Acknowledgments
Every book has its own story. This is even more true of doctoral monographs. For this work, the story began with the dream of reading the Bible in its original languages. It goes back to my first encounter with the Hebrew Scriptures as an undergraduate student and to my early intuition that they conceal a treasure trove. I was hungry enough for knowledge to embark upon a journey into the unknown, pursuing these riches. The journey took me to Israel, to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There in the Bible Department, I spent about ten wonderful years digging for treasures in the Book of Daniel. This monograph reflects a slightly revised version of my doctoral research, which compares the Hebrew-Aramaic text of Daniel with the Greek versions of the same book.
My advisers, Prof. Emanuel Tov and Prof. Michael Segal, deserve all my hearty appreciation. Not only was their mentorship always supportive along the way, but also their role model inspired me to pursue excellence. I continue to admire their rigor and creativity in research, and I endeavor to follow in their footsteps. Reflecting on the unique opportunity of being guided by such an exceptional team of experts in textual studies, I admit that all the universe must have worked together for it to happen.
Earlier in my academic journey as an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to have teachers who broadened my intellectual and theological horizons. Dr. Aldea Traian introduced me to archaeological excavations, instilled in me a love for Israel, and encouraged me to study in Jerusalem. Dr. Zoltán Szallós-Farkas exposed me to the depth and beauty of the Bible. LÄiu Florin taught me that the interpretation of a text requires careful, detailed exegetical work. It was a great honor to become their colleague for a time at Adventus University of Cernica in Romania. I will always remember their role in my formative years.
Even earlier, my parents, Ètefan and Viorica Olariu, were my first informal instructors, who opened up for me the fascinating world of biblical stories. To them I owe the opportunity to attend high school, college, and to pursue graduate studies. It turned out that the name they gave meâDanielâwas the name of the biblical book that became my doctoral topic. They were ready to sacrifice everything to help the dreams of their children to be fulfilled. Their support was possible with the involvement of my brothers and sisters and my brothers -in-law and sisters-in-law. They created the ideal space to nurture my dreams. I am indebted to all of them, and my achievement is also theirs.
Special thanks also go to the vibrant Romanian Jewish community that I met in Israel. Of this group, I especially mention Costel and Elza Alexe, who showed me and my family that we could feel at home even though we were far away from home.
The financial support that I have received from different institutions deserves full recognition and thanks. For the first years of my stay in Israel, I benefited from the Rothberg Family Fund Scholarship and from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Scholarship. For the years of my doctoral studies, I received a scholarship offered by the Inter-European Division of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in conjunction with Adventus University. In the final years of writing my dissertation, the support scholarships from the Hebrew University were very much appreciated. For the months I spent in Berlin and Vienna studying German, I thank the Goethe-Institute in Jerusalem and the Centre for Austrian Studies, respectively.
The list of those who were instrumental in my formation or who helped me along the way is seemingly inexhaustible. Of this large group, I wish to particularly thank those who were instrumental in bringing the publication process to completion. These include Prof. Emanuel Tov and Prof. Armin Lange, who suggested the publication of my research in this series; Prof. Alison Salvesen (Oxford University) and Dr. Guy Darshan (Tel-Aviv University), who offered insightful comments as external readers; Dr. Jason Driesbach, who served as a copyeditor; and Dirk Bakker and Bart Nijsten, the Brill editor and typesetter, respectively.
Lastly, and they know the last are first, I thank my wife Denisa-Simona, my son Levi-Raphael, and my daughter Eva-Elizabeth for journeying with me into the unknown. They enrich my life every day. Their presence at my side brings colorful joy into my scholarly, sometimes monochrome domain. To my charming wife, who experienced all the stages of this volume by having me less available, I will remain forever grateful.
Daniel Olariu
Friedensau, Saxony-Anhalt
February 2023