“Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed–nego.”
The renaming process—from godly Hebrew names to names derived from Babylonian deities—represents an assault on identity designed to psychologically anchor these youths in foreign theology. Daniel becoming Belteshazzar invokes Babylon's chief god; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego receive names honoring Babylonian deities, literally inscribing pagan theology into their daily social existence. Yet the narrative's continued use of Hebrew names signals that renaming cannot erase deeper identity; the youths remain inwardly faithful despite outward conformity in nomenclature. This tension between forced external identity and preserved internal conviction becomes paradigmatic for diaspora communities maintaining faith under pressure.
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