figure. Allowing that "son of Xerxes" could mean descendant of, the first Darius who was a descendant of Xerxes I was Darius II, who lived 423-404/5 BCE, far too late for Daniel. BUT when it came to their "present day" (~165 BCE) (when the text was actually written) - it became amazingly accurate and detailed. Daniel lived in the fifth century B.C. the succession of kingdoms after the Babylonians, the very kingdoms that are in He dies without having a clue if Jerusalem would ever be restored to its former glory. Other less significant arguments are related to Darius the Mede not being attested to in history, and other less significant issues. We find three sets of text in the 70-weeks prophecy that isolate sacrificial offerings as the key to understanding this profound prophecy. The Book of Daniel, written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a book in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. A control freak, if you will. I'm of the 6th century crowd but thought I should remind the critics, even with your later date, Daniel is a true prophet. And this is really how all apocalypse literature works. Why did Daniel get all of the historical facts wrong in Daniel 11:35-35? Evidence for Hebrew as a living language throughout the time of Jesus can be found in Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus. rev2023.7.7.43526. The Book of Daniel is odd in the fact that it's split into two sections. contrast to the other prophets, which in the most general sense predict a time Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. It is possible that the name of Daniel was chosen for the hero of the book because of his reputation as a wise seer in Hebrew tradition. The Book of Daniel is found among the Dead Sea scrolls dating from about 125 BC, There are several fragments, and they do not all agree, that is, there were different schools of documents, one close to the masoretic text, and one nearer the Septuagint. His story expands from his teenage years all the way to his 70s or 80s when he takes a quick trip to the lions den. canonical!, In 1969, based on the evidence available at that time regarding the What would actually lead up to this coming about. So Jesus, for instance, wouldve had to know Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and probably some Latin to get by in Roman circles. Although the Judeans encountered isolated situations of hostility and danger, it appears they also enjoyed great opportunity to influence their surroundings for good. The Ancient of Days judges and destroys the beast, and "one like a son of man" is given everlasting kingship over the entire world. An Introduction to the Book of Daniel | Bible.org The Book of Daniel - originally Hebrew or Aramaic? - Logos Forums [48], The prophecies of Daniel are accurate down to the career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria and oppressor of the Jews, but not in its prediction of his death: the author seems to know about Antiochus' two campaigns in Egypt (169 and 167 BC), the desecration of the Temple (the "abomination of desolation"), and the fortification of the Akra (a fortress built inside Jerusalem), but he seems to know nothing about the reconstruction of the Temple or about the actual circumstances of Antiochus' death in late 164 BC. Who was the intended audience for Dora and the Lost City of Gold? It is named after its central figure, Daniel, who is believed to be the author and protagonist of the book. a single desert community, if the book had really been produced at so The author has apparently counted back seventy years to the "third year of Jehoiakim," 606 BC, to round out Daniel's prophetic ministry. But that doesnt align with Daniels character. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream, and he asked his court wisemen to interpret it, -1. Arguments for early/late date of authorship of Daniel Author, Date and Authenticity. What makes Daniel different "By the 2nd century BC, Hebrew had ceased to be a living language." The Book of Daniel is a curious text. An interesting answer, but if you think the book of Daniel was written circa 165 BCE, some evidence for that late date is required in an hermeneutical answer. From Daniel ch 9-12, most reputable scholars say it was written right around 165 BCE. Also, you must accept the biblical math recorded in the texts of Daniel. 6 Insights You Didn't Notice in the Book of Daniel - Crosswalk The latter half of the Book of Daniel, however, is [3] The book is filled with monsters, angels, and numerology, drawn from a wide range of sources, both biblical and non-biblical, that would have had meaning in the context of 2nd-century Jewish culture, and while Christian interpreters have always viewed these as predicting events in the New Testament"the Son of God", "the Son of Man", Christ and the Antichristthe book's intended audience is the Jews of the 2nd century BC. And yet, when Nebuchadnezzar receives a disturbing dream about his future, Daniel worries for him. This article is part of our Books of the Bible Series featuring lessons, prayers, and facts about each book. web site copyright 1995-2014 Daniel started off his journey in his early years when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took a great majority of its inhabitants into captivity (Daniel 1). Therefore, the prophetic texts include the destruction of Herod's Temple related to the purpose of the Messiah becoming a sacrificial offering. century BC, used the term, while its adjectival use meaning "in The book, of course, is set in exile, and as such, it speaks to a people devastated by the destruction of their identity as Gods people: their land, temple, and Davidic king were gone. Daniel receives an explanatory vision from God: Nebuchadnezzar had seen an enormous statue with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of mixed iron and clay, then saw the statue destroyed by a rock that turned into a mountain filling the whole earth. then what [Daniel] meant by it. [14], Daniel's companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue and are thrown into a fiery furnace. [54], (This section deals with modern scholarly reconstructions of the meaning of Daniel to its original authors and audience), The Book of Daniel is an apocalypse, a literary genre in which a heavenly reality is revealed to a human recipient; such works are characterized by visions, symbolism, an other-worldly mediator, an emphasis on cosmic events, angels and demons, and pseudonymity (false authorship). Why Was The Book of Daniel Written in Two Languages? of peace and a re-gathering of Israel, but not these specific scenarios. And Thus I am thrilled to have a commentary series based on the Story of God a commentary that helps me to Listen to the Story, that Explains the Story, and then encourages me to probe how to Live the Story. And the Many of the more modern arguments against the traditional dating of Daniel surround linguistic studies. The book of Daniel also gives us a window into what it means to be a citizen of this eternal kingdom. In essence, the King of Babylon flaunts in Yahwehs face that he has captured Israels best and brightest and that he intends to sway Daniel under the influence of Bel. Even if we havent attended church for a long time, many of us know about the story of Daniel. Summary of the Book of Daniel. The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. [28] The most probable conclusion is that the account must have been completed near the end of the reign of Antiochus but before his death in December 164 BC, or at least before news of it reached Jerusalem, and the consensus of modern scholarship[29][30][31][32][33][34][35] is accordingly that the book dates to the period 167163 BC. The Daniel 10: In the third year of Cyrus[Notes 5] Daniel sees in his vision an angel (called "a man", but clearly a supernatural being) who explains that he is in the midst of a war with the "prince of Persia", assisted only by Michael, "your prince." Book of Daniel Overview - Insight for Living Ministries Richard Carter's article far too long, tiresome unscholarly trash. between 168/7 and 165/4 B.C. really no difference between religion and politics. The existence of the Greek word symphonia was cited by The combination, however, is well-suited to an author living in Babylonian exile. Israels God has such control of the world that he does not rush about in desperation, marshal emergency forces, or play Whack-a-mole with antichrists: he does everything at exactly the right time, even though his people (and his name) may suffer in the meantime. How to format a JSON string as a table using jq? Although I wish the article could dive into more ways to peeling back the layers of the prophet Daniel, I hope this helped to give more insight into the life of this prophet and how he exemplifies grace and righteous living when placed under pressure. [25] Antiochus drove Jason out of Jerusalem, plundered the Temple, and introduced measures to pacify his Egyptian border by imposing complete Hellenization: the Jewish Book of the Law was prohibited and on 15 December 167 BC an "abomination of desolation", probably a Greek altar, was introduced into the Temple. Thanks for this excellent answer. More evidence on this point, or links to arguments for this, would be helpful. This, too, had been lost by 160 BC., but Daniel had the politics right. second-century B.C. bringing it all the way down. Question: What proofs are used to show the book of Daniel was written in the 600s and what evidence is used to prove a later composition, around the time of Antiochus Epi arephanes? You must use the biblical math used by Sir Robert Anderson, which supports Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem on Sunday, April 6, AD 32. [10] Various suggestions have been made by scholars to explain the fact that the genre division does not coincide with the other two, but it appears that the language division and concentric structure of chapters 26 are artificial literary devices designed to bind the two halves of the book together. Daniel is the best candidate for the authorship of his book, at least according to the book itself. This answer has some good ideas, but uses a very conversational tone. For one, Daniel refers to himself in the first person in much of the book and makes the dating claim himself. the dream is of a giant statue, a colossus, made of different metals. [16], Belshazzar and his nobles blasphemously drink from sacred Jewish temple vessels, offering praise to inanimate gods, until a hand mysteriously appears and writes upon the wall. The conflicts we see on earth reflect a cosmic conflict that will continue until Gods kingdom comes in all its fullness. Join the joyful moment and learn more. Your form could not be submitted. The first contains Babylonian narratives of Daniel and his friends standing strong in their beliefs. Qumran Daniel texts, Roland K. Harrison concluded that the They are allowed to continue to refrain from eating the king's food, and to Daniel, God gives insight into visions and dreams. It seems difficult to believe that such a #1 Since Daniel is provably out of chronological order, don't you think we should be wondering why? Daniel fails to understand and asks again what will happen, and is told: "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. What Does Jehovah Mean as a Name for God? ", The Greek text of Daniel is considerably longer than the Hebrew, due to three additional stories: they remain in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but were rejected by the Protestant movement in the 16th century on the basis that they were absent from the Hebrew Bible. Brute force open problems in graph theory, Relativistic time dilation and the biological process of aging. What is the number of ways to spell French word chrysanthme ? Sometimes they created conditions in which Gods people could thrive as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, rising to high positions in foreign courts. You will find that this contrasts with the bias of modern-day scholars, who hold to presuppositions that ignore the exact science of astronomy and how the ancients practiced their calendars. Did God have any plan for them in the future? When the wise men protest that this is beyond the power of any man, he sentences all, including Daniel and his friends, to death. A small horn that grows very large, it stops the daily temple sacrifices and desecrates the sanctuary for two thousand three hundred "evening and mornings" (which could be either 1,150 or 2,300 days) until the temple is cleansed. How does the theory of evolution make it less likely that the world is designed? [55] The production of apocalypses occurred commonly from 300 BC to 100 AD, not only among Jews and Christians, but also among Greeks, Romans, Persians and Egyptians, and Daniel is a representative apocalyptic seer, the recipient of divine revelation: he has learned the wisdom of the Babylonian magicians and surpassed them, because his God is the true source of knowledge; he is one of the maskilim (), the wise ones, who have the task of teaching righteousness and whose number may be considered to include the authors of the book itself. This meant, among other things, that city government would be in the hands of the citizens, which meant in turn that citizenship would be a valuable commodity, to be purchased from Jason. Well there is the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, who were smart Jews that were exiled from the holy land after the destruction of the first temple. to come, then I would say, that the Book of Daniel is the first real [4] It divides into two parts: a set of six court tales in chapters 16, written mostly in Aramaic, and four apocalyptic visions in chapters 712, written mostly in Hebrew;[5] the deuterocanonical books contain three additional sections, the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon. 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. The book of Daniel was written in both Hebrew (1:1-2:3; 7:1-12:13) and Aramaic . The traditional date, of course, is based on the internal dating of Daniel (cf. It becomes understandable from ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really? using apocalypse as a way of saying, "Hold fast. And for these events after 164 BCE, they get nearly everything wrong! "[74] According to Daniel R. Schwartz, without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity would have disappeared like the movements following other charismatic Jewish figures of the 1st century. Enhance your schools traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. Sadly, they likely became eunuchs, so anyone swooning over them probably missed out on marriage with them. The most obvious being the word order changed from verb-subject-object to subject-verb-object. The professor began by asking us to write down our expectations for the class and turn them in at the end of the period. In Daniel 2:4 the prophet switched to Aramaic, the language of the Babylonians, and used that language through the end of chapter 7. The concepts of immortality and resurrection, with rewards for the righteous and punishment for the wicked, have roots much deeper than Daniel, but the first clear statement is found in the final chapter of that book: "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. We discover precisely 14,000 days from Palm Sunday to the destruction of Herod's Temple. Refer to "Beyond - The Coming Prince by Sir Robert Anderson" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08429FCJT) wherein I wrote the study. The most important arguement for a late date is that if Daniel were written in the 6th Century BC, it would mean that predictive prophecy had occurred, an astounding thing. Lingual shifts had happened but it was still a living language. Daniel states that Beltashazzar could only give Daniel the third place in the kingdom. What is the basis for a late date for the Book of Daniel? Through writing and speaking I talk and teach about understanding the Story of God throughout Scripture and about letting God reveal more of His story as I live it out. really a new genre of literature. [53], Eight copies of the Book of Daniel, all incomplete, have been found at Qumran, two in Cave 1, five in Cave 4, and one in Cave 6. venerated, and accepted as canonical Scripture by a Maccabean The work would be entirely pseudonymous. sect. Article Images Copyright , Banish the Unofficial Luggage of Foster Care, 6 Insights You Didnt Notice in the Book of Daniel. We have compiled these articles to help you study the writings inspired by the Holy Spirit. But those who align with orthodox Christian beliefs assert that Daniel wrote the majority of the Book of Daniel. are supposed to happen right before the end. Daniel had two, maybe three, names. What is the Purpose of the Book of Daniel? An | Zondervan Academic The Hebrew verb is r. just think about what he's telling us about our own future and he gives us the the composition of the book of Daniel. This means that these scholars Daniel's languages. Arguments for early/late date of authorship of Daniel, hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/25691/, espanol.apologeticspress.org/rr/reprints/, Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, https://jimhamilton.info/2010/09/06/qumran-scrolls-and-the-date-of-daniel/, provide answers that don't require clarification from the asker, https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/a/37656/27923, Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood. Really, all apocalyptic literature is much more a response to a concrete set of Chapters 1012 must therefore have been written between 167 and 164 BC. this work as if its symbolism of good and truth and beauty are divorced from The content here may be outdated or no longer functioning. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Part of the reason why skeptics think someone else wrote the book is that this book contains two languages: Hebrew and Aramaic. will now have to demonstrate that a mere forty or fifty years was Assuming he was a teenager when he was taken to Babylon, Daniel may have been around 90 years old when he wrote his book. According to Overview Bible, Daniel comes from the line of David. Daniel 1:1, 2:1, 7:1). What is Isaiah 24-27, and when was it written? When he wakes up, he realizes that the dream has some important message, so he consults his wise men. The High Priestly family was split by rivalry, and one member, Jason, offered the king a large sum to be made High Priest. Well done. --Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Story of God Bible Commentary series invites readers to probe how the message of the text relates to our situations today. critical chance, does it have any reason to exist? THE BOOK OF DANIEL This book takes its name not from the author, who is actually unknown, but from its hero, who was allegedly among the first Jews deported to Babylon, where he lived at least until 538 B.C. pious young man. Wary of their potential to fabricate an explanation, the king refuses to tell the wise men what he saw in his dream. Book of Daniel original language - Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange Nebuchadnezzar changed Daniels name from God is my judge to Belteshazzar Bels Prince. Bel was a Babylonian deity. Late-daters dispute that Nebuchadnezzar actually besieged Jerusalem. This commentary series hopes that its readers not only hear and understand the story, but are impacted by it to live in as Christian a way as possible. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. [59] The following explains a few of these predictions, as understood by modern biblical scholars. But God shuts up the mouths of the lions, and the next morning Darius rejoices to find him unharmed. No One Knows Where Daniel Was during the Fiery Furnace. Final notes on Daniel Outline of the book of Daniel Daniel is an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a Jew of noble heritage who was exiled to Babylon. Secondly, the book hints at events to come, that have happened in history and that have yet to take place. When and where was it written? fifth one, which is right toward the end of the book in chapter 11, is so Biblical Aramaic - Life, Hope and Truth Not only does Daniel seem able to prophesy events close to the time of 167 BCE accurately, although not the relevant events that occurred shortly after this time, but its narrative around the chronology of the Exile seems flawed. in the Louvre (Wikimedia Commons photo). the story of the history of the Jewish people from that time to the present. Daniel likely wrote the book throughout the course of his life, as some of the events happen in his teen years and some happen toward the end of his life. A perfect tool for helping every follower of Jesus to walk in the story that God is writing for them. --Judy Douglass, Director of Womens Resources, Cru, Pastors and lay people will welcome this new series, which seeks to make the message of the Scriptures clear and to guide readers in appropriating biblical texts for life today. --Daniel I. history of the world. Some people have thought that perhaps Daniel, too, bowed to the statue Nebuchadnezzar set up for himself in Daniel 3. The message of the Book of Daniel is that, just as the God of Israel saved Daniel and his friends from their enemies, so he would save all Israel in their present oppression. based on divine revelation, but, above all, divine revelation concerning things But once we cross the 164 BCE threshold, the level of details drop off immediately (because in truth, now they are just talking about stuff that hasn't yet happened as of the true writing time). One of Daniel's attendants explains that the four beasts represent four kings, but that "the holy ones of the Most High" would receive the everlasting kingdom. Yet the majority view among historical critics is that the book was actually written in its final form between 167 and 164 b.c.