" The writer,"
says Bissell on v. 2, "shews a familiar acquaintance with what was the
probable state of things in Babylon when the event narrated is supposed
to have occurred."
Of the things mentioned, clay is common in Babylonia, and brass or
bronze was used as a material for images; and the lion was an inhabitant
of the country.
There is no sign (in this piece) of Hellenic thought influencing Jewish
belief, such as would have been likely to shew itself in a purely
Alexandrian production. The strong hatred of idolatry is quite in
accordance with a Babylonish origin; more so perhaps than with an
Alexandrian. _Cf._ Jer. xliv. 8, which seems to shew that, at any rate
in the early days of the dispersion in Egypt, the severance from
idolatry was not so sharp as in Babylonia.
The mention of pitch (v. 27) as a readily obtainable commodity is
inconclusive, as stated under the corresponding section of Part II. The
possible confusion between ?–?¦?¤?? (storm-wind) and ?–?™?¤?? (pitch), pointed
out by Marshall in his article on Bel and the Dragon in Hastings'
_Dict.
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