"An excellent spirit, along with knowledge and insight suffcient
for interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving problems
are found in this Daniel" (Dan. 5:12). Such was the judgment of the
queen of Babylon, and her endorsement reflected the common image of
Daniel in the last few centuries B.C.E. Like Enoch (see text 33, 7)'e
Book of Giants), Daniel wars made into the hero of a cycle of
stories, most of which are now lost. The biblical book of Daniel is
part of this literature. The ancient Greek translation of the Old
Testament contributes more stories about Daniel, and the Qumran
caches offer even more. Text 39, 11te Healing of King Nabonidus, is
one; this text is another.
.
Unfortunately, The Vision of Daniel is so fragmentary that not even
an incomplete story can be recovered from it. It is clear only that
Daniel is relating a vision (as he does several times in the biblical
book, chaps. 7-12) that relates to the history of lsrael. "
.
The first few lines give the setting: Daniel is speaking to
Belshazzar with the story of NoahÕs flood (Gen
6-9).
.
4[ . . . ] after the flood [ . . . ] 5[ . . .
Nloah from [Moun] Lubar [ . . . ]
.
The story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11).
.
6[ . . . they built a] city [ . . . ] 7[ . .
] a tower, [its] height [reached the heavens . . .
] a[ . . . ] 9 [ . . . agai]nst the tower and He
sent [them~away . . . ]
.
This section may have described GodÕs choice of Abraham
to produce a chosen race (Gen. 12).
.
10[ . . . ] to search among the sons of [men, to find one
righteous . . .
[ . . . Abraham, I]s[aac, and Jacob . . . ]
.
The prediction to Abraham of the Egyptian captivity (Gen.
15:13J.
.
12[ . . . four hundred [years~ . . . ]
.
The Exodus is predicted (Gen. 15: 14; Exod. 15-16). Note the
division of history into jubilees (cf: text 81 for such a
method).
.
13[ . . . ] all of them shall come out of l4Egypt by the hand
of [Moses . . . the day] thtey cross the Jordan is the
[x]thJubilee [ . . . ]
.
The Israelite apostasy is described in terms borrowedfrom the
Old Testament.
.
15[ . . . ] but their descendants [sinned . . . ]
16[ . . . ] 17[ . . . ] the chiLldren of Israel hid
themselves from [the presence of God] l8[and
"sacrifi]ced their children to the demons of idols" (Ps.
106:37).-So God grew angry with them" (Ps. 106:40) "and commanded
that they be given l9into the power" (Ps. 106:41) of
Nebu[chadnezzar king of Ba]bylon and that their land be
destroyed from them, and whatever [ . . . ]
.
The punishment of the Exile is limited to seventy years (Jer.
25:12J, and then God will bring the Israelites back.
The arrangement of the fragments is hypothetical, and follows J.
T. Milik.
.
20[ . . . ] the exiles [ . . . ] 2~[ . .:. ]
He scattered them [ . . . ] 22[ . . . ] seventy years
[ . . . ] 23[ . . . by] his strong hand, and He will
save them [ . . . ]
.
Daniel describes a succession of kingdoms to come after
Babylon. The text apparently gives the names of some of the kings,
none of which is recognizable as historical. The name "Balakros" may
correspond to the name "Belibra," a wicked Samaritan, who, according
to the apocryphal Martyrdom of Isaiah (second century B. C.E.),
brought about the death of the prophet Isaiah.
.
24[ . . . ] mighty [kings,] the kingdoms of the
Gentiles [ . . . ] 25[ . . . ] it is the first
kingdom [ . . . ] 26[ . . . ]2he will reign for
[x] years . . . ] 27[ . . . ] Balakros [ . .
. ] 28[ . . . kingdom] will tbe . . ] 29[ ., . he
will reign for x] years [ . . . ] 30[ . . . ]
RHWS son of [ . . . ] 31[ . . . he will reign]
thirty-five years [ . . . ] 32[, . . ] they will
speak [slanderous lies . . . ] 33[ . . . ] will go
astray [ . . . ]
.
A gathering of some kind is forktold -- perhaps the formation
of a sect?
.
34[ . . . in that time] those who are called [by
name] shall be gathered [ . . . ] 35[ . . . from
among] the Gentiles, and it shall be, from [that] day
[ . . . ] 36[ . . . the ho]ly ones, and the kings of
the Gentiles [ . . . ] 37[ . . . ] servants to the
day [that . . . ]
.
At this point Daniel apparently speaks of a writing of some
kind containing a list of names of some of the priests and kings of
Israel. Some of the names may refer to the Hasmoneans John and Simon
(1. 47).
.
4~[ . . . ] Daniel 41[ . . . ] a writing that was
given 42[ . . . ~ Kohath 43[ . . . ] Uzziah 44[ . . .
] Abiathar 45[ . . . Zede]kiah 46[ . . . ]
Jehoniah 47[ . .; Jo]hn, Simon 48[ . . . ] David,
Solomon 49[ . . . ] Ahaziah [ . . . ] 5¡[ .
. . ]
.
God will bring the final apostasy to an end.
.
51[ . . . ] to end evil 52[ . . . ] these in
blindness and error 53[ . . . th]ese then shall arise 54[
. . . ] the holy ones~will return 5s[ . . . and there wil1 be
an end of] evil.
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