The Book of Daniel and the Apocryphal Daniel Literature Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha Series Editors Michael Knibb, Henk Jan de Jonge, Jean-Claude Haelewyck, Johannes Tromp Ediderunt VOLUME 20 The Book of Daniel and the Apocryphal Daniel Literature by Lorenzo DiTommaso BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2005 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data DiTommaso, Lorenzo. The book of Daniel and the apocryphal Daniel literature/by Lorenzo DiTommaso. p. cm. — (Studia in Veteris Testamenti pseudepigrapha, ISSN 0169-8125;v.20) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-14412-9 (alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Daniel—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. History of Susanna—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Bel and the Dragon—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Daniel-Diegese—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 5. Syriac apocalypse of Daniel—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. II. Series. BS1700.S78 vol. 20 [BS1555.52] 229’.91 s—dc22 [224’.506] 2005042079 ISSN 0169-8125 ISBN 90 04 14412 9 © Copyright 2005 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill Academic Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Tables .......................................................................................... xi Preface ........................................................................................ xiii Acknowledgments ........................................................................ xv Abbreviations .............................................................................. xvii Chapter One: The Apocryphal Daniel Literature: Parameters of the Study ...................................................................................... 1 1. The Apocryphal Daniel Literature .................................. 1 2. The Structure and Purposes of This Study .................... 14 Appendix: Notes on Previous Research and Approaches .................................................................... 20 Chapter Two: The Story of Daniel in the Book of Daniel and in the Daniel Legenda ................................................................ 39 1. The Story of Daniel and the Book of Daniel ................ 39 2. The Young Daniel ............................................................ 57 3. Chronology and the Kings of Babylon, Media, and Persia .......................................................................... 67 4. The Last Days, Death, and Burial of Daniel ................ 76 5. Observations and Conclusions .......................................... 80 Chapter Three: The Apocryphal Daniel Apocalypses ...................... 87 1. Introduction ........................................................................ 87 2. The Apocryphal Daniel Apocalypses .............................. 97 2.1. The Vision of Daniel on the Island of Cyprus ................ 97 2.2. The Vision of Daniel on the Blond Race ........................ 99 2.3. The Seventh Vision of Daniel ........................................ 100 Excursus I: History, Prophecy, and the Dating of Apocalyptica ........................................ 104 2.4. The Vision of the Young Daniel .................................... 108 2.5. The Revelation of Daniel the Prophet in the Land of Persia and Elam .......................................................... 113 2.6. The Visions of Daniel and Other Holy Men .................. 123 2.7. The Oracle of the Prophet Daniel on Byzantium .............. 125 2.8. The Proclamation of the Prophet Daniel .......................... 126 vi contents 2.9. The Vision of Daniel on the Future of the Seven-Hilled City ........................................................ 126 2.10. Diegesis Danielis ............................................................ 130 2.11. The Vision and Revelation of the Prophet Daniel .......... 141 2.12. The Word of Daniel on the End of the World ............ 144 2.13. The Vision of the Prophet Daniel on the Emperors ........ 145 2.14. The History of Daniel (Qissa-yi Dàniyàl) .................. 151 2.15. Discourses of John Chrysostom Concerning the Vision of Daniel .......................................................... 155 2.16. The Vision of Daniel On the Last Times and the End of the World ........................................................ 158 2.17. The Vision of Daniel by the River Kebar ...................... 162 2.18. The Apocalypse of Daniel on the Events after al-Mu'tamid ................................................................ 171 Excursus II: The Figure of Daniel and the Arabic Muslim Daniel Apocalypses ............................ 172 2.19. The Vision of Daniel as Related to Ezra, His Pupil .... 174 2.20. The Vision of Daniel on the Island of Crete .................. 178 2.21. The Fourteenth Vision of Daniel .................................... 179 2.22. Nevu’ot Daniel ............................................................ 184 2.23. The Last Vision of the Prophet Daniel .......................... 186 2.24. The Book of Daniel (Dàniyàl-nàma) .......................... 193 3. The Apocryphal Daniel Apocalypses and the Genre “Apocalypse” .......................................................... 195 Excursus III: Dead Sea 4Q “Pseudo-Daniel” ................ 206 4. The Book of Daniel and the Apocryphal Daniel Apocalypses ........................................................................ 209 5. A Greek Apocryphal “Apocalypse of Daniel”? .............. 224 Chapter Four: The Daniel Prognostica ............................................ 231 1. Ancient and Mediaeval Prognostica ................................ 231 2. Somniale Danielis .................................................................. 236 3. Lunationes Danielis ................................................................ 259 Excursus I: The Figure of Daniel in Complex Lunations and Zodiacal Lunaries ................................ 277 4. Praedictiones Danielis ............................................................ 279 5. Daniel Prognostica from the East .................................... 283 6. General Observations ........................................................ 298 Chapter Five: General Observations and Conclusions ...................... 308 contents vii Chapter Six: The Apocryphal Daniel Literature: Inventory and Bibliography ........................................................................ 316 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Aramaic ............................ 318 i. The Prayer of Nabonidus ............................................ 318 ii. and iii. Pseudo-Daniela–c .......................................... 322 iv. The “Son of God” Text ............................................ 325 v. Aramaic-Hebrew Daniel-Poem [see Hebrew section].... 330 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved Primarily in Greek ................ 331 A. Greek Daniel Apocrypha in Antiquity and the Early Mediaeval Period .................................................... 331 i., ii., and iii. The Greek Additions to the MT Book of Daniel ...................................................... 331 i. The Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three Young Men ................................................................ 334 ii. Bel and the Serpent .................................................... 335 iii. Susanna .................................................................... 335 Excursus: Josephus’ Portrait of Daniel ................ 338 iv. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets .......... 339 v. Praedictiones Danielis .................................................. 345 v bis. Somniale Danielis and Lunationes Danielis [see Latin section] .................................................... 347 B. Greek Daniel Apocalypses of the Byzantine Period ...... 347 vi. The Vision of Daniel on the Island of Cyprus ............ 348 vii. The Vision of Daniel on the Blond Race .................... 351 viii. The Visions of Daniel and Other Holy Men ................ 351 ix. The Oracle of the Prophet Daniel of Byzantium .......... 353 x. The Proclamation of the Prophet Daniel ...................... 353 xi. The Vision of Daniel on the Future of the Seven-Hilled City ........................................................ 354 xii. Diegesis Danielis ........................................................ 356 xiii. The Vision and Revelation of the Prophet Daniel [Greek and Slavonic] ............................................ 359 xiv. The Word of Daniel on the End of the World ............ 360 xv. Discourses of John Chrysostom Concerning the Vision of Daniel ........................................................ 362 xvi. The Vision of Daniel On the Last Times and the End of the World ...................................................... 364 xvii. The Vision of Daniel on the Island of Crete ................ 365 xviii. The Last Vision of the Prophet Daniel [Greek and Slavonic] .................................................................. 366 viii contents Excursus: Notes on and Manuscripts of Unidentified Greek Daniel Apocalypses .................... 374 Excursus: Sundry Greek Daniel Apocrypha ................ 376 Excursus: Daniel Legenda Preserved in the Palaea Historica .............................................................. 377 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved Primarily in Latin ................ 378 i. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets [see Greek section] .................................................................. 378 ii. Somniale Danielis [Greek, Latin, etc.] ................................ 378 Excursus: Cy commence le livre des expositions et significacions des songes .................................................... 402 iii. Lunationes Danielis [Greek, Latin, etc.] ............................ 402 iv. Ludus Danielis and Historia de Daniel representanda .......... 446 Excursus: Sundry Latin Daniel Apocrypha .................. 448 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Syriac ................................ 451 i. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets [see Greek section] .................................................................. 451 ii. The Vision of the Young Daniel .......................................... 451 iii. The Revelation of Daniel the Prophet in the Land of Persia and Elam ................................................................ 452 iv. Mal˙amat Dàniyàl [see Arabic section] .......................... 453 v. Daniel Geomantic Texts [see Persian section] ............ 453 Excursus: Sundry Syriac Daniel Apocrypha ................ 453 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved Primarily in Ethiopic ............ 455 i. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets [see Greek section] .................................................................. 455 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved Primarily in Coptic .............. 456 i. Somniale Danielis [see Latin section] ................................ 456 ii. The Fourteenth Vision of Daniel [Coptic and Arabic] ...... 456 Excursus: Sundry Coptic Daniel Apocrypha ................ 458 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Hebrew .............................. 459 i. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets [see Greek section] .................................................................. 459 ii. Somniale Danielis [see Latin section] ................................ 459 iii. Aramaic-Hebrew Daniel-Poem .............................................. 459 iv. Vision of Daniel by the River Kebar .................................... 459 v. Nevu’ot Daniel .................................................................... 461 vi. The Daniel-Tales in the Book of Yosippon ...................... 461 vii. Mal˙amat Dàniyàl [see Arabic section] .......................... 462 Excursus: The Additional Greek Material in the Post-Biblical Jewish Tradition .................................... 462 contents ix Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Persian .............................. 463 i. Mal˙amat Dàniyàl [see Arabic section] .......................... 463 ii. The History of Daniel (Qissa-yi Dàniyàl) ........................ 463 iii. The Book of Daniel (Dàniyàl-nàma) ................................ 466 Excursus: Daniel Geomantic Texts in the Persian, Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, and Turkish Traditions ...................................................... 468 Excursus: Sundry Persian Daniel Apocrypha .............. 470 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Arabic ................................ 471 i. The Vita Danielis in the Lives of the Prophets [see Greek section] ................................................................ 471 ii. The Fourteenth Vision of Daniel [see Coptic section] ...... 471 iii. The Apocalypse of Daniel on the Events after al-Mu'tamid .... 471 iv. The Vision of Daniel as Related to Ezra, His Pupil .......... 471 v. Mal˙amat Dàniyàl [Syriac, Arabic, etc.] ........................ 472 vi. The Book of Principles of Daniel the Sage (Kitab al-ußûl li-Dâniyâl al-˙akîm) or The Principles of Interpretation [of Dreams] of Daniel (Usul al-Ta’bir li-Dâniyâl) .............. 482 vii. Kitab al-Jafar .................................................................... 482 viii. Qur"at Dâniyâl .................................................................. 483 ix. Daniel Geomantic Texs [see Persian section] ............ 483 Excursus: Sundry Arabic Daniel Apocrypha .............. 483 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Turkish .............................. 485 i. Daniel Geomantic Texts [see Persian section] ............ 485 Excursus: Sundry Turkish Daniel Apocrypha ............ 485 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Old and Middle English .... 486 i. Somniale Danielis [see Latin section] .............................. 486 ii. The Junius Daniel ............................................................ 486 iii. The Exeter Azarias ........................................................ 491 Excursus: The Feast of Belshazzar in the Middle English Poem Cleanness .............................................. 492 Excursus: Sundry Old and Middle English Daniel Apocrypha .................................................................. 493 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Irish .................................. 494 i. Somniale Danielis [see Latin section] .............................. 494 ii. The Mors Danielis in the Deaths of the Chief Prophets .... 494 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in Icelandic ............................ 495 i. Somniale Danielis [see Latin section] .............................. 495 Excursus: Rauäúlfs þáttr .................................................. 495 Daniel Apocrypha Preserved in the Mediaeval German Tradition .............................................................................. 496