The Shadow of a Great Rock by Harold Bloom

Author:Harold Bloom
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2011-06-16T16:00:00+00:00

Daniel

In my far-off youth, when I was an intoxicated exegete of William Blake, the book of Daniel held enormous fascination for me. In old age I am wary of it, as of all apocalyptic writings. The English Bible, being Protestant Christian, rather weirdly places Daniel as a fourth major prophet, coming after Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Tanakh regards Daniel as a seer, not a prophet, and stations his book among the Writings, between Esther and Ezra.

Scribes had accomplished a final version of Daniel by 164 B.C.E. (or so), which makes it the last book of Tanakh to be completed. Its stories go back to the sixth century B.C.E. and center upon Daniel, exiled in Babylonia.

The book actually is two works: the first six chapters tell stories of Jewish heroes of the Exile, and the remaining six are first-person visions of apocalypse. Since both Aramaic and Hebrew are employed, there is an unresolved puzzle as to origins. Herbert Marks suggests that “interpretation” (p-sh-r) is the salient theme of the book of Daniel. Certainly it interests me more than the pious nobility exalted by its scribes, who opposed Hellenization of Yahweh worship but who declined to join in the violent and successful resistance to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian-Greek ruler who vainly attempted to destroy the religion of Yahweh. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers saved the ancestral Covenant, yet go uncelebrated in the book of Daniel.

Christian exaltation of Daniel founded itself upon a strong misreading of 7:9–14, given here in the KJB version:

9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

To Christians the “Son of man” prophesied Jesus Christ. And yet an accurate translation would be “one like a son of man,” a human being or likeness, and not a beast. Ezekiel endlessly employs “son of man” for a human being, as the English translators had to know.

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