Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Rolf" <rolf.furuli AT sf-nett.no>]

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 <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il>:

> "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: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] 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
>
> kpenner AT stfx.ca
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jerry Shepherd
> Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2013 12:51 AM
> To: bhebrew AT shields-online.net
> 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
>
> jshepherd53 AT gmail.com
>
>
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>