Abstract
This article states that, with his narrative, the author of Daniel 6 creates the presence of Elohim outside Jerusalem and Israel, within non-Israelite environments. Applying a body-space frameset to the texts of Daniel 6 helps to read the text as a construction of concepts. With his narrative the author creates the presence of Elohim outside Jerusalem and Israel, within non-Israelite environments. Furthermore, a spatial frameset shows that the story of Daniel 6 can be read as a conclusion to a larger narrative that stretches from Daniel 1–6. In this narrative the author utilises spatial concepts such as the character of Daniel; the lion’s den; Jerusalem and King Darius, to establish the omnipresence of the God of Israel. In constructing this presence of-God reality the author conveys a message of hope and trust in the authority of the God of Israel. In this regard Daniel 6 is not just a story about the character Daniel being persecuted for his faith; rather it is a story about the God of Israel establishing his presence and his ability to act through and within space and time.
Highlights
The title of this article may bring the journeys of Bilbo Baggins to mind
A spatial frameset shows that the story of Daniel 6 can be read as a conclusion to a lager narrative that stretches across Daniel 1–6
In this narrative the author utilises spatial concepts to establish the omnipresence of the God of Israel
Summary
The title of this article may bring the journeys of Bilbo Baggins to mind. this article is not a story about a hobbit journeying through Tolkien’s Middle-Earth; rather it is an essay about a deity travelling through the ages and history of empires establishing his presences in unknown worlds. It is argued that the language used by the author of Daniel 6 to construct his narrative, mirrors certain fundamental properties and design features of the human mind (De Bryn 2014:1; Evans & Green 2006:5). Cognitive linguistics involves the study of the complex relationship between language and the mind (De Bryn 2014:1; Evans, Bergen & Zinken 2007:3) In this new science it is postulated that texts, as mediums of communications (Becker 2005:45), are embedded in an author’s cognitive paradigm. This means that the author of Daniel 6 utilises specific concepts, embedded in his own cognitive world view, to convey his narrative to his readers
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