One manuscript stands out among the new 14C dates — a copy of part of the book of Daniel, conventionally identified as 4Q114 or 4QDanc. The 14C results for that manuscript indicate that it was most likely composed between the years 355–285 BCE or 230–160 BCE. Significantly, the latter of these ranges seems to corroborate the widely held theory that the book of Daniel was completed sometime in the 160s BCE.This article has a quite good discussion of the implications of the redating of this manuscript of the Book of Daniel.The fact that scholars are so excited that a Daniel manuscript seems to date from near the time of composition of the book of Daniel in the 160s BCE may need explanation. A first perusal of the book would appear to indicate that Daniel received these prophecies of the far future in his historical setting of the sixth century BCE. Why second century, then?
Background here and here with my own commentary.
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