We dont know what happened to Daniel during this chapter, but some have assumed he was away during the events. It's that exactly. In the opening verses of the book, we encounter a situation that any ancient Near Eastern observer would have interpreted as the weaker God of Israel losing to the stronger god of Babylon. ", Daniel 12: At this time Michael will come. It should at least be stated that this view maintains the weight of tradition. [56] The book is also an eschatology, as the divine revelation concerns the end of the present age, a predicted moment in which God will intervene in history to usher in the final kingdom. By Gordon Wenham. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. I don't understand how you can say Daniel's apocalyptic sections lack an angelic guide. That's why some people call it prophecy, but it's 2 Answers Sorted by: 1 The question is based on the unverified assumption that the Greek words, (cithara), (psaltery) and (symphonia), are the source of the Aramaic and thus loan words. How does the theory of evolution make it less likely that the world is designed? And The purpose of Herod's Temple was to conduct sacrificial services. "Third year of Cyrus": 536 BC. The latter half of the Book of Daniel, however, is. The existence of the Greek word symphonia was cited by Apocalyptic writings changed heavily over the life of the genre, and we have examples of them from throughout the Intertestamental period. prophecies of a benign future. While God often shares his wisdom and power, he can also choose to withhold or withdraw them. Article Images Copyright , Banish the Unofficial Luggage of Foster Care, 6 Insights You Didnt Notice in the Book of Daniel. Since the Book of Daniel is written from the point of view of a court officer in Babylon, using the Babylonian system makes good sense. Even if we havent attended church for a long time, many of us know about the story of Daniel. Three years later Jason was deposed when another priest, Menelaus, offered Antiochus an even larger sum for the post of High Priest. All eight manuscripts were copied between 125BC (4QDanc) and about 50 AD (4QDanb), showing that Daniel was being read at Qumran only about 40 years after its composition. while Daniel was living in Babylon. Frank E. Gaebelein . Please. [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. apocalypse. In Daniel's interpretation, however, these refer to Daniel's parents chose a Hebrew name for their son meaning "God is my judge," testifying of their faith in the one, true God. His book Against the Christians argued that because there could be no predictive prophecy, the book must have been written in the second century BC.1 If this was the case, the author would be a Maccabean Jew pretending to write history about a fictional Jew named Daniel. When he wakes up, he realizes that the dream has some important message, so he consults his wise men. 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). Daniel had two, maybe three, names. and THEN again, for EVERYTHING AFTER 164 BCE -- it again GETS THINGS GROSSLY WRONG again. There is a great gulf between the simple conservative view of Daniel and the liberal understanding of the book. During the time of the Hasmoneans, a Hebrew renaissance was in full swing and a new book written in Aramaic would not easily have been accepted. Please check errors and resubmit. 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. [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. The professor began by asking us to write down our expectations for the class and turn them in at the end of the period. Was the covenant null and void? "Darius" is in any case a Persian, not a Median, name. that 4QDane [ca. The book of Daniel affirms that God was not done with his people though they would continue to live under foreign kings for much of their existence. If someone names you, in Scripture, they essentially claim ownership over you. Also, coins have been found from the Hasmonean period (165 BC-37 BC) with Hebrew writing on them. We dont know when the Book of Daniel ended but we can assume close to the fifth century. 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. [44] The stories of the first half are legendary in origin, and the visions of the second the product of anonymous authors in the Maccabean period (2nd century BC). However, Jesus' death and supernatural resurrection would be the ultimate sacrifice. Late-daters dispute that Nebuchadnezzar actually besieged Jerusalem. and prospective quality. You must use the exact science of astronomy, the Mishnah (validates high variation in the practice of the Hebrew calendar before AD 360), Elephantine papyri, and Babylonian Cuneiform texts, to date all the foretold events in the time-based matrix, you discover God-like control of human activities. [79], The influence of Daniel has not been confined to Judaism and Christianity: In the Middle Ages Muslims created horoscopes whose authority was attributed to Daniel. 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. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08236FQVC, Eternal Life - Why you should expect to live forever (e-book) Therefore, the premise: Foretelling specific events to occur on a precise date, hundreds of years into the future unveil a transcendent Being sourced the texts recorded in Daniel. So Argument from Tradition [49], Further evidence of the book's date is in the fact that Daniel is excluded from the Hebrew Bible's canon of the prophets, which was closed around 200 BC, and the Wisdom of Sirach, a work dating from around 180 BC, draws on almost every book of the Old Testament except Daniel, leading scholars to suppose that its author was unaware of it. the history forward is really what gives apocalypse literature its predictive As it is, you have only provided negative reasons for an early date. [8][9] The division is reinforced by the chiastic arrangement of the Aramaic chapters (see below), and by a chronological progression in chapters 16 from Babylonian to Median rule, and from Babylonian to Persian rule in chapters 712. the visions of Daniel are really one of our first important pieces of This therefore proves that the book of Daniel was written in the traditionally accepted time of 450-550 bc. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. For that matter, the N.T. Greek historians attributed the construction to Semiramis, a legendary Assyrian queen. We think God should always show up, defeating his enemy and rescuing his people. This is FRONTLINE's old website. If by apocalypse, one simply means works which are It is called Mishnaic Hebrew and the rabbinic writings are full of it. Lets set the scene. Daniel spends the majority of his life in Babylon and never returns to Jerusalem with its inhabitants after the 70-year captivity ends. In the final verses the remaining time to the end is revealed: "a time, times and half a time" (three years and a half). venerated, and accepted as canonical Scripture by a Maccabean The traditional date, of course, is based on the internal dating of Daniel (cf. He will defeat and subjugate Libya and Egypt, but "reports from the east and north will alarm him," and he will meet his end "between the sea and the holy mountain. The second section shows visions of historical events to come (already fulfilled) and End Times events (not already fulfilled). triumph." 125 B.C.] Daniel states that Beltashazzar could only give Daniel the third place in the kingdom. dating of the book of Daniel is rendered [45], The author/editor was probably an educated Jew, knowledgeable in Greek learning, and of high standing in his own community. All rights reserved. then what [Daniel] meant by it. books Ezekiel, Jeremiah, which are apocalyptic in the sense that they are the political reality that's all around them. what makes Daniel unique . Richard Carter's article far too long, tiresome unscholarly trash. 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. Linguistic Argument Some people have referred to this motif of apocalypse literature as As each king flexes his royal muscles before the Most High God, he responds with a display of his infinite power and wisdom. Because Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem a number of times, the final sacking in 586, we can easily date the Book of Daniel as being written in the sixth century BC. And he never gets to see either rebuilt. pious young man. 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. 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. Because any earlier and its inaccuracies would start sooner, and any later and it wouldnt have circulated successfully so as to gain a strong position as scripture, since its predictions would have been too rapidly falsified". I discuss this in great detail in my book, "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" which is available at www.ipibooks.com. will now have to demonstrate that a mere forty or fifty years was No One Knows Where Daniel Was during the Fiery Furnace. So until his kingdom comes in all its fullness, we trust that he is in control that he could wipe the planet clean now if he so chose, but that in his wisdom he chooses not to. This article is part of our Books of the Bible Series featuring lessons, prayers, and facts about each book. How does the inclusion of stochastic volatility in option pricing models impact the valuation of exotic options? It has been understood thatJohn's Gospel is a distinct chronicling of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. What would actually lead up to this coming about. [13][Notes 2], In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. 2 And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. The conflicts we see on earth reflect a cosmic conflict that will continue until Gods kingdom comes in all its fullness. detailed, it's the longest prophecy in the Bible. 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. 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. Critically The answer of critical scholarship is much more complex. Here's a paper that argues for the early dating: The argument style of Porphyry, which would evidence its late date to an unbeliever, furthers the glory of God in the heart of a believer at the detailed accuracy of the prophecy. It seems difficult to believe that such a Gods people will often get caught in this conflict, and although he is always able to deliver them, he wont always choose to do so. He cares about what will happen to him. the story of the history of the Jewish people from that time to the present. Daniel 11:35-45 is a prophecy of the end of the Greek kingdoms. Also, you must accept the biblical math recorded in the texts of Daniel. It is named after its central figure, Daniel, who is believed to be the author and protagonist of the book. According to Overview Bible, Daniel comes from the line of David. web site copyright 1995-2014 really no difference between religion and politics. theoriesfor the book to be developed into its present form and become [23] When Antiochus came to the throne in 175 BC the Jews were largely pro-Seleucid. writtenaccording to those scholars who insist that Daniel wasnt Daniel tells the story of the collapse of Colossus. Qumran Daniel texts, Roland K. Harrison concluded that the A kind of model Jew resisting the temptations of acculturation Daniel in the critics' den: Historical evidence for the authenticity of . Once you have sufficient, As its currently written, your answer is unclear. have really two parts of the book of Daniel. Pretty good prophecies for being ~200 years in the future. Daniel's book holds the key to understanding our history and our times, and it reassures us about God's absolute authority over our future. Last edited by a moderator: Mar 20, 2013 E Earlmayknowornot Banned Feb 17, 2013 1,034 9 0 Mar 20, 2013 #2 Many of the books are out of chronological order. Nebuchadnezzar has a habit of liking to keep everything underneath his thumb. Christian apocalyptic beliefs. 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. This makes sense given the narrative in Daniel 1. Do they have apocalyptic elements in them? [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. For a more extensive overview see Geisler and Nix, General, pp. The angel Gabriel explains that the seventy years stand for seventy "weeks" of years (490 years), during which the Temple will first be restored, then later defiled by a "prince who is to come," "until the decreed end is poured out."[21]. [80], Daniel belongs not only to the religious tradition but also to the wider Western intellectual and artistic heritage. The Hebrew verb is r. Some people have thought that perhaps Daniel, too, bowed to the statue Nebuchadnezzar set up for himself in Daniel 3. 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). Yet God regularly chooses to operate within the limitations of his creation rather than wowing the world with supernatural acts. Book of Daniel mentioned in Flavius Josephus as having been shown to Alexander the Great prophecies about him wouldn't that suggest earlier composition of Daniel existed. between 168/7 and 165/4 B.C. Engagingly readable, it not only explores the biblical text but offers a range of applications and interesting illustrations. --Craig S. Keener, Asbury Theological Seminary, Im a storyteller. 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. New Moon on July 26 aligns ten days to Sunday, 8/5/AD70. By taking this approach, you discover divine influence over human events so that prophetic utterances become credible as being sourced from a prophet. Daniel wrote the book Daniel as a collection of writings Daniel written at a much later period The consensus Why was Daniel written in two languages? Why? The following is taken from Paul Redditt's "Introduction to the Prophets":[12], In the third year of King Jehoiakim, God allows Jerusalem to fall into the power of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08429FCJT, 164 BC, let's see: 1) Was the covenant confirmed 2) Did Jesus die 3) did the sacrifice and oblation cease 4) Was Jerusalem and the sanctuary destroyed 5) Did Jesus die for himself 6) have the Jews been suffering since. One, the legends about Daniel the pious young man. responding to the political crisis of Antiochus Epiphanes and the political Moreover, many studies have come out that discredit some of the linguistic studies supporting the late dating. sect. Author, Date and Authenticity. This was the best he could do as he was a co-regent with his father. Likewise, Aramaic had changed since the time of Imperial Aramaic. Daniel 1:1, 2:1, 7:1). in 1935) known as Rylands 457 and as P52 and dated to the first half 'you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; (Ezekiel 28:3)' Anyone who has read Daniel knows 'no secrets was hid from him' refers to only the one Daniel that we know of. Daniels name means may God be my judge and he often served as a judgment figure, much like many of the prophets. PDF Version Revised April 23, 2023 "You may be privately wondering, 'How are we to tell that a prophecy does not come from Yahweh?' When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen and the word is not fulfilled, it has not been spoken by Yahweh. 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. Is there a time gap between the book of Zechariah and the Gospel of Matthew? All three are terms for musical around a series of five dreams, or revelations, that purport to lay out, in The author has apparently counted back seventy years to the "third year of Jehoiakim," 606 BC, to round out Daniel's prophetic ministry. What Does the Bible Say about Streams in the Desert? The Persian army which captured Babylon was under the command of a certain. signs of the end. @MarkEdward, you are correct. 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. [75], Daniel was quoted and referenced by both Jews and Christians in the 1st century AD as predicting the imminent end-time. [going to] happen in the future for us. to come, then I would say, that the Book of Daniel is the first real The answer to this question touches on the genre of Daniel and the clear prediction of historical events leading up to the Maccabean Revolt and possibly the Roman Empire in the first century. The scientific date for Titus and the Roman armies burning down Herod's Temple happened on Sunday (day of the week inferred by Josephus and pinpointed by Rabbi Yose, Book of the Order of the World, Ref: Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology, para. a single desert community, if the book had really been produced at so Daring to Believe Daniel (The Critics Versus Christ) Introduction Years ago as college student, I attended the first session of an education class required for a degree in education. Daniel: The Basic Issues. Chapter 8 is in the time of Babylonian rule, then Daniel 9:1 is the first year of Darius, son of Xerxes, who was made king over the Chaldeans (Babylonians). The writer of Daniel appears to be fluent in both Hebrew and Aramaic. Tell us that story, and Why he chooses to restrain his power is often a mystery to us, as are his reasons for allowing tyrants more power than any human should have. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Thanks for this excellent answer. of Daniel originated in its present form during the time of the God for human history . book of Hebrews could have been written in Hebrew and transposed into Greek. The tree is Nebuchadnezzar himself, who for seven years will lose his mind and live like a wild beast. Well, if he was right about those events, It gives the story to It will be a time of great distress, but all those whose names are written will be delivered. fifth one, which is right toward the end of the book in chapter 11, is so What Does Jehovah Mean as a Name for God? the composition of the book of Daniel. This means that these scholars "[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. The head to this outside society. Here is a scholarly article by Richard Carrier, "How We Know Daniel Is a Forgery", which provides the detailed evidence of this argument. Because any earlier and its inaccuracies would start sooner, and any later and it wouldnt have circulated successfully so as to gain a strong position as scripture, since its predictions would have been too rapidly falsified". The Nicknames King Nebuchadnezzar Gives Them Arent Just for Funzies. [51][52][8] The Greek additions were apparently never part of the Hebrew text. Stack Exchange network consists of 182 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Wary of their potential to fabricate an explanation, the king refuses to tell the wise men what he saw in his dream. The most obvious being the word order changed from verb-subject-object to subject-verb-object. The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. For the people of this period there's 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. We can say he likely wrote it before the Israelite captives returned to Jerusalem, as he wouldve made note otherwise in the book. Copyright 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. This motif of pitching the story back and then carrying The work would be entirely pseudonymous. The Book of Daniel, written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a book in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. These arguments are built around loan words that are thought not present in the vernacular at the time when Daniel was traditionally written. It is impossible for such schools of texts to have developed in only 40 or less years. Along with many others, Daniel and his three friends were deported to Babylon, and because of their courage and the obvious blessings of God upon them, they were "promoted" in the king's service ( Daniel 1:17-20 ). Daniel continues to pray three times a day to God towards Jerusalem; he is accused and King Darius, forced by his own decree, throws Daniel into the lions' den. It is more proper to say that Hebrew had changed drastically by the 2nd century BC. The one holds that its stories tell of real events in which God's power was demonstrated and real prophecy disclosing his knowledge of the future: the other that its stories are parables . The book of Daniel also communicates the sovereignty of God. [Notes 4] The fourth, a beast with ten horns, devours the whole earth, treading it down and crushing it, and a further small horn appears and uproots three of the earlier horns. Is that why it appears to be looking forward ? -1. [47] "The legendary Daniel, known from long ago but still remembered as an exemplary character serves as the principal human 'hero' in the biblical book that now bears his name"; Daniel is the wise and righteous intermediary who is able to interpret dreams and thus convey the will of God to humans, the recipient of visions from on high that are interpreted to him by heavenly intermediaries. of course it's what gives it the ability to be thought of as something that's The first contains Babylonian narratives of Daniel and his friends standing strong in their beliefs. Secondly, Daniel has visions and can interpret dreams. V, Lunar and Planetary Texts, 2001). Who was the intended audience for Dora and the Lost City of Gold? The High Priestly family was split by rivalry, and one member, Jason, offered the king a large sum to be made High Priest. Answer: There is no evidence to support the idea that Daniel was written in the 600s, as Daniel died in about 535 BC. We do have to keep in mind, however, that people in the Bible spoke multiple languages. From the beginning of the book through Daniel 2:3 it was originally written in Hebrew. Sometimes they created conditions in which Gods people could thrive as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, rising to high positions in foreign courts. [59] The following explains a few of these predictions, as understood by modern biblical scholars. [78] For modern popularizers, the visions and revelations of Daniel remain a guide to the future, when the Antichrist will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at the Second Coming. future of Israel after God triumphs over the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes. comparable to the Rylands manuscript of the Johannine Gospel for the 201-203), August 5, AD 70. Destruction of Herod's Temple on the 14,000th day appears to be an act orchestrated by the Source of these texts that could only be given by a transcendent Being, who exists outside the realm of space-time. Biblical Aramaic Home \ Prophecy \ Daniel Biblical Aramaic by David Treybig The Bible was primarily written in Hebrew and Greek. The book reveals why God is the king of all kings, and it offers perspective on how citizens of his kingdom should live while they await the full realization of Gods rule on earth. Their overseer fears for his life in case the health of his charges deteriorates, but Daniel suggests a trial and the four emerge healthier than their counterparts from ten days of consuming nothing but vegetables and water. Daniel likely traveled in the first wave of captives (three waves total) where Nebuchadnezzar chose the wisest, richest, and best-looking men from Jerusalem. written till around 168-165 B.C., during the Maccabean period., (source: https://jimhamilton.info/2010/09/06/qumran-scrolls-and-the-date-of-daniel/). century BC, used the term, while its adjectival use meaning "in But the book of Daniel reminds us that, in spite of appearances, the God of Israel is the God of the nations. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. If you go on to provide positive reasons for that late date, your answer will be complete, for you cannot prove a positive by detailing a negative. Other less significant arguments are related to Darius the Mede not being attested to in history, and other less significant issues. Part of the reason why skeptics think someone else wrote the book is that this book contains two languages: Hebrew and Aramaic. [57] It gives no real details of the end-time, but it seems that God's kingdom will be on this earth, that it will be governed by justice and righteousness, and that the tables will be turned on the Seleucids and those Jews who have cooperated with them.[58]. ostensibly lived a long time ago and letting that person tell the story it has 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. The Book of Daniel is a curious text. First, the sovereignty of the revealed God in this book is at stake. But the narrative indicates that Babylonian Marduk had not defeated Israels God; rather, God had given his city, temple, and people into the foreign gods hand. This does not provide an answer to the question. And this is really how all apocalypse literature works.

New York State Central Registry, Packard Foundation Just Societies, What Is Athens, Texas Known For, Valerie Jarrett Parents Photos, Articles W