Dear Yigal, The NUN in Daniel 12:13 may indicate an Aramaic influence. However, that may not signal a late date for the writing of the book. I am working on a book manuscript entitled "When was the Book of Daniel Written? A Linguistic, Philological, and Historical Approach," where different ideas regarding the time of writing are discussed. The Aramaic of Daniel resembles Imperial Aramaic, that was widely used in Babylonia and Assyria in the seventh century BCE. It does not resemble the Aramaic used in the DSS of the second century BCE. In order to uphold a late date, one has to use the ad hoc argument that a second century BCE writer mimicked Imperial Aramaic so the manuscript would look old.
The key figure suggesting a second century date is Antiochus IV. There are many circular arguments in connection with the application of verses in chapters 11 and 8 to this king. The real problem is that in spite of what is commonly believed, we have very little exact knowledge about this king apart from what we find in the books of the Maccabees. A very fine discussion of this is found in "Antiochus IV of Syria" Classica et Mediaevalia Dissertations VIIII. Otto Mörkholm, 1966. Several things in the book of Daniel that have been applied to this king do not fit, and other things are ambiguous. It is possible to give different interpretations of all the verses that have been applied to this king, to the point where Antiochus IV is not mentioned in the book of Daniel at all. On the basis of the Hebrew and Aramaic of the book, the textual variations of the DSS manuscripts of the book and other versions of it, and its historical contents, a good case can be made for a sixth century BCE writing. (In connection with the conclusion of an early writing of the whole book, the possibility that the core of the book is old but that the redaction and final writing of it occurred in the second century, is discussed. However, evidence for this is lacking. Best regards, Rolf Furuli Stavern Norway Lørdag 29. Juni 2013 21:02 CEST skrev Yigal Levin <[email protected]>: > "Nunation", using a nun for the plural instead of mem, is a well-know> > phenomenon of Mishnaic Hebrew, apparently due to Aramaic influence. As Ken > mentioned below, it is also well-known in the DSS. It was fairly standard in > the Hebrew of the Second Temple period and later. Even in the Iron Age, it > appeared in Moabite and Ammonite. Not surprising to find it in Daniel, > considering the fairly late date of its composition, and the fact that the > writer was obviously bi-lingual. > > > > Yigal Levin > > > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ken Penner > Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2013 1:08 PM > To: b-hebrew > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Daniel 12:13 > > > > The interchange of final nun and mem is a phenomenon well-attested in the > Dead Sea Scrolls. I mention this in my notes at > http://www.academia.edu/1739015/Qumran_Hebrew_compared_to_Biblical_Hebrew > > > Ken M. Penner, Ph.D. > > Associate Professor, Religious Studies > > 2329 Notre Dame Avenue, 409 Nicholson Tower > > St. Francis Xavier University > > Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 > > Canada > > (902)867-2265 > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jerry Shepherd > Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2013 12:51 AM > To: [email protected] > Cc: b-hebrew > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Daniel 12:13 > > > > Gary and others, > > > > I believe that Martin has the correct assessment here, except that, rather > than this being a confusion, it is probably simply an option open to the > writer. Waltke-O'Connor give a number of examples in IBHS 7.4b; and> > Joüon-Muraoka discuss the phenomenon in 90.3. It is also discussed in GKC > 87e. Most of these are poetic and later texts. > > > > Other places where this occurs are Judg 5:10; 1 Kgs 11:33; 2 Kgs 11:13; Ezek > 4:9; 26:18; Micah 3:12; Job 4:2; 24:22; 31:10; Prov 31:3; Lam 1:4; 4:3. > > > > Blessings, > > > > Jerry > > > > > Jerry Shepherd > > Taylor Seminary > > Edmonton, Alberta > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
