A comparison between the Comments on Daniel in the Syriac Commentary on the Diatessaron and the Syriac Commentary on Daniel

Abstract

This short article investigates the possibility of connections between the Syriac Commentary on Daniel, ascribed to Ephrem, and the Syriac Commentary on the Diatessaron, also thought to consist of exegetical notes made by Ephrem with some additions and interpolations added to it. Two themes from the book of Daniel that receive special attention in the Commentary on the Diatessaron are scrutinised, namely the stone that became dislodged from a mountain in Daniel 2 and the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem in Daniel 9. It seems that the two commentaries follow a similar trajectory of interpretation, suggesting proximity in time and place of origin.