Aramaic Daniel Apocryphon (4Q246) : its interpretative challenges reconsidered
Aramejski Danielov apokrif (4Q246) : ponovni razmislek o njegovih interpretativnih izzivih

english

2025

volume 85, issue 3

4Q246   apocalyptic literature   Aramaic Daniel Apocryphon   Davidic messianism   Dead Sea Scrolls   Luke 1:32-35   Qumran Aramaic   Son of God   Son of Man

Univerza v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The Aramaic Daniel Apocryphon (4Q246) is among the most discussed Aramaic texts from Qumran, primarily due to its mention of a figure called the “Son of God” (??? ?? ??) and the “Son of the Most High” (?? ?????). The fragmentary state of the scroll and its syntactic ambiguity have generated divergent interpretations, with some seeing the figure as a blasphemous foreign king and others as a positive, eschatological savior. This study reexamines 4Q246 through a fresh philological and structural analysis. It contains the edition, transla -tion, and detailed linguistic commentary of the text, together with a new proposal for dividing the work according to the alternation of positive and negative parts (A1–B1, A2–B2, A3–B3), which clarifies the internal structure of the text. Although the text changes the period it describes three times, the logical referents of the descriptions are only two periods, negative and positive. The analysis supports understanding the “Son of God” not as a negative or arrogant ruler, but as a positive, messianic figure who combines Davidic royal ideology with Danielic apocalyptic themes. Finally, the paper points out similarities between 4Q246 and Luke 1:32-35, suggesting they share theological ideas rather than having a direct literary connection.

17.02.2026