What was Daniel's status as a young Jew in Babylon?
As a young Jew, Daniel was a captive in Babylon, taken from Jerusalem and Judea after Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city. The Babylonians trained him for service in the king's kingdom, and he rose to preeminence by interpreting the dream that the king's magicians could not recover.
Les explains that Daniel is writing shortly after Nebuchadnezzar besieged and took the Jews captive out of Jerusalem and Judea back to Babylon. As a young Jew, Daniel was trained by the Babylonians for service in the king's kingdom. He was brought to a place of preeminence by interpreting the dream Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and lost, which the king's magicians could not bring back. Les also notes that scoffers ridicule the book of Daniel, claiming it was written by an imposter long after the events, rather than by this young Jew writing before they happened.