The number 2300 refers to the prophecy in Daniel 8:14 about 2300 evenings and mornings before the sanctuary is restored to its rightful state. It is the only place in the Bible where this number appears.
In Daniel 8:14, an angel says that it will take 2300 evenings and mornings before the sanctuary is restored to its rightful state. The vision appears in the context of Daniel's prophecy about the ram and the goat, which symbolize political and spiritual conflicts. Throughout history, this number has been interpreted in various ways—some understand it as 2300 days (or prophetic years based on the year-day principle), while others interpret it as 1150 days, where each evening and morning represents one daily sacrifice. In Jewish tradition, the prophecy is often linked to Antiochus IV Epiphanes' desecration of the temple, whereas in Christian tradition, the number has been used to calculate dates for eschatological events. Regardless of interpretive tradition, the number points to God's faithfulness in restoring what is holy after a period of desecration and oppression. Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the temple in Jerusalem in 167 BC by erecting an altar for Zeus in the temple and forbidding Jewish religious practice. The Maccabean revolt that followed led to the rededication of the temple in 164 BC, celebrated as Hanukkah. Some interpreters distinguish between 2300 days and 1150 days based on whether the phrase "evenings and mornings" refers to full days (cf. the creation account's "it was evening and it was morning") or to the two daily sacrifices—the morning and evening offering (tamid)—as prescribed in Exodus 29:38–39. William Miller (1782–1849) calculated, using the year-day principle, that the 2300 prophetic years began in 457 BC (the decree of Artaxerxes) and ended in AD 1844. When Christ did not return, the event became known as "The Great Disappointment." Seventh-day Adventists later reinterpreted 1844 as the beginning of a heavenly investigative judgment. In rabbinic tradition, there is discussion about whether Daniel's prophecies primarily concern the Second Temple period or if they also have a future eschatological fulfillment. The Talmud (Megillah 12a) addresses Daniel's time calculations in connection with the duration of the exile.*