by
Damien F. Mackey
The Book of Daniel is commonly charged with all sorts
of historical inaccuracies, a fault more likely of the perceived history, as we
are finding, rather than of the book itself.
Introduction
Siegfried H. Horn has identified, in his article
“New light on Nebuchadnezzar’s madness”, https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1978/04/new-light-on-nebuchadnezzars-madness
“six main arguments” that critics toss up as
‘evidence’ that the Book of Daniel is historically inaccurate and a late
product. Thus he writes:
In 1870
higher criticism dominated Biblical scholarship in Germany. Most scholars
believed that the book of Daniel was a product of the Maccabean period of the
second century B.C. But some German scholars dissented. One of these was Otto
Zockler, who in his commentary on the book of Daniel published in J. P. Lange's
Bible Commentary …. capably
defended the authenticity, historicity, and sixth-century origin of Daniel.
Confronting
Zockler were six main arguments that critical scholars considered to be proof
of a late-origin Daniel. These were as follows:
1.
Aramaic, in which parts of the book of Daniel were written, was a late Semitic
language not used in literature of the sixth century B.C.
2.
Existence of three Greek words in Daniel 3 indicates that the book was written in
the Hellenistic period, after Alexander the Great had brought Greek culture and
language to the Oriental world.
3.
Chronological contradictions between Daniel 1:1 and Jeremiah 25:1 show that the writer of Daniel was so far removed
from the historical events he described that he made mistakes.
4.
Mention of Belshazzar as last king of Babylon proves that the story is
legendary. All ancient sources present Nabonidus as Babylon's last king and
never even mention Belshazzar.
5.
Ancient historians never mention Darius the Mede as king of Babylon, as Daniel
6 does; thus the book of Daniel is not a trustworthy historical source.
6.
Nebuchadnezzar's madness of seven years, recorded in Daniel 4 but in no other
ancient source, is further proof of the legendary nature of the book.
Today,
the first four arguments no longer pose problems for the conservative Bible
scholar. The solutions, however, obtained through archeological discoveries,
are different than Zockler thought they would be. ….
[End of
quote]
Horn’s
last comment here, if meant to be considered within the context of the standard
Neo-Babylonian history, may be rather optimistic. The Book of Daniel, like
other biblical books, cannot be properly explained, historically, within a
seriously faulty conventional history.
The
critics are entirely right within conventional terms: There is no last king, Belshazzar!
I have
recently begun to write a series (yet incomplete) according to which the:
“This article will be an attempt to
streamline the Neo-Babylonian (or Chaldean) Dynasty according to the author’s
view that its present arrangement may contain duplications”.
The
series is supplemented by another article:
“Nebuchednezzar” of the Book of Daniel
Horn
continues:
But what
of the last two arguments for a late-dated Daniel? Have no discoveries been
made that shed light on Darius the Mede or Nebuchadnezzar's madness?
The
problem of Darius has at least a reasonable solution, which I suggested
twenty-three years ago. It has satisfied some conservative scholars, though
others feel the answer lies elsewhere. Reference to the September, 1959, Ministry,
page 44, or The SDA Bible Commentary, volume 4, pages 814-817, will
refresh your memory on the tentative explanation of who this Darius may have
been.
[End of
quote]
Whatever
Horn’s proposed solution for “Darius the Mede” may be, a consideration of that
subject - which I believe will find its natural explanation in my
Neo-Babylonian revision - I shall leave for another time. Where I find that
Horn becomes particularly interesting and relevant is in this next section of
his article, which I give here in full with occasional comments:
The
madness of Nebuchadnezzar has been a disturbing enigma, because no
extra-Biblical records mention a mental derangement of the great Babylonian
king. In defense of the historicity of the story, the conservative Bible
student has pointed out, of course, that very little is known of any aspect of
Nebuchadnezzar's life after his tenth year of reign. And, it might be added, it
is not likely that many kings of any age would advertise such a humiliating
disability.
Comment: The dearth of evidence
pertaining to the life of Nebuchednezzar II must be due, partly, to failure by
historians to recognise that he has a strong alter ego in (at least) Nabonidus. (See my “Nebuchednezzar” article
above).
Horn continues:
Furthermore,
lack of contemporary records does not mean some thing didn't happen. For
example, we have no such records of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Tyre a 13- year
ordeal, lasting from 585 to 572 B.C.—except what Ezekiel tells us in his book
(see Eze. 26:1-14; 29:17, 18). Yet five cuneiform tablets dating from 569 to
563 B.C. show that Tyre was in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar after 570 B.C.
Another broken tablet with no date extant refers to food provided to "the
king and his soldiers for their march against Tyre," a likely reference to
the siege, during which the Babylonians sent supplies to their troops besieging
the Phoenician city. 1
Another
example of the lack of documentary records of Nebuchadnezzar's activities
relates to a military campaign against Egypt in his later years. The prophets
Jeremiah (43:10-13) and Ezekiel (29:19, 20) predicted such a campaign, but only
a small fragment of a cuneiform tablet confirms that it occurred. The few
broken lines of the fragment, owned by the British Museum, include information
that in his "37th year [568/567 B.C.] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bab[ylon],
marched against] Egypt to deliver a battle. [Ama]sis of Egypt [called up his
a]rm[y]." Amasis was defeated, despite his large force of chariots and
horsemen, and help of allies. 2
Whatever
the reason, the Babylonians did not leave us many records of their martial
exploits and political accomplishments. Professor Eckhard Unger comments:
"One of the most striking contrasts between Assyria and Babylonia is that
the Assyrian monarchs brag with great glee about their military activities in
their records while this was frowned upon by the Babylonians.
Comment: If so modest, then what about
this accusation against Nabonidus:
He would stand up in the assembly (and) praise him[self]:
“I am wise. I am knowledgeable. I have seen hid[den things]. (Although) I do
not know the art of writing, I have seen se[cret things]. …”. [?]
The “Nebuchednezzar” of the Book
of Daniel was no shrinking violet either.
Horn continues:
This Babylonian idiosyncrasy [sic] is already observed
with regard to the neo-Sumerian King Gudea of Lagash . . . who was a mighty
ruler . . . but whose inscriptions speak only of his pious works and building
activities.
Since
other documents were not existing, this king was for a long time considered as
insignificant. Exactly the same could be said of Nebuchadnezzar II, if we were
not in formed by outside records, especially the Bible, about his military
activities, which his own records pass over in silence. This is the reason that
it is difficult to check on the biblical data about Nebuchadnezzar." 3
It should
not surprise us, then, if we find no corroboration of Nebuchadnezzar's mental
illness in Babylonian records. And, when we consider the humiliating nature of
the affliction, the likelihood of the royal archives' preserving documentation
of the event seems most unlikely. But the unlikely may have occurred! A
recently published Babylonian cuneiform text seems to shatter the silence about
Nebuchadnezzar's illness. The tablet is in the British Museum, No. BM 34113 (sp
213), and was published by A. K. Grayson in 1975.4 Unfortunately, it
is merely a fragment, and the surviving text is not as clear as we would like
it to be. But the lines that may refer to the king's illness are exciting nevertheless:
2
[Nebu]chadnezzar considered
3 His
life appeared of no value to [him, ......]
5 And
(the) Babylon(ian) speaks bad counsel to Evil-merodach [....]
6 Then he
gives an entirely different order but [. . .]
7 He does
not heed the word from his lips, the cour[tier(s) - - -]
11 He
does not show love to son and daughter [. . .]
12 ...
family and clan do not exist [. . .]
14 His
attention was not directed towards promoting the welfare of Esagil [and
Babylon]
16 He
prays to the lord of lords, he raised [his hands (in supplication) (. . .)]
17 He
weeps bitterly to Marduk, the g[reat] gods [......]
18 His
prayers go forth to [......]
Let's
attempt to decipher the text. Brackets [ ] indicate which words or letters are
broken from the original tablet and have been supplied by the translator. Words
or letters in parentheses ( ) are supplied by the translator for better
understanding of the English rendering. The numerals preceding the lines of
text indicate which lines of the tablet are quoted. The missing lines are
either too badly preserved to make sense or not understandable, and therefore
make no contribution to a better understanding of the text as a whole. The end
of every line is missing and the beginnings of lines 2 and 12 are broken
off—though there is no doubt that the reconstruction of the beginning of line 2
is correct. Evilmerodach of line 5 was the eldest son of Nebuchadnezzar and his
successor on the throne. He is mentioned in the Bible as having released King
Jehoiachin of Judah from prison after his accession to the throne (2 Kings 25:27-30; Jer. 52:31-34). Esagil in line 14 is the name of the principal
temple complex of Babylon, in which the ziggurat, a 300-foot high temple tower,
stood. The temple was dedicated to the chief god, Marduk, mentioned in line 17
of the tablet.
The text
definitely refers to Nebuchadnezzar in lines 2 and 3, but it is not certain to
whom lines 6 and on refer. Professor Grayson, editor of the tablet, suggests
that "the main theme seems to be the improper behaviour of Evil-merodach,
particularly with regard to Esagil, followed by a sudden and unexplained change
of heart and prayers of Marduk." However, another interpretation of the
poorly preserved text seems plausible, especially if read in the light of
Daniel 4, which relates Nebuchadnezzar's seven-year period of mental
derangement.
Read
lines 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, and Mas referring to strange behavior by Nebuchadnezzar,
which has been brought to the attention of Evilmerodach by state officials.
Life had lost all value to Nebuchadnezzar, who gave contradictory orders,
refused to accept the counsel of his courtiers, showed love neither to son nor
daughter, neglected his family, and no longer performed his duties as head of
state with regard to the Babylonian state religion and its principal temple.
Line 5, then, can refer to officials who, bewildered by the king's behavior,
counseled Evilmerodach to assume responsibility for affairs of state so long as
his father was unable to carry out his duties. Lines 6 and on would then be a
description of Nebuchadnezzar's behavior as described to Evilmerodach. Since
Nebuchadnezzar later recovered (Dan. 4:36), the counsel of the king's courtiers to
Evil-merodach may later have been considered "bad" (line 5), though
at the time it seemed the best way out of a national crisis.
Since
Daniel records that Nebuchadnezzar was "driven from men" (Dan. 4:33) but later reinstated as king by his officials
(verse 36), Evilmerodach, Nebuchadnezzar's eldest son, may have served as
regent during his father's incapacity. Official records, however, show
Nebuchadnezzar as king during his lifetime.
Comment: Now
this is the very same situation that we have found with King Nabonidus’ acting
strangely, and defying the prognosticators, whilst the rule at Babylon - though
not the kingship - lay in the hands of his eldest son, Belshazzar.
The inevitable (for me) conclusion
now is that:
Evil-merodach is Belshazzar!
Horn laments:
It is
regrettable that this extremely important text has come down to us in such a
fragmentary condition. But we can be grateful that at least a portion of it has
been preserved, since it seems to shed light on a Biblical narrative otherwise
unvindicated by extra-Biblical documentation. ....
Comment: However, once all of the bits
and pieces have been properly assembled in a revised context, then we must
assuredly end up with a far more complete picture of the reign of this mighty and
imperialistic Neo-Babylonian monarch, Nebuchednezzar II ‘the Great’.
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