The Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel

by Matthias Henze

Publisher:

Mohr Siebeck

, 2001

Overview

Matthias Henze has prepared the editio princeps of the Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel, a hitherto unknown apocalypse composed in the early seventh century AD in Syriac and preserved in a single manuscript. This legendary document has gone practically unnoticed by scholars. Henze brings this historical text to the greater academic community by providing a reliable English translation, the original edition of the Syriac text, and detailed commentary throughout the text.

Like the biblical Daniel on which it is closely modeled, the Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel is a historical apocalypse, meaning it has two parts: the first part relates the adventures of Daniel in midrashic form, from his deportation by Nebuchadnezzar until his return to Persia from Jerusalem, which he visits with King Darius. Upon returning to Persia, Daniel has a sequence of apocalyptic visions, which are recorded in the latter, eschatological part of the text and which describe the gradual unfolding of the end of time.

The Syriac Apocalypse has preserved a number of motifs worth exploring: the messianic woes, the Gates of the North erected by Alexander the Great, a description of Antichrist’s physiognomy, the Second Coming of Christ, and the new Jerusalem. Equally important, the Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel bears testimony to the vibrant apocalyptic currency in Syriac Christianity.

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Key Features

• Offers a literary analysis of the text
• Provides a facsimile of the manuscript
• Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

• Introduction
  • The Manuscript
  • Apocalypses Attributed to Daniel
  • Date of Composition and Authorship
  • Literary Analysis of the Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel
  • A Note on the Present Edition
• The Syriac Text
• Annotated Translation

Product Details

• Title: The Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel
• Author: Matthias Henze
• Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 157

About Matthias Henze

Matthias Henze holds the Watt J. and Lilly G. Jackson Chair in Biblical Studies and is founding director of the Jewish studies program at Rice University. He is also the editor of Biblical Interpretations at Qumran and the author of The Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel and The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar: The Ancient Near Eastern Origins and Early History of Interpretation of Daniel 4.