Abstract
E. M. Cook has proposed that the background of 4Q246 is to be found in Akkadian prophecies (BBR 5 [1995] 43–66). This interesting suggestion has the merit of expanding the horizons of the discussions, but it is not ultimately persuasive. 4Q246 has far closer parallels, both in its visionary genre and in actual phraseology, in the Book of Daniel. The argument that the "son of God" should be understood as a negative figure is in no way corroborated by the alleged Akkadian parallels. The argument still depends on the assumption that there is a single turning point in the text, and that everything before it is negative. This assumption is not warranted by comparison with other apocalyptic texts. By far the closest parallel to the language of 4Q246 about the "son of God" is found in the Gospel of Luke, where the "son of God" is associated with "the throne of David his father" and so is explicitly messianic.
