If integrated into the book of Daniel: 14.23.

A great dragon: Great here means “huge.” The Greek word translated dragon clearly has reference here to a large snake; there is no indication that it is some imaginary animal or extinct species. Snake worship was fairly common in the ancient world, although evidence is meager for Babylonia. One scholar, Landersdorfer, inferred from the indirect evidence of reliefs and inscriptions that live snakes, as opposed to images, were probably worshiped, but this is not certain. On the other hand, what exactly is in view here is not crucial to the appreciation of this delightful little story. The author clearly knew that some people, at any rate, worshiped snakes. In cultures where large snakes such as boa constrictors exist and where dragons are unknown, it will be better here to use something like “a huge snake,” but in cultures where dragons are thought to exist and are even revered, translators should stay with dragon.

The Babylonians revered may also be rendered “the Baylonians worshiped as a god.”

New Revised Standard Version has adopted a textual variant to open this verse: “Now in that place there was….” Most manuscripts have this reading (the Septuagint reads “in the same place”) and it is quite possibly original. However, since the text goes on to say that the snake was worshiped by the Babylonians, the phrase “in that place,” whether original or not, seems to add nothing to the story. Those choosing to translate it must be aware that the “place” has to refer to Babylon, and not to the temple of Bel, which was destroyed according to verse 22.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.