Daniël in de leeuwenkuil

Daniel is shown as an older bearded man with his hands clasped, looking upward toward a small barred opening at the top of a vaulted chamber. Four lions rest around him, appearing calm and submissive rather than predatory. The scene captures the moment of divine protection where the prophet's faith preserves him from the beasts.

Daniel is a foundational figure in the Western esoteric tradition, regarded as a master of dream interpretation (oneiromancy) and divine prophecy. His survival in the lions' den was often interpreted by Renaissance philosophers as an allegory for the power of the purified human soul to command the lower 'animal' forces of nature.