דניאל, פרק ב׳, פסוק ל״ט

Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a towering statue reveals the destiny of world empires. As time moves forward, global power will shift from nation to nation, mirroring the downward progression of the statue's body parts and the declining value of its metals. Following the end of Babylonian dominance—specifically after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar—a new empire will emerge [רש״י, אבן עזרא]. This second kingdom will be fundamentally different in nature, just as silver is a distinctly different metal from gold [מלבי״ם]. It will also be inferior to Babylon, a decline represented both by silver's lower value compared to gold and by the chest and arms being physically situated below the head [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators identifies this silver empire as the combined forces of Media and Persia. The imagery of the chest dividing into two arms perfectly captures the dual alliance of these two nations [מלבי״ם].

A third kingdom will then take control, represented by the statue's belly and thighs of copper. The use of copper symbolizes a harsh, strong, and fierce nation [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the Greek empire, which began its rise to power under Alexander the Great. This kingdom is destined to conquer and spread across the entire globe. Its absolute expansion is reflected in the physical anatomy of the statue: the belly and navel represent the center from which a body grows outward [מלבי״ם], while the thighs indicate that its dominion will stretch to the very ends of the earth [אלשיך].

While the identity of the third empire as Greece is widely accepted, commentators hold different views on how the later Roman empire fits into this prophetic timeline. Some consider Rome to be a branch or extension included within the third kingdom of Greece [מצודת דוד]. Others group Greece and Rome together as a single continuous empire, which then leaves the fourth and final kingdom of iron to represent the widespread empire of Ishmael [אבן עזרא].