Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they were assigned Chaldean names, so that Hananiah became Shadrach (שַׁדְרַך "Šaḏraḵ"), Mishael became Meshach (מֵישַׁ֖ךְ "Mêšaḵ") and Azariah became Abednego (עֲבֵ֣דנְג֑וֹ "‘Ǎḇêḏ-Nəḡō") . Shadrach's name is possibly derived from Shudur Aku "Command of Aku (the moon god)", Meshach is probably a variation of Mi-sha-aku, meaning "Who is as Aku is?", and Abednego is either "Slave of the god Nebo/Nabu" or a variation of Abednergal, "Slave of the god Nergal." The Chaldean names are related to the Hebrew names, but the name of a heathen god has replaced that of Yahweh. The word "Dura" (where the statue is erected) means
On the Reliability of the Old Testament the Old Testament. The book opens with an introductory chapter surveying the history with which it intends to deal, the continuous narrative in the Hebrew Bible from the Genesis creation narrative to the return of the Jews to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity in the early days of the Persian Empire in the 5th century BC. The author claims that this history was written at the same time as the events it describes in its various sections, and that this can be confirmed by comparing the Old Testament with non-Biblical sources, both written and archaeological. He clarifies by stating that