The Christian Arabic Book of Daniel. Extant versions, canonical constellations, and relation to the liturgical practice, with an Appendix of 'The Song of the Three Young Men'

Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the dynamic nature of the Christian Arabic Book of Daniel. I will present extant versions, discuss their variegated canonical constellations, show the fluidity of text units in the various versions and describe how they have even come to absorb liturgical practice. Special attention will be paid to the deuterocanonical narratives related to the Book of Daniel that have almost completely escaped scholarly scrutiny. The fluctuating and vivid character of Arabic Bible translations is particularly evident in the rendition of Daniel, yet in many aspects these findings are characteristic of the Arabic Bible enterprise at large. Arabic translations appear to have functioned alongside texts in the established liturgical languages which continued to serve as the measuring standard of the biblical narrative. Thus, the value of the Arabic Bible renditions lies foremost in their ability to capture a less formalized, spontaneous, and uninhibited practice and understanding of the religious heritage.