himself” (v. 8, here used reflexively for the single time in the O.T.) really solve anything for us. The most that can be said is that a person is “defiled” by blood (Isa. 59:3; Lam. 4:14; in Isa. 63:3, Yahweh comes from Bozrah with his own garments “defiled” by blood). In one sense, we can be grateful that close examination of Daniel’s act reveals that it is not to be too tightly linked with any particular set of food laws, because to bind a story like this to its historical setting too rigidly