The Plain of Dura was an open area in the province of Babylon, within Nebuchadnezzar’s empire. Its exact location is uncertain: scholars place it near Babylon, possibly close to the city walls or in a nearby area identified today as Tulul Dura.
It was there that Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue set up, sixty cubits high, nearly a hundred feet, and summoned every official of the empire to worship it to the sound of musical instruments.
Three young exiled Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow down before the image, even under threat of death in the blazing furnace. God delivered them from the fire, and the king himself acknowledged the power of the God of Israel before the whole court.
The Plain of Dura shows that faithfulness to God can be demanded in the public square, under political and social pressure. And that God is able to deliver those who trust in him, even when the right answer seems to lead to death.
