The Book Of Pseudo-Daniel

Synopsis
The prophet Daniel is known for his twelve-chapter work, which has been a essential source for Jewish and Christian prophecy. Yet many other documents are attributed to him: The Prayer Of Azariah (And The Song Of Three Children), The Story Of Susanna (Greek Daniel chapter 13), and The Story Of Bel And The Dragon (Greek Daniel chapter 13). The last two are almost certainly separate legends about some other Daniel(s), while the first may have been composed in the original work. Outside of these, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain many “Danielic” writings, giving hints that Daniel may have been the author of more than just one document, but this can not be confirmed, because of the lack of names in these fragments. But, there is one document seemingly written by a “Daniel”, known as Pseudo-Daniel, which may be a second book written by the prophet.

The badly damaged fragments present Daniel possibly telling the history of the world through a prophetic point of view, but not much else can be discerned from the heavily broken manuscript it was found on.

Canonicity
It has never been a part of any canon, but the Essenes likely saw it as divinely inspired.

Dating
450 BC?

Frag. 1
1 He asked Daniel, saying: « [...] 2 your God, and a number [...] 3 he will pray ... [...] 4 ... [...]

Frag. 6
1 [...] ... [...] 2 [...] and in it was written [...] 3 [... Da]niel who ... [...] 4 [... wa]s found writ[ten ...]

Frag. 10
1 [...] ... [...] 2 [... o]n the tower and he sent [...] 3 [... to] examine a building [...] 4 [...] ... [...]

Frag. 12
1 [... fo]ur hundred [years] and from [...] 2 [...] their [...] and they will depart from within 3 [...] he will cause them to cross the River Jordan [...] 4 [...] and their sons [...] 5 [...] ... [...]

Frag. 13 (= 4Q244 12)
1 [...] the children of Israel [pre]ferred th[eir] presence above [God’s presence,] 2 [and they sacrif]iced their sons to the devils of [delusion. God grew angry against them] 3 [and ordered] them to be given into the hand of Nebu[chadnezzar, king of Babylon,] 4 [and to make the]ir [land desolate] of th[em, because ...]

Frag. 16
1 [...] oppressed (for) [se]venty years [...] 2 [... with] his great [ha]nd and he will rescue th[em ...] 3 [...] strong (ones) and the kingdom of [the] people[s ...] 4 [...] This is the fi[rst] kingdom [...]

Frag. 19
1 [... ye]ars [...] 2 [...]rhws, son of [...] 3 [...]ws, years 4 [...] they will speak [...]

Frag. 21
1 [...] ruled [...] years 2 [...] blkrws [...] 3 [...] ... [...]

Frag. 24
1 [... the children of si]n, have led [...] astray [...] 2 [... after] that (period) the called ones will be assembled [...] 3 [...] the peoples, and from the day of [...] there will be [...] 4 [... the hol]y ones and the kings of the peoples [...] 5 [... sl]aves until the day [...]

Frag. 1
1 [...] before the ministers of the King, and the Assyrians [...]

Frag. 8
1 [...] ... [...] 2 [...] after the flood 3 [...] Noah from [Mount] Lubar [...] 4 [...] a city [...]

Frag. 12 (= 4Q242 13)
1 [...] the children of Israel preferred their presence above [God’s presence] 2 [and they sacrificed their sons to] the devils of delu- sion. God grew angry against them and or[dered them to be given] 3 [into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Ba]bylon, and to make their land desolate of them because [...] 4 [...] ... [...] the exiles [...]

Frag. 1 col. i
1 [...] ... 2 [...] ... and what 3 [...] Daniel 4 [...] a book that was given 5 [...] Qahat 6 [...] Bukki, Uzz[iah] 7 [... Zado]k, A[bia]thar 8 [...] Hi[l]kiah 9 [...] and Onias 10 [... Jona]than, Simeon 11 [...] David, Solomon 12 [...] Ahazia[h ...] 13 [...] ... [...]

Frag. 2
1 [...] ... [...] 2 [...] in order to eradicate wic[ked]ness 3 [...] those in their blindness, and they have gone astray 4 [... th]ey then shall arise 5 [...] the [h]oly, and they will return 6 [...] wickedness. Blank