Question:
Answer:
Daniel was a Jewish man from Jerusalem who was taken captive by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was not considered a prophet by Jewish tradition, but Christian tradition has generally accepted him as a prophet. The book of Daniel is sometimes characterized as apocalyptic literature rather than prophetic.
The Magi were Gentiles, not Jews. It is generally believed that they were probably members of the priestly class in Zoroastrian religion.
The identification of Daniel with the Magi is due to Daniel 2:48, which states: “He advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents, made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.”
The “wise men of Babylon” are considered by some to be from the same group as the Magi in the Gospel of Matthew. However, Daniel was a Jewish man who was of the Jewish religion, something that neither the “wise men of Babylon” nor the Magi were.