I bought a book on the dead sea scrolls back in the 60s but now with the internet, there is a wealth of research and knowledge at hand to explore.
My question, which was raised once again during my searching this information on the internet was a professor who teaches Israeli history and Judaism. He mentioned that the book of Daniel was written by two authors. I had read this a number of times in the past but figured you could give a good answer. One the original Daniel and one who wrote in the name of Daniel after the time the original Daniel’s prophecies were fulfilled putting the writing in the silent years and thus taking away the prophetic significance of the book. What other proofs do we have that the book is written by “our” Daniel only? I am listening to your mp3’s on “God’s Word Fact or Fiction” as I type. Thank you so much for your scholarship and dedication to the purity of God’s Word”. I am looking forward to someday meeting you as we learn from the Master all the questions that come up during our growing in God’s Word.
Liberal scholars have sought to “late-date” Daniel for years, and as a result, Daniel is the single most thoroughly documented book in the Bible. One of the great defenders of Daniel’s authenticity was Sir Robert Anderson. Pick up a copy of his book called “Daniel In The Critic’s Den” It’s a good read. Anderson also wrote “The Coming Prince” a groundbreaking commentary on Daniel’s 70th Week that got him knighted. He was head of the investigative division of Scotland Yard some years back.
If you dig into their backgrounds you’ll find that most if not all of these late-daters begin with the premise that predictive prophecy is not possible. Then they come up all kinds of claims to support their position. It’s hardly an objective approach. Their biggest problem is that in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, there are 135 historically verified prophecies, a display of predictive prophecy unmatched anywhere in Scripture. But even the latest late-daters can’t get around the fact that Daniel accurately foretold the first coming and subsequent crucifixion of the Messiah in Daniel 9:25-26. Nor can they explain how in Matt. 24:15 the Lord Himself credited Daniel’s prophecy in 9:27 of the coming Abomination of Desolation to… Daniel.