Dan 1:4 | TNotes | STEP | 1:4 strong, healthy: They had no defect or blemish that would disqualify them; the Lord had the same requirements for Israel’s priests (Lev 21:16-24 ; 22:17-25 ). These youths had the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and character needed to function at the highest levels of government. • The literature of Babylon was immense and included wisdom and esoteric literature, creation stories, magic incantations, theogonies (origins and genealogies of the gods), legal corpora, ancient histories, letters, dream journals, vision manuals, and mathematical and astrological materials. The education of these young men —all in a foreign language

bLev 21:16-24►

c22:17-25►

‏ Daniel 1:4

1:4 ^a strong, healthy: They had no defect or blemish that would disqualify them; the Lord had the same requirements for Israel’s priests (Lev 21:16-24 ^b; 22:17-25 ^c). These youths had the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and character needed to function at the highest levels of government.

• The literature of Babylon was immense and included wisdom and esoteric literature, creation stories, magic incantations, theogonies (origins and genealogies of the gods), legal corpora, ancient histories, letters, dream journals, vision manuals, and mathematical and astrological materials. The education of these young men—all in a foreign language—rivaled that of Moses in Egypt.