Basic Data
Daniel is the last of the 'major' (by length) prophets in the Old Testament, lying between Ezekiel and Hosea.
Daniel is written in Hebrew and Aramaic (Dan 2:4 - 7:28 are written in Aramaic), and is the only book that has more than minor
sections in Aramaic (there is no clear consenseus on why Aramaic is used).
Dating And Authorship
Two Camps as you would guess; one as claimed by the book, the other 400 years later.
1. 2nd Century BC
Basically, every modern scholar who isn't a conservative Christian holds the view that the book was written by an unknown author(s) sometime
in the 2nd Century BC (200 - 100 BC). The presence of detailed prophecy of future events presuppositionally necessitates this view,
but other arguments center on the langauge used in the book. S.R Driver declared at the end of the 19th century that, "
The verdict of the language of Daniel is thus clear. The Persian words presuppose a period after the Persian empire had been well
established: the Greek words demand, the Hebrew supports, and the Aramaic permits, a date after the conquest of Palestine by Alexander
the Great.
Though specific reasoning within the arguments Driver makes has shifted in the past 100 years, the emphasis of the claim is evidentally
generally embraced (Collins, p14). Regarding these arguments, the Aramaic is seen as not offering much specificity regarding the date,
the Hebrew as having forms and word which indicate a post restoration date, and the few Greek words as requiring a late date.
Additionally, some argue that the theology of the book indicates a late date; aside from the predictive elements of the book, the
concept of resurrection (Dan. 12:2,3) and angelology of Daniel requires a late date of authorship.
2. 6th Century BC
As the book claims to be written in this period, the conservative is obliged to defend such a date. To a conservative, the idea that God
declared future events ahead of time is quite acceptable, and the other theologies presented in Daniel are seen by the conservative elsewhere
in the Old Testament (and in the theologies of Christ and Judiasm of his period). Linguistically, the Greek words (of which two are not
extent until post 6th century BC) though not extent in any works prior to Plato are likely to have existed prior to Plato, and evidence of
Aramaic borrowing of Greek words exists (e.g. the elephantine papyri).
Additionally, it should be noted that the books acceptance into the Canon would have been quite soon after it's authorship (< 100 years),
something that seems unrealistically rapid (given it's claims of early authorship). The earlist extant copy of Daniel is one of the Qumran
scrolls, dated to the late 2nd Century making it roughly 50 years younger than the 2nd Century hypothesis' autograph (original copy). That
leaves less than half a century for the book to be written, distributed, and accepted as Canon with an early date, a situation I find
unlikely. Further, a late authorship runs into trouble with the dating of the Septuagint, requiring that Daniel not be included in the
original translation of the Septuagint (which was translated in the 3rd century).
See
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=924 for more.
Assyria had been the dominant power in the Orient from about 900 BC until the mid 7th Century BC when rebellions and encroachments lessoned it's
power. Babylonia won indpenedance in 626 under Nabopolassar, eventually destroying Ninevah (Assyria's capitol) in 612 BC with the Medes.
3 years later, Babylonia again defeated Assyria at Haran; Egypt, under Pharoah Neko, had marched to their assistance, having first defeated Judah
on the way to the battle. King Josiah had attempted to stop Egypt from assisting the Assyrians and was killed in the battle (2 Chron 35:20-27);
Neko deposed Josiah's son Joahaz on his return to Egypt, installing Jehoiakim his brother as the ruler (2 Chron 26:1-5).
In 605, Nabopolassar's son Nebuchadnezzar defeated the remaining Assyrians who were again supported by Pharoah Neko at the Battle of Carchemish (a
city near the current border of Turkey and Assyria), finally destroying Assyria and reducing Egypt's power in the middle east. Nebuchadnezzar
then conquered the territory south of Carchemish, working towards the border of Egypt. Jerusalem was conquered at this time (605 BC), and
the temple valuables were carried off as well as many of the educated/leading class.
Israel had gone from being the dominant nation in the area (under Solomon) to being a bit player surrounded by superpowers. As many nations
viewed their triumphs as being due to the superiority of their gods over the gods of their rivals, this would indicate to some that Israel's
god is weaker than their god. In the words of inigio montoya, "humiliations galore".
Point Of The Book
1. God is sovereign
I don't mean this in a calvinist/arminian way - whatever limits you believe god places upon himself, god is more powerful than any
other being. God is the supreme ruler over all the universe, and that includes Babylon, Persia, Greece, and any other nation that
follows.
2. God is faithful, even in Babylon
God made some promises to israel:
that they would be his people.
that he was going to send their disobedient butts to babylon.
that he was going to bring them back.
God demonstrates his ability to fulfill these, and shows his plan to do so.
2. sweet dreams,
story:
king has a dream.
king wants his interpreters to tell him both the dream and the interpretation.
interpreters can't do it.
king says, "fine, hope you die"
daniel hears decree, asks the king for time, asks his friends to pray.
god gives daniel the same dream and the interpretation.
comparison between world and daniel (of wisdom)
daniel saves the worldly/pagan (they live too, v24)
daniel praises god; first directly to god, then to the king.
daniel tells the king what his dream was, then tells him the interpretation.
- the dream
statue with 4 parts.
each part is a kingdom.
the first is babylon.
from there on, scripture doesn't say the rest. but most declare the others are:
- silver = persia
- bronze = greece
- iron and clay = rome
- kingdom of stone?
- setup by god
- never be destroyed
- won't be left for another people
- crush all other kingdoms
- endure forever
what is this kingdom? how do i sign up?
well, the bible doesn't say so we don't really know.
some say the church (esp. if you're an amillenialist)
some say it's the millenial reign (into heaven)
i say take you're best guess, but acknowledge that you don't *know*
king praises god, king promotes daniel. daniel promotes his friends.
what do we learn about man?
- god's people should ask god for deliverence and know that god will work through them in cases
- we get a great example of god's people praising god privatly and publically.
what do we learn about god?
- god can reveal the future to us in whatever level of detail he wants
some of this is clear, some is murky, all is from god in the way he wants.
(note that the interpretation isn't date/player specific).
- god didn't abandon israel even in exile
- god is in charge of all kingdoms
3. 3 men and a baby, or shad, mesh, and abed visit the sauna
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
4. walden pond, or nebu goes camping and learns about god
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
5. many many problems, or god lends babylon a hand
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
6. born free, or daniel visits the zoo
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
7,8. huh? beasts to come.
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
9. israel's future
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?
10-12. huh? wars to come
what do we learn about man?
what do we learn about god?