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Re: Nabonidus
The text is found in Beyer's corpus of Aramaic texts from Qumran where
you will find previous bibliography.
I remember coming across an interesting note in Dellers book on treaty
curses relating to the relationship between Daniel 4 and Nabonidus.
He points out that in Daniel Mebuchadnezzar roasms the steppe like a wild
ass, while in the Prayer he refers to his shehin. The combination of the
two- exile in the desert and a skin disease- is very reminiscent of the
classical curse attributed in Meosopotamian texts to the moon god Sin.
NOw, in historical reality, Nabonidus was a great "Sin"er and his desert
sojourn in Teima (see Gadd in Anatolian Studies on Harran inscriptions)
was related with his pro-Sin cultic reforms. The combination of curses
takes on new light, for it shows that Nabonid/Nebuchadnezzar was smitten
with the curse typical of the god whom he worshi[ed above all others. As
for the history of tradition we can posit an original, non-extent, story
of Nabonid who was struck by Sin or on account of SIn. This story was
transmitted partially and in various forms, one of which entered the book
of Daniel, and the other of which made it to Qumran.
Avigdor Hurowitz
On Thu, 17 Oct 1996 RGmyrken@aol.com wrote:
> Gunnar Stacke writes
>
> <<
> Dear DSS List Members,
>
> Where to find the Prayer of Nabonidus in modern translation as well as in DSS
> original Aramaic (or Hebrew)? Is the general opinion among DSS scholars that
> this text (Prayer...) depends on Daniel 4, or is it rather the other way
> round?
>
> Thanks for any help
> >>
>
> The Aramaic and an English translation with line-by-line commentary and
> good general discussion may be conveniently found at pp. 116-136 in
>
> Florentino Garcia Martinez
> Qumran and Apocalyptic: Studies on the Aramaic Texts from Qumran
> E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1992
>
> One opinion is that the Prayer of Nabonidus is more-or-less the genetic
> forerunner of Daniel 4. And the departure of Nabonidus to the oasis of
> Teiman
> does appear to be the historical incident ultimately underlying Daniel 4.
> However,
> it has also been proposed that the original Qumran document may have
> included parallel accounts of _both_ the exile and healing of Nabonidus _and_
> Nebuchadnezzar (as in Daniel 4).
>
> -- Russell Gmirkin
>