Matthias Henze
sues are fundamentally the same — apocalypticism, exegesis, and the calen
dar — but they are developed to different ends entirely. In other words, Dan
iel and Jubilees stem from closely related thought worlds whose concerns
largely overlap, but as literary compositions the two books function differ
ently. To observe that there are certain "parallels" between the two texts,
then, is not merely to point to a literary phenomenon. Instead, the affinities
speak to the fluidity, permeability, and exchange of thoughts in general that
are characteristic of the literature of our period.^4 As we are gaining a better
understanding of the contours of the Jewish communities of the second cen
tury B.C.E. and of the diverse literatures they produced, a comparative read
ing of the extant writings may help to cast into sharper relief the distinct
strands of early Jewish thought and their evolution over time.
Apocalyptic Expectations
The apocalyptic nature of the book of Daniel hardly needs elaboration,
though it may be helpful to review some of its constitutive elements. I do not
wish to suggest that Daniel is the model of all apocalypses, as if the canonical
writings enjoyed some privileged status and should serve as templates for
the genre, nor do I claim that the apocalyptic genre can be described ade
quately by merely listing its prominent features. But it is useful to ask what it
is that makes Daniel an apocalypse.
The book of Daniel is part of ancient Israel's revelatory literature. Its
truth claims are not based on theological reasoning but derive from an ap
peal to revelation. What is recorded here is what Daniel received directly
from God in the form of three visionary revelations (chaps. 7; 8; and 10-12).
Daniel duly recorded everything he learned and kept it sealed "until the time
of the end" (Dan 12:4, 9). The biblical book readily falls into two halves, the
narrative frame that consists of a collection of biographical narratives about
Daniel and his three companions in the first half (chaps. 1-6), and the vi
sions related by Daniel in the latter half (chaps. 7-12).^5 There are no eschato-
logical speculations in the first part of the book, nor do the Danielic court
tales resemble in any way the testamentary genre so prominent in revelatory
- On the issue of "para-mania," see R. Kraft, "Para-mania: Beside, Before, and Be
yond Bible Studies," JBL 126 (2007): 5-27. - See the helpful collection J. J. Collins and P. W. Flint, eds., The Book of Daniel: Com
position and Reception, 2 vols., VTSup 83 (Leiden: Brill, 2001), especially the article by R. G.
Kratz, "The Visions of Daniel," 1:91-131.