239 THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND “ LAST HOUR ” OF THE kairwn, in Dan 9,27a, “the end of the days”, synteleian ˜ ¥ hmerwn, in Dan 12,13, or “time of the end”, kairoy synteleıav Ω ˜ ˜ ¥ in Dan 9,27b; 11,35; 12,4.7). Even the “hour” of Dan 12,1 has clear eschatological meaning, since its introductory phrase (MT, “Now at that time” = OG, “and at that hour”) takes us back to the events of 11,30-45, which prominently feature the prophecy of the end- time opponent’s oppression and deception of those in the covenant community. In this respect, the “hour” of 12,1 has its likely specif- ic antecedent in the eschatological “hour” of 11,35, “the hour of the end” in 11,40-41, and “the hour of his [i.e., the end-time oppo- nent’s] end” in 11,45. It is also relevant to recall that the prophetic narrative about the end-time foe begins in Dan 11,21, whose period of reign in replacement of a prior oppressor is introduced in v. 20 by the phrase en hmeraiv esxataiv, and which likely picks up ß Ω¥ ߥ again on the same phrase in Dan 10,14 (which is directly linked to wra in the OG MS tradition there). ™ Thus, 1 John’s equivalent use of wra (“ hour ”) + the adjective ™ of esxatov (“ last ”) is most probably based on the OG of Daniel’s ¶ eschatological uses of wra (“ hour ”) + synteleia (“ end ”) or the ™ ¥ uses of wra in apposition to esxatov (“ last ”) or in parallel with ™ ¶ or in direct connection to esxatov. Not only is the combined ¶ terminology unique to Daniel and 1 John 2, but the concept is strikingly almost the same: the end-time hour in which the final opponent of God’s people comes into the community of faith to corrupt it and to deceive it about the “truth”. The context of 1 John also has language common to Daniel 7–8, which is not allusive to Daniel but shows further the thematic compatibility of the surrounding context of 1 John 2,18 with that of the Daniel 7–8 con- text. Daniel 8,12 refers to the final opponent “casting truth [Heb. tma] to the ground”, and 1 John 4,6 contrasts the Antichrist’s “ spirit of error” with the “spirit of truth”. Similarly, the “Anti- christ[s] ” is called “the liar,” and with respect to him John says that “no lie is of the truth” (2,18-19.21-22). Recall also that the eschatological antagonist “will speak words against the Most High and will wear down the saints of the Highest One” (Dan 7,25, OG) and that some MSS, versions, and Fathers replaced “wear down” (= katatrıbw [LXX] / palaiow [Theod.] = Aram. alby) with “de- ¥ ¥ ceive ” (planaw). John uses the same word to describe the Anti- ¥ christ and his party (1 John 2,26; 3,7). Though the Dan 7,25 (OG) variant is likely secondary, its presence in the textual tradition may