Did the Jews who returned from exile have the book of Daniel with them?

The Jews who returned from exile most probably took one or more copies of the book with them when they went back to Jerusalem.

Here is why this conclusion is solid and widely accepted by historians and scholars of the ancient Near East.

1. The exiled Jews had scribes and sacred texts in Babylonia

During the exile, the Jews did not lose their Scriptures. On the contrary:

• They copied, studied and preserved their texts.
• The role of the scribes grew stronger.
• Daniel himself was a learned high official, surrounded by other scribes.

It is therefore very probable that copies of the book of Daniel were in circulation even before the end of the exile.

2. The return to Jerusalem (538 BC) involved the transport of sacred texts

When Cyrus permits the return:

• The Jews bring back the objects of the Temple (Ezra 1.7).
• They restore the public reading of the Law as soon as they arrive.
• They rebuild religious life around the Scriptures.

This necessarily implies that they took scrolls with them.

Even if the Torah — show definition INF032 is explicitly mentioned, it is obvious that other prophetic writings accompanied them.

3. Daniel was still alive at the time of the return

According to Daniel 10.1, Daniel receives his last vision in the third year of Cyrus, that is, after the first return (538 BC).

This means:

• Daniel was alive at the time of the return.
• He had the authority and the ability to pass on his book.
• His writings were already recognized and respected.

It is therefore very probable that he himself supervised the transmission of his book.

4. The Qumran manuscripts confirm an early and wide circulation

The manuscripts of Daniel found at Qumran — show definition INF064 (2nd–1st century BC) show that:

• the book was already widely circulated,
• stabilized,
• and regarded as Scripture.

This circulation would not have been possible if the text had not been brought back to Jerusalem at the return from exile, then copied again in the following generations.

Conclusion

Yes, the Jews who returned from exile most probably took one or more copies of the book of Daniel to Jerusalem. The reasons are strong:

• Daniel was still alive.
• Jewish scribes were actively copying the Scriptures.
• The return involved the restoration of worship and therefore of the sacred texts.
• The later circulation of the book confirms an early transmission.

In summary: The book of Daniel left Babylon with the exiles and was integrated very early into the religious life of Jerusalem. This indicates that Daniel’s writings were already regarded as prophetic texts during his lifetime.