O-01 The King of Babel: Nebuchadnezzar‘s Characterization in Daniel 1-4

Buller Hall Room 251

This is a study on Nebuchadnezzar’s narrative in the book of Daniel done through the Narrative Criticism method. It aimed to analyze the characterization of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, in the first four chapters of the book. In order to do so, I first describe the functioning of a biblical narrative, its nature, elements and how those relate to each other; After that I analyze the form and content of the first four chapters of the book; to then analyze the way Nebuchadnezzar is characterized along his journey. After a close reading of the text, it is concluded that the king is characterized as a profound character in his journey of acknowledging the Most High. He is blessed with power over men by the Most High, who keeps sabotaging him to prevent his power to be fully acting. In order to keep his authoritative appearance, the king is constantly taking over of Divine acts to legitimate his own power. But when he’s transformed into an animal, the desired image of full control is totally subverted, and he becomes unconscious of his own story. Ironically, the moment of Nebuchadnezzar‘s greatest humbling coincide with God’s delivery from the deadly sentence pronounced by the king to himself. His characterization is enigmatic and delivers no precise closure. Therefore, the character of Nebuchadnezzar is an enigma for his speech and attitude empower the reader to both believe or question the legitimacy of the king’s exaltation of God in chapter four.