וְהֵיתָ֨יִת֙ אֶ֣בֶן חֲדָ֔ה וְשֻׂמַ֖ת עַל־פֻּ֣ם גֻּבָּ֑א וְחַתְמַ֨הּ מַלְכָּ֜א בְּעִזְקְתֵ֗הּ וּבְעִזְקָת֙ רַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי דִּ֛י לָא־תִשְׁנֵ֥א צְב֖וּ בְּדָנִיֵּֽאל׃
17A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
Hand colored stencil print on washi by Sadao Watanabe (1965).
Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.
For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.
The term that is transliterated as “Daniel” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter D and for “lion,” referring to the story in Daniel 6. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Daniel” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “prayer” that illustrates Daniel’s close relationship with God.
“Daniel” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz
Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Daniel from the 18th century (found in the Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
(Click or tap here to see details)
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
A stone: the stone in question had to be quite large, since it had to cover the opening through which a person could enter the pit.
Was brought and laid: these passive forms may be made active by using agents such as “they” (indefinite), or “some men,” or “the king’s servants,” as in the earlier references of this kind.
The mouth of the den: this would be like a kind of door or opening to the place where the lions were kept. It is this reference that makes experts believe that the den was actually a kind of cave or hole.
The king sealed it with his own signet: it was common practice to put some clay at the place where the stone met the edge of the entrance to the cave or pit. Then an image would be placed in the fresh clay, using a personal seal. In this case it was the seal of the king himself and those of his noblemen. It is not necessary that this entire process be described in the translation, but the reader should at least be made aware that this was a means of guaranteeing that the stone was not moved. If necessary the details of the procedure can be explained in a footnote.
That nothing might be changed concerning Daniel: or “in order that no one might be able to change Daniel’s situation.” Some consider that the Good News Translation rendering goes too far, but this is clearly the point of sealing the pit. Compare Revised English Bible. The seal of the officials would effectively prevent the king and his close associates from coming in secret to rescue Daniel. But the king’s seal would perhaps also deter the enemies of Daniel from coming in secret to make sure that he was dead, in case the lions did not kill him.
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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