The Book of Daniel as an Apocalyptic Literature: Features and Symbols

The Bible, as a literary work, has a variety of literary genres that one of their most important genres is called “apocalyptic genre. The book of Daniel, writing at the end of second century BC, is known as one of the earliest Jewish apocalypses which like other apocalyptic writings has an unknown writer (Pseudonymity). One of the important feature of apocalyptic writing is symbolic expression which includes subjects such as the cosmogony, eschatology, prophesizing the world catastrophes, the resurrection, the final judgment of man and of the world. The present study is seeking to point to background of this research considering the importance of apocalyptic literature in Bible studies. Also this article seeks to point to introduce and express the characteristics of these genre and examine the common general forms and contents of the apocalypses. Moreover specially pay attention to the symbols of the Book of Daniel to the roots and uses in other Hebrew and non-Hebrew literature. This book is one of wisdom books which has been written for teaching wisdoms and moral values. Thus, such texts attract the readers to think more about symbolic concept of them.