The eclipse of Daniel's narrative: The limits of historical knowledge in the theological reading of Daniel

Briggs, Richard S.

doi:10.1017/s003693061700028x

The eclipse of Daniel's narrative: The limits of historical knowledge in the theological reading of Daniel

Briggs, Richard S.

Authors

Richard S. Briggs

Abstract

This article uses Hans Frei's famous image of the ‘eclipse’ of biblical narrative to explore the link between situating the book of Daniel historically and grasping its theological point(s). The critical/conservative stand-off over the book of Daniel is rehearsed by way of key agenda-setting Victorian voices, and it is then argued that Frei's perspective allows the reader to move on from assessing descriptive accuracy towards focusing on ascriptive purpose(s). Various examples of how such an ascriptive approach might clarify Daniel are considered, including specific attention to the complexities of Daniel 11’s problematic relationship to what did and did not happen to Antiochus Epiphanes.

Citation

Briggs, R. S. (2017). The eclipse of Daniel's narrative: The limits of historical knowledge in the theological reading of Daniel. Scottish Journal of Theology, 70(03), 264-277. https://doi.org/10.1017/s003693061700028x

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Aug 3, 2016
Online Publication Date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication Date	Aug 8, 2017
Deposit Date	Oct 13, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Oct 13, 2017
Journal	Scottish Journal of Theology
Print ISSN	0036-9306
Electronic ISSN	1475-3065
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	70
Issue	03
Pages	264-277
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/s003693061700028x

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Copyright Statement
This article has been published in a revised form in Scottish Journal of Theology https://doi.org/10.1017/S003693061700028X. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press 2017 .