Daniel 3:6

6. If this image were indeed that of the chief Babylonian deity there need be no surprise that the penalty of death should fall upon those who would refuse to worship it. Knabenbauer (p. 7) gives an instance in comparatively modern times, on somewhat doubtful authority however, where, on severe penalties, the emperor of Japan suspended all the religious worship of the empire excepting to one particular idol. Those who refused allegiance to the gods of the country were considered as traitors to the government. (See Pusey, 444, etc.) Of course the worship of Bel would not, from the heathen standpoint, have excluded the worship also of Jehovah; but from the Jewish standpoint he who worshiped the One God could worship no other without apostasy. The punishment by fire was according to the Babylonian and Persian custom (Jeremiah 29:22). Bertin and Budge were wrong in formerly supposing that these fiery furnaces were crematories, as it is now known that the practice of burning the dead among the Babylonians was “practically unknown” (Jastrow); but a number of texts speak of the burning alive of the king’s enemies. This custom continued clear down to Maccabean times ( 2Ma 7:5 ). Assurbanipal (668-626 B.C.) says of a prince who had uttered curses against his favorite gods, “Over a furnace they placed him and consumed him” ( Records of the Past, 1:76-79; 9:56). As the fire god ( Nusku) was the “messenger” and “firstborn” of Bel, if the Hebrews had refused to worship this chief deity of Babylon the punishment of death by fire would be peculiarly appropriate.