Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism | The Book of Daniel - P. R. Davies (essay date 1985)

P. R. Davies (essay date 1985)

SOURCE: Davies, P. R. “The Languages of the Book.” In Daniel, pp. 35-39. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT Press, 1985.

[In the following excerpt, Davies surveys the various scholarly positions on the bilingualism of The Book of Daniel and attempts to date the work on the basis of the languages it uses.]

THE BILINGUAL PROBLEM

The presence, and the distribution, of the two languages in Daniel may be in the end inexplicable. But it has generally been thought to have a bearing on the literary history or structure of the book. The evaluation of this phenomenon depends on whether or not the literary unity of Daniel is taken for granted. An ancient view, for instance, holds that Daniel composed in Hebrew those parts of his book written for his compatriots, and in Aramaic those parts intended for Gentile readers. Among modern commentators many conservative scholars take a similar view,...

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