I am studying the book of Daniel. I am interested in the background and culture in the time leading up to the time when Daniel was taken into Babylon. Can you suggest any resources that might be helpful?
Hi there, I would recommend you begin with How to Read Daniel by Tremper Longman III. Then I would move to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary - Volume 4) by John H. Walton and then you need to be more specific on what you actually want to study. I will try to make more suggestions when you refine your basis of study.
For basic studies read https://davidjeremiah.blog/why-was-daniel-taken-to-babylon and https://www.themoorings.org/Bible_commentary/Daniel_1/assault_on_Jerusalem.html
I would recommend a careful reading in Kings II, in the final days of the Assyrian attack #2. Keep an eye on what Assyria took (all of Judah except a highland city that had to serve up the booty), who got marched off, and who arrived in Judah after the dust settled (all from the Bible). Then, a hard look at King Manassas ... at exactly how that happened (again Kings II). The latter was then pointed to by the prophets at the exile.
https://www.logos.com/product/5349/kingdom-of-priests-a-history-of-old-testament-israel-2nd-ed
If I remember correctly, the EEC of Daniel had some good stuff as well
. . . you need to be more specific on what you actually want to study. I will try to make more suggestions when you refine your basis of study.
Thanks Christian. I have begun what will probably be an in-depth study of the book of Daniel. I want to get a feel of the culture that Daniel grew up in. What type of education might he have had. What was life like living in Jerusalem while he was growing up? General things like customs, diet, etc. Chapter 1 tells us that Daniel was either of the royal family or of the nobility. What can we deduce from that? I think for me to understand what it must have been like to be taken to Babylon I need to understand what he left behind. That is the gist of where I am coming from.
This helps me to help you. In order to help us grasp the cultural context of a passage Logos provides the feature, Cultural Concepts. Every line and every word in the Bible comes from a context -- historical, social, cultural, theological -- and speaks into those contexts -- sometimes against that culture, sometimes with that culture, and sometimes to expand that culture. In so doing the Bible models how we can speak from our culture and into our culture in very fresh and missional ways. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible not only acknowledges this but engages ordinary readers in seeing what it looks like. You need to get it and read its notes on Daniel. Also this will help as well. https://www.logos.com/product/53266/the-cultural-world-of-the-bible-an-illustrated-guide-to-manners-and-customs-4th-ed
Thanks Christian, I already have The NIV Cultural Backgrounds and The Cultural World of the Bible. I will dig into them some more. I will have to create a layout for background study. This is becoming more important to me in my studies recently.
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