Chapter 1

¹ Wishing to set forth the precise reckoning of the times of the captivity that befell the sons of Israel, together with the prophecies of the visions of the blessed Daniel and his upbringing in Babylon from childhood, I too come forward to bear testimony to a holy and righteous man who became a prophet and a martyr of Christ; for he not only revealed to the people of that time the visions of King Nebuchadnezzar, but, having also trained up children like himself, brought forward faithful martyrs into the world.

² Now this man lived in the times of the prophecy of the blessed Jeremiah, in the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, who […] taken captive along with the rest, was led away with them into Babylon.

³ He, while still a young boy, convicted aged elders who had become lusters after evil desire, thereby prefiguring the heavenly Judge, who as a young man of twelve years would one day, in the temple, convict elders who had become transgressors of the law.

⁴ This history, then, as we have read it, took place long ago in Babylon under lawless elders acting as judges, who, having forgotten the law of God and being enslaved to fleshly lust, became plotters against a chaste woman, attempting unjustly to do away with righteous blood.

⁵ It was necessary, therefore, that these things should be fulfilled in this way upon them, so that both the chosen race of the righteous might be made manifest to all, and the chastity of the blessed Susanna might be openly displayed, and the righteous and holy prophet Daniel might be shown forth to the people as a young prophet.