The Great Revolt against Rome was rooted in the Hasmonean ideology of Judean independence, yet Josephus, who warned against fighting Rome, still celebrated the Hasmonean military triumph against the Greeks.
Prof.
Steve Mason
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Before speaking with Pharaoh, Joseph adapts to Egyptian norms by shaving and changing his clothes. When he interprets Pharaoh’s dream, he only uses the generic word for God, Elohim, making no mention of YHWH. Pharaoh, in turn, declares Joseph to be wise and a man with the spirit of God, and puts aside Joseph’s ethnic and socio-economic background, appointing him viceroy to save Egypt from the pending famine.
Prof.
Safwat Marzouk
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Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue made of four metals in Daniel 2 was composed using Persian and Greek historiographic imagery. The crushing of the statue by a stone mountain alludes to the story of the golden calf, and is a message of hope to the Judeans that God will eventually crush their Greek oppressors.
Dr.
Naama Golan
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The first section of Daniel (chs. 2-6) is a collection of quasi-independent court tales. Once they were combined into the book of Daniel in its current form, the story of Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which parallels Pharaoh’s dream in the Joseph story, was revised. It was further supplemented with Daniel’s prayer which creates a contrast between the power of God and that of Antiochus IV.
Prof.
Michael Segal
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The Book of Daniel describes in apocalyptic visions, the history of the conflict between Judea and Antiochus Epiphanes, but fails to dream that the Maccabees, a political group of guerrilla fighters, will win.
Prof.
Lawrence M. Wills
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Rabbi
Evan Hoffman
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The four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four kingdoms. The terrifying fourth beast with ten horns and iron teeth is the Greek kingdom of Syria. This beast grows a talking horn, which represents Antiochus IV, whose persecutions (167–164 B.C.E.), the biblical author believes, can only be stopped by divine intercession.
Prof.
Michael Segal
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