Q. I'm preparing to begin a study on Daniel next week (for which your commentary was VERY helpful, thank you so much) and I'm wondering whether or not the apocryphal chapters of 13 and 14 carry any historical merit at all (as in the case of 1st and 2nd Maccabees) or if I should just mention that there are 2 more chapters in Catholic Bibles. Any information you have on the subject or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
A. These chapters were added to Daniel 300 years after the book had been written. Some even wonder if they were meant to refer to the same Daniel, since his age in them doesn't appear to be consistent with what we know about the rest of the book.
Having just re-read them, it's my belief that they contain nothing of either historical or theological value that would enhance your study. I wouldn't even bother mentioning them, since they only appear in the Catholic Bible, and even there I believe they're often separated from the first 12 chapters.
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