A Historical Parallel between Daniel and 1 - 2 Maccabees

A HISTORICAL PARALLEL BETWEEN DANIEL AND 1 ¿ 2 MACCABEES ABSTRACT This work will demonstrate that the visions of the Daniel 7 ¿ 12 referred to a historical period dominated by the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes highlighting his oppression of the Jewish people and coinciding with their expectations of deliverance from his tyrannical rule. Evidently, the visions of the small horn in Daniel chapters 7 and 8, when compared with Antiochus IV of 1 ¿ 2 Maccabees, reveal features of this prominent Seleucid king whose rise to power negatively impacted the religious practices of the Jews, specifically temple worship. The Jews saw this as YHWH¿s retribution for their acts of transgression but expected him to judge Antiochus IV ending his dominance and resulting in their salvation. Daniel 12:1 ¿ 3 recounts this salvific expectation, the hope of a resurrection which finds a notable comparison with accounts in 2 Maccabees. These parallels indicate that Daniel 7 ¿ 12 and 1 and 2 Maccabees are contemporary literatures.