to come with him to Babylon and to vouch for the power of the idol.

When they arrive in Babylon, the king is taken to the temple of Bel, where he sees large amounts of food and wine being brought before the idol. He is told that the idol consumes all of this each day, but he is skeptical. He asks Daniel how he can prove that the idol is not a real god, and Daniel suggests that they spread some ashes on the floor around the food and wine. If the idol is not a real god, the ashes will show footprints of the priests who come at night to consume the food and wine.

The next morning, the king and Daniel return to the temple and find that the ashes have indeed revealed footprints leading to a hidden door. The king confronts the priests, who admit their deception and are immediately executed.

But the story of Bel and the Dragon is not over yet. The king is told of another creature in Babylon, a dragon that is worshiped by the people as a god. The king is incredulous and orders Daniel to investigate. Daniel finds the dragon in a pit beneath the city and feeds it cakes made with pitch, fat, and hair. The dragon eats the cakes and becomes bloated, causing it to explode.

The people of Babylon are outraged and demand that the king punish Daniel for killing their god. The king is torn between his respect for Daniel and his fear of the people, so he orders Daniel to be thrown into a pit of lions once again. But God once again sends an angel to protect Daniel, and he emerges unscathed the next morning.

The story of Bel and the Dragon is a fascinating tale of faith, courage, and the power of God to overcome even the most seemingly impossible obstacles. It teaches us that true faith and devotion to God can lead us to victory even in the face of great opposition and adversity.

Moreover, the story also warns us against idolatry and false worship. The people of Babylon are shown to be foolish for worshipping creatures that are not gods, and the priests who deceive them are punished for their deception. The story thus reminds us to