Symbolic Background
In the beginning I want to look at the Canaanite Mythology which is often considered as background for the Vision in Daniel 7.
The four Beasts coming from the Sea, seem to have been well known in ancient Near East. In several creation sagas, the creating god slays the evil and dangerous monsters of the sea. Even the creation of the world in the Job 26 and the Exodus described in Isaiah 51 uses related images. In the Canaanite Mythology states that the god Baal has slain the great monster of the sea, the god Yam, who questioned Baals power.
The one like the son of man is an image not uncommon to the Bible. Often Christians interpret those occurrences as being Jesus, looking to old Hebrew and old Biblical Traditions this is not the case. Seen from a Jewish standpoint the rider of the clouds is usually understood to be Yahweh. John J. Collins states in his book the origins of this picture:
“However, the Hebrew depiction of Yahweh as rider of the clouds is itself adapted from the older Canaanite storm imagery of the theophanies of Baal.”
To understand the connection between the vision in Daniel 7 and the Ugaritic Myth,I will show a summary of the myth by Philip Wilkinson:
“In the Baal cycle, Ba'al Hadad is challenged by and defeats Yam, using two magical weapons (called "Driver" and "Chaser") made for Him by Kothar-wa-Khasis. Afterward, with the help of Athirat and Anat, Ba'al persuades El to allow him a palace. El approves, and the palace is built by Kothar-wa-Khasis. After the palace is constructed, Ba'al gives forth a thunderous roar out of the palace window and challenges Mot. Mot enters through the window and swallows Ba'al, sending him to the Underworld. With no one to give rain, there is a terrible drought in Ba'al's absence. The other deities, especially El and Anat, are distraught that Ba'al has been taken to the Underworld. Anat goes to the Underworld, attacks Mot with a knife, grinds him up into pieces, and scatters him far and wide. With Mot defeated, Ba'al is able to return and refresh the Earth with rain.”
There are several possible backgrounds, but for this argument I only will consider the Canaanite Mythology. The reason for doing so is that the other possibilities will not have much to say about the man on the clouds and the Ancient of Day which is the focus of my paper.
Joseph Hirsch’s painting Daniel was painted in 1976-1977. In 1978 during the153rd Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, it won the First Benjamin Altman (Figure) prize. It measures 38 inches by 45 inches (96.52 cm x 114.3 cm) with a five inch gold wood frame surrounding it. The medium is oil on canvas. Everything within the painting is centered to draw your eyes to the action of the turned head and the pointed finger. According to the placard next to the painting this is a modern day version of the biblical story of Belshazzar’s Feast following the sacking of Jesualism from the Book of Daniel. From this point on, each figure within the painting will be addressed as Hirsch intended. The painting depicts a seated king, a dozing courtesan and Daniel. The three figures are the focal point of the composition. Hirsch uses a strong color palette to give the painting a luxurious and wealthy feel. Although the detail is not miniscule, the composition as a whole is easily understood. The use of oil paint allowed Hirsch to play with the composition as it was created.
My visual is very obvious to deconstruct. In the bottom half of the foreground, there is a church, a mountain range, several farms, and a buggy pulled by the great horses mentioned in the book. In the top half of the foreground, there are several buildings, a billboard, an airplane, and a giant helicopter-like device. There is also a boy, whom I drew to represent David. The boy has a blindfold on his neck that he had pulled down. This action symbolizes David being showed that True Image comes in many forms, including deviations, and nobody know if there really IS a True Image. There is also a small red bird flying near the border where the two civilizations meet. The red bird on the Labrador half looks...
Alexander Heidel in his book, The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, provides a background for the survivor of the Sumero-Babylonian Flood, Utnapishtim:
A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. Each civilization has its myths about the creation of the world and its human race. Most speak of “gods” who perform feats far beyond that of humankind. Most are legends passed down through oral tradition, and embellished along the way. The book of Genesis is one of the most significant books in the Bible and is sacred scripture for Jews, Samaritans, and Christians. The Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish, is one of the most important sources for understanding the Babylonian worldview. Hesiod’s Theogony is a poem describing the origins and genealogies of
In conclusion, the Book of Daniel is a group narrative stories telling of the events of the life of the main character, Daniel, set in the time of the Babylonian captivity. It foreshadows the events of Christ’s death and resurrection. It also prophecizes the succession of kingdoms and rulers and the end of the world through the apocalyptic stories. The Book of Daniel creates a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. For this reason, it is one of the most important books of the Hebrew Scriptures and of the entire Bible. However, it is also one of the most highly controversial and debated books of the Bible due to Daniel’s foretelling of the Messiah’s kingdom to come.
Through studies such as comparative mythology, researchers and philosophers have discover hundreds of parallels between the myths that make up every culture, including their creation myths. As most are deeply rooted in religion, comparisons based on geographic area, themes, and similar story lines emerge as religions form and migrate. Campbell recognized these similarities an...
The story of Utnapishnem in the Gilgamesh Epic starts with a dream that warns Utnapishnem of the coming flood. The gods are angry and want to rid the world of mankind. Utnapishnem built a boat large enough to carry his family, personal belongings, and “the seed of all other living creatures.” After Utnapishnem finished, the rain fell for six days and six nights, and it was so bad that the gods climbed into heaven for safety. After the rain stopped, the boat came to rest on Mount Nisir, and Utnapishnem released a dove and a swallow. Both birds returned because they could not find land. Then a raven was released and it did not come back, proving that there was land for it to rest on. Utnapishnem then came out of the ship and offered a sacrifice to the gods. When the gods smelled the sweet odor of the sacrifice, they blessed Utnapishnem and his wife to be like the gods and live forever.
The timeline altered in the first verse of Dan. 7 serves as the opening to the four visions of in the remainder of Daniel. Belshazzar is cited in the first verse of chapter seven (7) as the King of Babylon, however Belshazzar is noted as the last King of Babylon and the son of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter five. The last king of the Babylonian Empire was Nabonidus. It is believed that Nabonidus for inexplicable reasons moved to the town of Teima and abrogated the empire to his son Belshazzar. Therefore, Seow points at that the “literary setting of Daniel 7 is the beginning of the end of the Babylonian Empire” (Seow, p. 101). The literary chronology of the period set is correct, but it is generally agreed among scholars (Collins, Hartman, Di Lella) there is no historical value in the dating. It is for this reason that most commentators immediately go into verse two of 7. Nevertheless, Daniel states, “Then ...
The closest parallel to the Biblical story of the flood occurs in the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, our fullest version of which is furnished by an Akkadian recension prepared, in the seventh century B.C. for the great library of King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. The story itself is far older. We have fragments of versions dating as much as a thousand years earlier, and we possess also portions of a Summerian archetype.
Throughout Greek mythology it is known that some gods have priority over others. The twelve Olympians are among those. The relationship between humans and Greek gods is revealed through several myths. These gods are not only born with special skills and gifts but are also worshiped in several places such as Athens, where Athena is greatly worshiped . Not only do human beings look up to these gods but they respect and aspire to be like them. Even if the gods abuse their authority at times, they are able to show compassion and reasoning towards human beings by providing aid. They keep a reputable title for being a god but also protect their image. The myths that will be discussed in this essay are Danäe and the
Zeus was the king and leader of the 12. His symbol was the thunder and in many
The Book of Daniel took place in between 605 BC and 530 BC however the message is still relevant in today’s society, 2544 years later. Different themes are found in the book. These themes teach a lesson which can be used into today’s society. Even though the times, tradition and circumstances are different now than it was back then the messages are greatly relevant. The main themes of the book were about faithfulness toward what you believe in no matter what society says or the dangers. God is trustworthy and does everything for a reason no matter if the person is in the worst spot ever in life they have to believe there is something better in the future. Also Gods ability to save his children in the face of danger and will give them justice, and that god gives messages in mysterious ways.
The focus of this analysis is on Genesis (chapter 7) and Gilgamesh (lines 1 - 25). These two different passages will be analyzed to relate each document and how the author's worldview shapes his account of the flood.
Within the texts of Genesis which belong to the biblical scriptures of the Hebrews, and the myths of Egyptian origin, there are a multitude of similarities and differences. When compared side by side, the most obvious factor of both texts is that a single God was the creator of all that we know today. In Genesis that creator is simply referred to as God, while in Egyptian mythology, the creator is known as Neb-er-tcher. Both creators have striking resemblances, such as the ways they went about the production of the world.
Throughout studying many myths, I came up with many new observations. Many questions came into my mind about these myths. Greek mythology takes us back to a time when people had a connection with nature and when nature played a major role in people’s lives. The religious beliefs of the people who wrote the myths are found in the background of these myths; however, they are not to be read like religious texts. The myths try to offer explanations of “how”, which makes us think deeply about the purpose of these myths and the questions they draw to our minds. According to the myths we studied in class, the world created the gods, not the other way around. The gods were always created in the image of man, which shows how much men were important in their society. Furthermore, many of these Greek myths show us the difference between the views of the Greek then and our view towards many aspects of the society, including nature. Monsters appear in Greek myths and have different representations and roles. Greek mythology reflects a view of the Greeks towards the world and how certain aspects of their lives are similar and different to modern society.