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Daniel’s Captivity · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: We can't keep babbling to... Gah! We can't keep bowing.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Bowing to Babylon? Babylon! What's left of our people are restless.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: We must act. We must act. My lord, rebellion means death.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Nebuchadnezzar does not know mercy.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar unceremoniously drove his dagger into the throat of Zedekiah's
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: oldest son.
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: The glory of your ancestors dies with you. You cowardly, pathetic, sniveling,
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: double-minded dog.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: It took eleven days to unmake a city that took
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: centuries to build. Eleven days for King Nebuchadnezzar to turn
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: the Covenant people into a valley of dry bones. He
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: did not rage. He did not roar. He moved through
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Zion like a surgeon through cancer, blade steady, expression blank,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: dissecting every sacred thing Judah thought untouchable.
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: Load them all. Babylon will melt down the worship of
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: this god and turn it into currency.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Mercy hides in margins. The god who once thundered from
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Sinai knows how to set a table, even in Babylon.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Ash still covered Zion like a burial cloth. Bones still
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: littered the valley. The temple was still gone. The king
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: was blind. The ark was missing. The songs were faint.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: But hope, hope was eating dinner in Babylon. And the
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Lord was not done, not even close. Jerusalem had fallen,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: a city once radiant now reduced to smoldering ruin. Babylon
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: had descended swiftly, mercilessly, and precisely, its armies as vast
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: as a storm sweeping relentlessly across the land. The city
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: of David had fallen silent, covered in darkness, hope flickering
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: feebly beneath the ruins. Rough ropes bound the children of
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Israel as they stumbled forward, each step a grim reminder
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: of their stolen freedom. Daniel moved among them, a slender
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: silhouette of quiet resilience amid the despair. His posture spoke
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: of strength, but beneath the surface churned turmoil. Wisdom had
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: aged Daniel prematurely. but in this moment his eyes were
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: wide with terror. Still, Daniel felt the burden of concealing
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: the doubt. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah walked closely behind Daniel,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: ropes cutting rawly into wrists. Daniel felt their gazes on
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: his back. Even though he was chained with them, he
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: felt the painful burden of leadership over them. He turned back,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: looking at his friends, then gazing once more upon Jerusalem's
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: smoking ruins behind them.
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: Be strong and courageous, brothers.
• 3:32
  Speaker 5: No one can say what awaits us behind the walls
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: of Babylon.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Hananiah's voice quivered behind him.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: I know what awaits us. Beatings, starvation, death.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: Mishael rolled his eyes. Mishael was the gruffest of the
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: four companions, rough, sharp.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Pipe down, Ananya. I don't want another strike on the
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: jaw from these soldiers. Get a hold of yourself.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Azariah twitched, counting some invisible numbers no one else could see.
• 4:04
  Speaker 6: You know, it's highly unlikely they'll harm us any further.
• 4:08
  Speaker 6: If the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar are as intelligent as
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: people say, they would know that harming us is not
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: in their best interest.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: What do you mean?
• 4:19
  Speaker 6: Well, these large kingdoms need more people.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: To work their economy.
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: They need people to work and earn and spend to
• 4:26
  Speaker 6: sustain their growing empire. We're captives, yes, but the Babylonians
• 4:31
  Speaker 6: will be much better off if we're healthy and assimilated.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, still captives, though.
• 4:38
  Speaker 6: Indeed, but useful captives. The Babylonians don't want useless mouths
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: to feed. They want us to fuel their economy.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: We don't speak their language. We don't know their customs.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: Be wise.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: Daniel interrupted, his gaze intense but reassuring to his friends.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: For a heartbeat, he hesitated, feeling acutely the temptation to
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: offer empty comfort. But Daniel's integrity forbade it.
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: Remember who you are and who you serve. Much will
• 5:13
  Speaker 4: change for us in Babylon. They'll do what they want
• 5:16
  Speaker 4: with our bodies, but only we can surrender our souls.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: He reached out, gripping Hananiah's shoulder. His friend nodded, his
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: courage flickering back to life behind weary eyes. The desert
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: wind churned, and with it, the sands covered what was
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: left of Jerusalem. They all stole one final glance at
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: the promised land, certain it was the last time they
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: would see it. But while Israel remained in its place,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: buried under ash and sand, the God of Israel moved.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: He was before them and beside them. Ahead loomed Babylon.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: It was ruled by a king whose shadow stretched like
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: a great and ominous promise. Daniel had heard the tales
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: whispered fearfully by captives and conquerors alike. Nebuchadnezzar was cold measured,
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: dangerously brilliant, capable of both monstrous violence and astonishing wisdom.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: This contradiction frightened Daniel more deeply than brutality ever could,
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: for it meant resistance would demand subtlety rather than mere defiance.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Lost in thought, Daniel was startled by a sudden movement.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: Dust swirled sharply as a rider emerged on a black stallion,
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: Daniel tensed instinctively, watching warily as the figure approached. The
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: rider's face was obscured by indigo silk, eyes alone visible. Black, sharp,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: as pitiless and precise as the king he served.
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: Who's that, do you think?
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: The rider moved swiftly, inspecting captives with ruthless discernment, his
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: gaze sliding indifferently over those cowering beneath his presence. Occasionally
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: he selected one, shoving them roughly toward waiting wagons. Daniel's
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: heartbeat quickened, a sickening anxiety clawing at his throat as
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the rider drew nearer, inspecting face after face with cold detachment. Then, abruptly,
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: their eyes met. A tense silence thickened between them. The
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: rider cocked his head to the side and slowly approached.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: Daniel steadied himself refusing to flinch, knowing instinctively that this
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: single moment could seal their fate. He turned to his
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: companions and gave orders.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Easy, gentlemen.
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: Don't flinch.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Remain still.
• 7:57
  Speaker 5: Easier said than done.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: The rider approached the four young men. His gaze narrowed slightly,
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: as if recognizing Daniel. With chilling decisiveness... The rider raised
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: a gloved hand, pointing directly toward Daniel and the companions
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: at his side. The rider's voice was higher than Daniel expected, sharper.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Daniel knew just enough Assyrian to understand. They were being
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: set apart from the rest of the captives. The soldiers
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: seized them, ropes cutting deeper as they were torn from
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: the larger group. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah exchanged apprehensive glances
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: with Daniel. They were lashed firmly to a cart already
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: crowded with others. Daniel took measure of who else was
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: in the cart with them. Young men, handsome, well-built, healthy.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: Daniel recognized many of them. They were sons of noblemen, educated, articulate.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: What were they planning to do with them? Daniel was
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: terrified like the others, yes, but with that terror came
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: a burning curiosity. What awaited them behind the walls of Babylon,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: and what would it cost them to survive? Babylon rose
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: steadily before them, a city seemingly woven from equal parts
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: wonder and dread. Its towers ascended defiantly, gilded domes catching
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: the sun like flames, challenging the heavens themselves. Ziggurats climbed
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: toward clouds, crowned with temples adorned in alabaster and gold.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: The streets teemed with a dizzying spectacle of humanity. Merchants
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: shouting exotic tongues, peddling spices and silk. Courtiers wrapped in
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: bright fabrics. murmuring the story. chants. Perfume and incense wafted thickly,
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: sweet and cloying, mixed with roasting meat and pungent oils.
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: Daniel watched his friend's reactions closely. Hananiah's face was pale,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: his lips parted in uneasy awe. Mishael's fists clenched and
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: unclenched rhythmically, tension simmering beneath his calm demeanour. Azariah glanced around,
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: calculating everything. The other young men were in awe, smiles
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: widening as they beheld pillars of ivory, women leaning provocatively
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: against temple walls. a nobleman lounging under the shade of
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: decorated idols.
• 10:46
  Speaker 7: How easily this beauty could consume a man.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: Daniel could sense the seductive pull behind Babylon's dazzling facade.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: He set his jaw firmly, aware that survival here would
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: require more tact than willpower. As they neared the city gates,
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: towering statues of Nebuchadnezzar loomed into view. their impassive eyes
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: fixed eternally upon all who entered. At the palace gates,
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: their veiled rider suddenly drew away, the great black stallion
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: snorting impatiently. With practiced elegance, he unwrapped the indigo scar
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: from his face, revealing sharp features etched with ritual scars,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: intricate marks of devotion and sacrifice. Daniel immediately recognized what
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: they signified. The rider was a eunuch. Something tightened painfully
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: in Daniel's chest.
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: Welcome to Babylon.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: The eunuch spoke perfect Hebrew now. He dismounted fluidly, approaching
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: with purposeful strides, his gaze assessing them with detached intensity.
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: I am Ashpenaz.
• 12:02
  Speaker 5: King Nebuchadnezzar, in his wisdom, has summoned select men. young
• 12:07
  Speaker 5: of body and sharp of mind, to serve his courts.
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: You will learn our ways, master our language, unravel our mysteries,
• 12:17
  Speaker 5: and if you survive, you will stand among his greatest
• 12:21
  Speaker 5: advisors and govern your people on his behalf.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Daniel felt a jolt of dread and anticipation ripple through
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: him simultaneously. He understood immediately the subtle test hidden within
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz's words. This offer for power and knowledge came at
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: a price, like the fruit offered in the Garden of Eden.
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: Follow me.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: There was a hesitation among the young men, a pause
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: brief enough to feel heavy. Then, instinctively, Daniel stepped forward.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: He met Ashpenaz's cool gaze directly, then bowed his head. Hananiah, Mishael,
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: and Azariah quickly stepped forward as well, Following Daniel's example,
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: though their eyes were wary, their steps mirrored Daniel's strength,
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: drawing courage from the steady resolve he emanated. Standing beneath
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar's statues, Daniel felt the familiar weight of temptation pressing
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: upon him, the urge to simply blend in, to surrender
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: just enough to avoid pain. But another impulse, stronger yet
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: less certain, stirred within him, the conviction that he was
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: not here by chance, that Babylon's grandeur might yet bow
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: subtly beneath a quieter strength, a deeper wisdom. Ashpenaz guided
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: Daniel and his companions deeper into the palace, leading them
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: through hallways that twisted as intricately as the mines that
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: designed them. The corridors dripped with wealth. The walls were
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: adorned in gold and lapis lazuli, tapestries woven with the proud,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: bloody conquests of kings. Opulence saturated every inch, yet Daniel
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: sensed something else beneath this lavish display, a carefully cultivated intimidation,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: beauty designed to crush the spirit, grandeur wielded as both
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: seduction and weapon. Daniel had yet to stand before King Nebuchadnezzar,
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: but he could feel his presence in every inch of
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: these halls. Daniel glanced uneasily at his companions. Hananiah's lips
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: pressed tight, Azariah's eyes were wary, and Mishael's jaw tensed. Finally,
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz stopped before grand doors of polished cedar. He turned
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: to Daniel, eyes probing silently. measuring the young man's resolve
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: yet again, before he pushed the doors open.
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  Speaker 2: Enter.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: Daniel stepped forward, breath catching in his throat as the
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: doors swung wide. Beyond lay a vast chamber filled with
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: countless scrolls and tablets, a treasury of knowledge gathered from
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: across the known world. Daniel's heart quickened at the sight
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: of it all. Yet as he moved cautiously among the shelves,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: Daniel's awe darkened. Babylon's wisdom, he saw clearly now, was
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: not neutral. It held the dangerous allure of power twisted
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: subtly into knowledge. Beneath each scroll, each etched tablet, lurked
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: the Empire's insatiable hunger for dominance, a cold, hidden cruelty
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: masked by golden elegance. He paused, fingers hovering above an
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: ancient text inscribed with astronomical secrets, realizing the temptation was
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: not merely in pleasure or excess, but in the seductive
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: notion of power itself.
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: This place.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: It's more than a library. It's a storehouse of secrets.
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: Secrets to power. A pang of uncertainty gripped Daniel. How
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: far could he safely venture into Babylon's mysteries without losing himself?
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz raised his arms toward the towering statue of Nebuchadnezzar.
• 16:44
  Speaker 5: From this day forward, you belong to King Nebuchadnezzar. the
• 16:48
  Speaker 5: mighty and eternal. Your old lives end here. To bind
• 16:53
  Speaker 5: you fully to Babylon, you shall receive new names.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Daniel's chest tightened painfully. Names were anchors, threads woven back
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: through generations, binding identity to purpose. To strip away his
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: name felt as though Babylon were clawing into his soul,
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: attempting to claim what no empire had a right to touch.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz approached Hananiah first.
• 17:20
  Speaker 5: You shall be Shadrach, commanded by Aku himself, god of
• 17:26
  Speaker 5: the moon.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: Hananiah cringed. His true name had meant the lord is gracious,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: but his new name honored another eerie Babylonian god. Ashpenaz
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: turned to Mishael.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: You shall be Meshach.
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: The one who searches for the mysteries of Aku.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: Mishael's jaw tensed. Meshach was a cruel bastardization of his name.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Who is God? Ashpenaz smirked, seemingly content to see Meshach squirm.
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: He turned to Azariah.
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: Abednego shall be your name. Servant of Naboo. God of wisdom.
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: Daniel's brow perked at that. Servant of Wisdom was a
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: fitting name for Azariah. He wondered if Ashpenaz knew more
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: about them than he had let on. Finally, Ashpenaz's gaze
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: turned to Daniel. His brow slanted ever so slightly. Daniel
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: almost felt as though Ashpenaz was undressing him with his eyes.
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: We shall see what the Great King has for you.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz turned away and gestured them toward a vast corridor.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: Daniel's stomach twisted anxiously as the door swung open, a
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: wave of overwhelming scents pouring outward, heavy with spices, incense,
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: roasting meats and wine. Inside lay a banquet designed to
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: dazzle yet repulse. Pork glistened thickly, monkeys roasted whole grinned
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: grotesquely from silver platters, pigeons coated in honey gleamed in
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: the firelight, and meats openly sacrificed to Babylon's gods dripped oil,
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: their aroma both inviting and nauseating. Around the tables sprawled
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: young nobles from conquered lands, their eyes glazed from endless feasting,
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: minds dulled, spirits broken, chained willingly by luxury rather than force.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: This is nourishment, it's poison, he glanced at Hananiah. sensing
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: his friend's discomfort, and leaned toward him, whispering firmly. This
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: is a trap. Don't eat it.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: I'm starving, Daniel.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: This won't satisfy us. It will only dull our senses.
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: What do we do then?
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: Follow my lead. The four companions remained unmoving in their seats,
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: refusing to touch the food. Ashpenaz noticed their refusal immediately.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: Irritation flickering behind his carefully composed mask.
• 20:12
  Speaker 5: Do you reject the king's generosity?
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Daniel straightened, respectfully firm.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: Eating this way is forbidden by our customs.
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: Your customs burned beneath the rubble of Jerusalem.
• 20:25
  Speaker 7: Our city burned, but our lord endures the flame.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz's expression hardened, then softened just slightly, frustration blending with
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: genuine concern.
• 20:38
  Speaker 5: Your stubbornness endangers us both. The king himself entrusted your
• 20:43
  Speaker 5: health to me. Do not tempt his anger. Eat or
• 20:47
  Speaker 5: we both suffer.
• 20:50
  Speaker 7: I know your risk, Lord Ashpenaz, but look around you carefully.
• 20:55
  Speaker 7: Do you see strength here? Do you allow your soldiers
• 20:59
  Speaker 7: to eat this way? No, you want them strong. You
• 21:03
  Speaker 7: feed these young men delicacies because you want them to
• 21:06
  Speaker 7: feel like princes, but At what cost? Allow us ten
• 21:11
  Speaker 7: days to eat only vegetables, lentils, barley, fruit, and water.
• 21:16
  Speaker 7: And then judge for yourself. If we appear weaker, then
• 21:21
  Speaker 7: we will submit.
• 21:22
  Speaker 5: You have my word.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz hesitated, clearly torn between duty and doubt, finally sighing reluctantly.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: Very well.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: Ten days. No more, Daniel nodded quietly, feeling both relief
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: and a deeper dread. This was a test of wills, identities,
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: and kingdoms. One of fire and stone, the other of
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: word and wisdom. For ten days, Daniel and his friends
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: ate only what grew naturally from the earth. Vegetables, fruits, lentils, barley.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: They drank only clear water and withheld wine and strong
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: drinks from their lips. Over ten days' time, the contrast
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: between the four companions and the other youths was stark,
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: especially as they all sat at the decadent table. Ashpenaz
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: entered the hall and the clamour of the dining room ceased.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: He strode purposefully to Daniel and the faithful three.
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: Ten days.
• 22:31
  Speaker 5: It seems you've done quite well. You don't seem pleased. Pleasure, pain, purpose.
• 22:39
  Speaker 5: These aren't sentiments I chase. I seek to serve the king,
• 22:45
  Speaker 5: and he requests your presence.
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: Come.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Ashpenaz turned on his heel and bid them follow. They did,
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: uncertain of what awaited them in the king's hall. The
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: king's palace was like a temple. Statues of King Nebuchadnezzar
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: held up the roof as pillars. Torches turned purple from
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: rare oils lit the halls with an unearthly glow. Daniel
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: tried to hide his fear. For their sake, Mishael, Azariah
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: and Hananiah looked to him for strength. He took that
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: role seriously. Ashpenaz strode forward with soft feet. reverently approaching
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: the grand cedar doors the height of five men. The
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: guards lowered their spears. Ashpenaz hissed in Assyrian. The guards
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: lifted their spears, gripped the iron handles, and pressed their
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: shoulders against the cedar. The great doors opened wide like
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: the mouth of a dragon. The walls were hewn from
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: pure black onyx. When the doors closed behind them, the
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: room darkened to a near pitch blackness. Then, abruptly, a
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: flame erupted from the iron hearth, illuminating the great hall.
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: And there, sitting atop his throne, was the beast himself.
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: The conqueror, the captor of nations, King Nebuchadnezzar. His eyes
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: glowed red from the reflection of the flame. His thick
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: arms rested on the sides of the throne, taut like
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: coiled oak branches. He spoke, deep, slow, deliberate.
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: A strong arm.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: His eyes glared under the red flame from the cauldron.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: A sharp mind.
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: The king rose from his throne, stepped down beside the hearth,
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: and raised his hand over the flame. The fire licked
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: his fingers like the tongues of serpents, but didn't burn him.
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: I could have destroyed your people, but I didn't. Do
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: you know why?
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: Each man looked to Daniel, who did his best to
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: hide his terror. Daniel's tongue rolled in his mouth, but
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: he said nothing.
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: The kingdoms to the east devour without thought to the future.
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: They have strong arms, but their minds are dull. I
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: have no use for them. They burn in the white-hot
• 25:34
  Speaker 3: furnace of my greatness.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: King Nebuchadnezzar circled the four young men. They could feel
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: each of his steps in their chest.
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: But you Israelites aren't completely worthless. Despite the sniveling cowards
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: you crowned as kings... Despite the complete waste of resources
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: to your temple, you survive. You always survive. There's a
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: secret to your people. I intend to mine those depths.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: Beginning with you four.
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: The king paused when standing over Daniel. The two locked
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: eyes changed. Exchanging something akin to respect, if Nebuchadnezzar could
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: feel such a thing.
• 26:28
  Speaker 3: You are the one they call Daniel, yes?
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, great king.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: So, it was you who refused my generosity.
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: Yes, great king.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: Strong arms, sharp minds. These are the pillars by which
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: I shall build this kingdom to outlast the others. Your
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: insolent challenge to our ways turned out to be a revelation.
• 27:00
  Speaker 5: It is in the law of Moses, great king. Our
• 27:03
  Speaker 5: people have endured because of our great God.
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: I see. Then I shall inquire more about this law
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: and the God you claim gave it.
• 27:18
  Speaker 7: It would be my honor, great king, but be warned.
• 27:23
  Speaker 7: You have subjugated his people. Many kings have tried to
• 27:26
  Speaker 7: do the same, and the Lord has sought them out.
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes. Well, then, I have decided on your new name, Daniel. Belteshazzar.
• 27:48
  Speaker 3: for it is you who shall protect me from the
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: wrath of your God.
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: The young men were dismissed, and in every matter of
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them,
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: he found them ten times better than all the magicians
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. This Pray.com
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: production is only made possible by our dedicated team of
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schelleberger and Ben
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato,
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr.,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith.
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.