SOURCE: Davies, P. R. “Preview.” In Daniel, pp. 11-19. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT Press, 1985.

In the following excerpt, Davies examines the dual character of The Book of Daniel, explaining that each of the two halves contains two types of stories, some that appeal to laypeople and others to scholars; that they communicate different ideas in different forms relating to different periods of time; and that they use two different languages.

I

Daniel is a very curious book in many respects. From almost every standpoint it presents a dual character: it contains two kinds of material, apparently intended originally for two different audiences; its contents relate to two different times and places; it has two canonical forms; and it is written in two languages.

Two Kinds of Material

The first half of the book (chs. 1-6) comprises a series of six stories (or five with an introduction), some of which...