Following v. 23, manuscripts of the oldest translations of Daniel, the LXX and Theodotion, contain a long Apocryphal addition of 68 verses, called “The Song of the Three Holy Children.” The song consists of three parts:

 (1) Prayer of Azarias (Abednego), composed of both confession and supplication (vs. 24-45);

 (2) a prose interlude, describing the heating of the fire and the descent of the angel of the Lord to cool the flames (vs. 46-50);

 (3) the benediction of the three (vs. 51-91).

Although recognized by Jerome as spurious, this Apocryphal addition found its way into Roman Catholic Bibles as canonical. Scholars debate whether the song is of Christian or Jewish origin. A number of them believe the work was produced approximately 100 B.C. See p. 744.