institution · I0006

Chananiah, Mishael & Azariah חנניה, מישאל ועזריה

Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are Daniel's three Judean companions in Babylon — modeled here as a group entity; a future pass may split the trio into individual entries. They share Daniel's dietary fidelity and participate in prayer for revelation of the king's dream. Their signature narrative is refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar's image and deliverance from the fiery furnace.

I. Who

Hebrew
חנניה, מישאל ועזריה
Also known as
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
Era
bible

II. When

Traditional
c. 3320–3340 AM, in the early Babylonian exile
Academic
Narrative setting: 6th century BCE; the Book of Daniel's final form is commonly dated by modern scholarship to the 2nd century BCE.
Duration
≈20 years
Precision
approximate

V. How do we know

ClaimEvidenceConfidenceSources
The Judean youths Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
Together with Daniel they ate vegetables and water rather than the royal provisions, and after the trial they appeared healthier and were found exceptionally wise.
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
Daniel informed Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the king's demand so that they would seek mercy from God; the secret was then revealed to Daniel.
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
The three refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, were thrown into a superheated furnace, emerged unharmed, and were promoted by the king.
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
Modern critical dating of the Book of Daniel's final form to the 2nd century BCE does not independently establish whether Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were historical 6th-century court figures; their biographical setting remains the book's Babylonian narrative.
This separates literary dating from the historicity of the named individuals.
reconstruction ★★★☆☆
The traditional placement c. 3320–3340 AM, in the early Babylonian exile, is a schematic Mesorah Atlas reconstruction from their appearance with Daniel among the Judean youths brought into Nebuchadnezzar's court; the cited sources do not state an absolute AM range.
The cited sources establish relative chronology or regnal duration; they do not state the absolute AM range.
tradition reconstruction ★☆☆☆☆