ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about the court tales of Daniel depend on a discussion of the historical context. It explores the idea that Dan 5 presents Belshazzar as a problem son of Nebuchadnezzar and a representative of the problem of sons for some ancient constructions of masculinity: they may preserve a father's name, but they can also tarnish that name. Daniel 2 depicts a public display of knowledge as powerful enough to produce subordinating gestures from a king while minimizing the utility of physical violence. Daniel 4 presents another occasion for Daniel to demonstrate his knowledge, which raises similar issues to those the author discussed about Daniel 2. Daniel 5 presents Daniel with another occasion to demonstrate his knowledge. Daniel 6 goes beyond reiteration to emphasize God's protection of Daniel through the repeated use of verbs related to "saving".
