Concerning the dating of Daniel 7–12, although the literary setting of the visions purports that Daniel received them during the exile, the symbols point to nations and specific rulers of the second century BC. This century was marked by the struggle for control over Judah by the Seleucids and Ptolemies. In particular, the worst times—the period of Antiochus IV—form the historical context for much of the visions (see chs. 7 and 8 below). Antiochus’s reign was marked by the outlawing of