Table Of ContentTHE
USE OF
DANIEL IN
JEWISH APOCALYPTIC
LITERATURE AND IN
THE REVELATION
OF ST.JOHN
G.K. Beale
WIPF & STOCK • Eugene, Oregon
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W 8th Ave, Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature
and in the Revelation of St. John
By Beale, G. K.
Copyright© 1984 Rowman Littlefield
ISBN 13: 978-1-60899-530-1
Publication date 3/31/2010
Previously published by University Press of America, 1984
Dedicated
To my wife, Dorinda,
without whose love, encouragement,
patience and help this book would
not have been possible (Isaiah 40:31)
iia 1^^^ - -. lliiillMlII IIj
Acknowledgements
I am grateful for permission from four journals in which
material from the book has been previously published or will be in
the future: Tyndale Bulletin ("The Danielic Background for
Revelation 13:18 and 17:9," TynB 31 [1980], pp. 163-170; see infra
pp. 268-270, 298-301), Novum Test amentum ("The Problem of the
Man From the Sea in IV Ezra 13 and Its Relation to the Messianic
Concept in John's Apocalypse," NovT XXV [1983], pp. 182-188; see
infra pp. 139-144, 302-303), New Testament Studies ("The Origin of
the Title 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords' in Rev. XVII. 14," NTS
31 [1985], approx. 4 pages - forthcoming publication by Cambridge
University Press; see infra pp. 262-267) and The Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society ('The Influence of Daniel Upon the
Structure and Theology of John's Apocalypse," JETS, approx. 16
pages - forthcoming; see infra pp. 271-297).
v
Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements iii
Table of Contents v
Preface vii
Abbreviations ix
I. Introduction 1
A. The Need for the Stuc^ 1
B. The Purpose of the Stud/ 2
C. The Scope and Method of the Stucfy 4
D. The Structure of the Stud/ 5
E. The Problem of the Nature of
Apocalyptic Literature 6
1. The problem of definition 6
2. The problem of the visionary aspect
of apocalyptic literature 7
3. The problem of the texts and 9
versions
II. The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic 12
A. The Use in Qumrai 12
1. The use of the Daniel ti and 10D 12
a. Introduction 12
b. The use of rn and tbs in Danid 12
c. The use of tn and nos in Qumrai 23
d. Conclusion of the use of n and
lea in Qumrai 41
2. The use of Daniel 11-12 in IQM 1 42
B. The Use of Daniel in the Jewish
Apocalyptic Literature Outside of
Qumrai 67
1. The use of Daniel in 1 Enoch 90:9-Z7 67
2. The use of Daniel in the Testament
of Joseph 19:6-12 89
3. The use of Danieli n 1 Enoch 46-48 9 6
4. The use of Daniel 2 in 1 Enoch 52 106
5. The use of Daniel 7 in 1 Enoch 69:
26-71:17 108
6. The use of Daniel in IV Ezra 11-12 112
7. The use of Daniel in IV Ezra 13 129
8. The use of Daniel in II Baruch 36-
42 144
III. The Use of Daniel in the Book of Revelation 154
A. The Use of Daniel in Revelation 1 154
B. The Use of Daniel in Revelation 4-5 178
C. The Use of Daniel in Revelation 13 229
D. The Use of Daniel in Revelation 17 249
Vll
E. Interpretative Reflections on
the Use of Daniel in Revelaticn 271
IV. Conclusicn 306
A. A Summary of the Results of the Stut^ 306
1. Descriptive comparison of the use
of Daniel in Jewish apocalyptic and
the Book of Revelatim 306
a. Problems involved with the
stucV 306
(1) The problem of discerning
authorial intention with
respect to the use of O.T.
allusions 306
(2) The problem of discerning
the validity of O.T. allusions 307
(3) The problem of discerning
the textual form of O.T.
allusiors 311
(4) The problem of distinguish
ing between exposition and
composition 312
b. Predominant uses of Daniel in
the light of comparative texts 313
(1) The use of Daniel as a
midrashic Vorbild 313
(2) The ironic use of Danid 320
(3) The use of other significant
Danielic features 324
(a) The "mystery" 324
(b) The combination of
"wisdom" and "understanding" 324
(c) The he>3 language 325
(d) Combined allusions
from Daniel 2 and 7 325
(e) The anti-theocratic
language 326
(f) The image of a "book" 326
2. Conclusions from the descriptive
comparisons of Danielic usage 326
B. Concluding Reflections Based on the
Results of the Stutty 327
1. The implications of the study with
respect to exegetical method 327
2. The implications of the study with
respect to the Jewish or Christian
nature of Revelatim 328
Bibliograply 329
About the Author 349
viii
Preface
This study is the result of independent research, using various
primary and secondary sources, both in their original languages and
in translation. It is based on my 1980 Cambridge Ph.D. dissertation
with some revision (notably, pp. 271-297, 308-310 have been added).
In the revision I have tried to include relevant works published
since the writing of my dissertation. Since I completed this
manuscript one work has come to ray notice which I was not able
to draw attention to in the book: The Old Testament
Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth (Garden City:
Doubleday 8 Co., 1983). Although I have not been able to change
the present manuscript to interact with this work, I have not found
anything in it which would significantly alter any of my conclusions.
Although the work has not been done in collaboration, my
debt to others is great, and is acknowledged wherever possible in
the footnotes.
It is my pleasure to record thanks to many who have helped
me with this book. I am grateful to the National Rotary Club of
America (and to the local club of Fair Park, Dallas, Texas), the
Tyndale Fellowship, St. John's College, Cambridge, the trustees of
the Bethune Baker Fund and my mother for financial assistance
during the three years of my studies.
I am grateful for the assistance of Mr. Derek Kidner, former
warden of the Tyndale House, and Mr. John Webster for
proofreading various drafts. I also thank my other friends at the
Tyndale House and Grove City College for their help in
proofreading various sections of the work. Dr. John Day also
provided assistance in translating some lines of Ugaritic in C.T.A..
I thank Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, my former professor of New
Testament, for introducing me to the study of the use of the Old
Testament in the New Testament, and for suggesting that I
undertake research on the use of Daniel in Revelation. Dr. R.T.
France, former warden of Tyndale House, gave very generously of
his time in discussing with me certain aspects of the book and
giving helpful suggestions.
I wish to express my thanks to Professors Hans Bietenhard
and Lars Hartman for their constructive criticism of parts of the
rough draft of the book. I would also like to thank Professor Otto
Betz for his willingness to supervise my research during my nine
month stay in Tubingen and for his unfailing kindness. He read the
rough draft of my work and made many helpful criticisms, in
addition to translating for me some passages in I Enoch and II
xx
Baruch from Ethiopic and Syriac. Dr. Gerhard Maier of the
Albrecht-Bengel-Haus (Tubingen) also gave of his time in discussing
my work.
I would like particularly to thank my successive supervisors,
Professor B. Lindars and the Rev. J.P.M. Sweet. During my first
year of research Professor Lindars wisely directed me to a study of
Jewish apocalyptic. Even after leaving Cambridge he kept an
interest in my work, and has read most of the rough draft of it.
I am especially grateful for the immense help given by Mr. Sweet
whose scholarship and insight have contributed greatly to my
understanding of the use of the Old Testament in John's
Apocalypse. The writing of this book would have been impossible
without Mr. Sweet's supervision. I must also express gratitude to
Miss Valerie Vouga who has typed the final manuscript. I am very
appreciative of her patience and accuracy. I have tried to be
consistent with American spelling but it is quite likely that English
spelling remains in places, since the majority of this work was
originally typed as a dissertation according to Great Britain
standards. I also thank Everett DeVelde of Grove City College for
making the computer facilities available to me and for all his help.
Above all I thank my wife, Dorinda, who has not only offered
much encouragement throughout the course of my study, but has
continually discussed it with me and has caused me to think more
clearly about certain aspects of John's Apocalypse.
G.K. Beale
Amesbury, Massachusetts, 1984
Abbreviations
Introductory Note
Commentators on Revelation are normally referred to by
abbreviated titles throughout. Other works are often abbreviated
(particularly in the case of those with long titles), especially after
their first appearance. Only when a work is cited for the first
time is the year of publication given. Full bibliographical data are
given in the bibliography.
Foreign works are cited from an English translation when
available. Biblical quotations in English are generally from the
NASB (New American Standard Bible [1971]), although at some
points I have retranslated to bring out certain emphases. New
Testament citations are from the United Bible Societies' text
(second edition), the Hebrew Bible is quoted from the new edition
of R. Kittel' s Biblia Hebraica (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia), the
Qumran documents are quoted from the text edited by E. Lohse
(Die Texte aus Qumran [Munchen, 1971]), the English translation of
the Qumran documents is taken from G. Vermes' translation of
DuPont-Sommer's Essene Writings (although I have retranslated at
certain points), citations from the Septuagint are from the edition
of A. Rahlfs, the English translation of the Pseudepigrapha is from
R.H. Charles' edition (1913), the Greek text of the Testament of
Joseph is quoted from M. De Jonge's edition of The Testaments of
the Twelve Patriarchs (Leiden, 1978), citations from Josephus Eire
taken from the Loeb Classical Library and quotes from the Midrash
Rabbah are from the Soncino edition.
For abbreviations of references to the Bible, Pseudepigrapha,
Qumran documents, rabbinic literature and Targums we have
generally followed the system set out in the Journal of Biblical
Literature 90 (1976), 335-338. References to the Hebrew O.T. will
usually be written with vowel pointing, except when they are being
referred to more generally as roots. References to the Hebrew in
Qumran will not have vowel pointing.
ALUC6 Annual of Leeds University Oriental Society
AnBib Analecta biblica
APOT R.H. Charles (ed.), Apocrypha and
Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament
ALU Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis
BFGH Beitrage zur Forderung christlicher Theologie
xi
Bib Biblica
BibS Biblische Studien (Freiburg}
BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands Lhiversity
Library of Manchester
br Biblical Research
HJ Biblische Untersuchungen
BZ AW Beihefte zur ZAW
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBQNB Catholic Biblical Quarterly - Monograph
Series
CH Church History
CTA A. Her drier. Corpus des Tablettes en
Cundiformes Alphab^tiques, Mission de Ras
Shamra X (Paris. 1963)
EncJud Encyclopedia Judaica
ET Expository Times
HER Harvard Dissertations in Religion
HTR Harvard Theological Review
HIS Harvard Theological Studies
IOB GA. Buttrick (ed.), Interpreter's Dictionary
of the Bible
loses International Organization for Septuagint and
Cognate Studies
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the
Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSS Journal of Semitic Studies
Xll
