Home‎ > ‎Daniel‎ > ‎Fr. William Most on Daniel‎ > ‎Chapter 1‎ > ‎Chapter 2‎ > ‎Chapter 3‎ > ‎

Chapter 4

> ‎Chapter 5‎ > ‎Chapter 6‎ > ‎Chapter 7‎ > ‎Chapter 8‎ > ‎Chapter 9‎ > ‎Chapter 10‎ > ‎Chapter 11‎ > ‎Chapter 12‎ > ‎Chapter 13 Susanna‎ > ‎Chapter 14 Bel and the Dragon‎ >    
 
 
 
 
Chapter 4: This remarkable chapter opens with a speech in the
first person by King Nabuchodonosor. He had a dream which none of
his consultors could interpret. But Daniel could He saw a great
tree in the middle of the earth. Its top reached to the sky and it
could be seen from all the earth. It had fine leaves and abundant
fruit. Then a watcher (an early name for an angel), a holy one
came from the sky and cried out an order to cut down the tree and
its branches. Yet the stump should be left, bound with iron and
bronze, amidst the dew of heaven and the grass. Let his mind be
changed into that of a beast to make known that the Most High God
rules all kingdoms.

At first, Daniel, also called Baltassar, hesitated to give the
interpretation. Yet he did. It said that the King was the great
tree, but was to be cut down, but the stump would remain and be
wet with the dew until seven times (years) had passed. It meant
that the King would lose a human mind, and be like an ox for seven
years until he would acknowledge God.

Twelve months later, when the king was walking on the roof of his
great palace, and was thinking of his great power until a voice
from the sky told him his fate. He then became like an ox for
seven years.

At the end of the seven years his reason returned, and he praised
God. more than before.

The episode in chapter 4 of Nabuchodonosor's temporary insanity
(boanthropy) does seem strange. Yet we notice that the Babylonian
records carry no entries of military activity on his part between
582 and 575. Boanthropy was a mental disease comparable to the
better known lycanthropy. The victim being constantly in the open
in the difficult climate (range from 110 or 120 down to below
freezing in winter, with high humidity) would develop coarser
skin. His hair never being cut would be matted and coarse and his
nails would grow long.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subpages (1): Chapter 5
Comments