It appears that Daniel wrote his work over an extended period. It is plausible that he recorded his various testimonies as they came, which would explain why his book is a compilation of these different writings.
This claim is perfectly realistic, and it corresponds to what the majority of scholars regard as the normal way the book of Daniel came to be written.
Did Daniel write his book over a long period?
Yes, it is very likely.
The book of Daniel spans about 70 years of history, from 605 BC to the early years of Cyrus (around 536 BC). It would therefore be surprising if Daniel had written his whole book at one time.
The internal evidence of the text shows that he wrote as events unfolded, and that these writings were then gathered into a single book.
Why is this idea coherent?
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The book contains personal accounts set at very different moments
Each chapter begins with an indication of time:
- Daniel 1.1: the beginning of the exile
- Daniel 2.1: the 2nd year of Nebuchadnezzar
- Daniel 7.1: the 1st year of Belshazzar
- Daniel 10.1: the 3rd year of Cyrus
These markers show that Daniel wrote at different times in his life, not in a single sitting.
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The visions are dated and seem to have been recorded after the fact
Each vision is introduced as a lived event:
- “I had a vision…”
- “A word was revealed to Daniel…”
- “I saw in a vision…”
This language suggests that Daniel noted down his prophetic experiences at the time they occurred, like a spiritual journal.
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The style changes between the accounts and the visions
Chapters 1–6 are narrative. Chapters 7–12 are apocalyptic.
This difference in style points to:
- different times of writing,
- different purposes,
- probably different writing materials.
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The final compilation is consistent with Jewish practice
In antiquity, the prophets or their disciples:
- wrote down accounts,
- preserved visions,
- then gathered these documents into a single book.
This was the case for Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel… Daniel is no exception.
Conclusion
Yes, it is entirely plausible — and even very probable — that:
- Daniel wrote over a long period,
- his accounts and visions were written down over time,
- then gathered into a single book toward the end of his life or shortly afterward.
This understanding reinforces the idea that the book of Daniel is a testimony of a life, a collection of lived accounts and received visions, carefully organized to convey a coherent theological message.