Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>]

Dear Karl,

You wrote:


> On other but related issues: Daniel 4 is a statement by King Nebuchadnezzar
> which, by accident of preservation, was preserved only in the Bible. And
> chapters 7 through 12 were written by Daniel: either that or written after
> 73 AD as it describes the Jewish revolt of 66 AD. You don't have other
> examples to back up your claims re. Qohelet.

Among the DSS we find the fragment 4Q242 1-3, called "The prayer of 
Nabonaid". This is a text with parallels to Daniel, chapter 4. It is 
written in the first person by king NBNY, believed to be Nabonaid. 
Many scholars believe that Daniel 4 is based on this account or its 
source, and that the king was Nabonaid, but the events was ascribed 
to the more famous king Nebuchadnezzar. However, the first part of 
the names of both Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonaid is the god Nebo. So the 
letters may refer to either of these kings.

The king tells that he became sick with serious ulcers for a period 
of 7 years, and a sorcerer, one of the Jews (probably "exiled Jews") 
told the king to honor the name of (probably "the most high God"). He 
did this, and because of this man, and not because of help from his 
gods of stone, tree, and burned clay, he was cured and became well.


Best regards,

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo