Daniel and Cyrus Before the Idol Bel

The Persian king Cyrus offered a daily sacrifice to the Babylonian idol Bel, hoping to gain his favour. In this painting by Rembrandt, Bel's legs are visible on the right. Every morning, the food was eaten, so it must be a real god, according to Cyrus. The young Jewish man Daniel doesn't believe in it; he believes only in the living God, he tells the king. The king points out the empty bowls to Daniel.

Daniel replies that the idol is merely an image: clay on the inside, copper on the outside. Cyrus has great faith in Daniel and asks the priests for an explanation. They must prove that Bel is eating the sacrifices. If Bel proves able to eat, Daniel must die; if he doesn't, the priests must be executed.

That evening, the king sets out his sacrifices for Bel, and the temple is closed and sealed. The clever Daniel has scattered ashes on the floor beforehand; he knows the priests can enter the temple through a secret entrance. The next morning, Cyrus opens the sealed temple. The sacrifices are gone, but countless footprints are visible on the floor. The priests are killed, and Bel and the temple are destroyed.

The dim light in this small panel falls mainly on the great king's expensive robes. The golden tableware and the headband of the humble Daniel also glitter.