Daniel describes graphically in verse 19 how Nebuchadnezzar was feared and had absolute authority of life and death over his people and, accordingly, was an absolute sovereign. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). Belshazzar could grant royal privileges identical to those granted by kings. The Babylonian chronicles describe the actions and conquests of Cyrus in detail throughout Belshazzar's regency. Much as Babylon fell on that sixteenth day of Tishri (Oc. Belshazzar goes on in verse 14 to repeat what his mother had said concerning Daniels wisdom. 252 N. W. Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. Also known as: Baltasar, Balthasar, Bel-shar-usur. This was not prompted by disrespect nor by the evident fact that they would be short-lived. [48] Nabonidus was captured and possibly exiled to Carmania. Leupold cites the ancient historian Ktesias to the effect that Persian monarchs frequently were known to dine daily with 15,000 people.257 M. E. 50:Mallowan mentions the great feast that Ashusnasirpal II gave to 69,574 guests when he dedicated his new capital city of Calah (Nimrud) in 879 b.c.258. Belshazzar had been known only from the biblical Book of Daniel (chapters 5, 78) and from Xenophons Cyropaedia until 1854, when references to him were found in Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. A handwriting appears on the wall and Belshazzar calls for Daniel who interprets it as a judgement from God. Belshazzar appears as a central character in the story of Belshazzar's feast in the Biblical Book of Daniel,[4] recognized by scholars as a work of historical fiction. The word MENE means numbered, and Daniel interprets this in verse 26 as indicating God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. It is in keeping with the idea that mans days are numbered, and the repetition of the word twice is probably for emphasis. "That two deserters, Gadatas and Gobryas, having assisted some of the Persian army to kill the guards, and seize upon . How God holds in derision the rulers of the world who take counsel against Him (Ps 2:1-4)! Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. of natural causes. In any case, the king was in no position to dispute with Daniel, even though Daniels words brought even greater fear and apprehension to his heart. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years. [43], Regardless of any potential animosity between Nabonidus and Belshazzar, Belshazzar retained the status of crown prince and intended successor, as a handful of documents still reference the "son of the king". John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. [25] October 543 BC is the return date most supported by surviving Babylonian documentation. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. 282 Since Prince, who wrote his commentary in 1899, many others have followed the suggestion of Clermont-Ganneau (Journal Asiatique) 1886, that the inscription contained a string of weight names. Daniel 5:30-31. 184-85. [30] Though it is clear that Belshazzar during his father's absence assumed many responsibilities typically only held by the king,[22] several prerogatives were also kept solely by Nabonidus. Daniel 3:13-15, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego continue to refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzars golden statue. [11], The most important sources for the time of Belshazzar are the Nabonidus Chronicle, the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Verse Account of Naboniduswhich, despite its name, was commissioned by the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great. As the writing according to Daniel was written over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace, it may have appeared in an area of greater illumination than the rest of the room and thus also have attracted more attention. Critics of the authenticity and historicity of Daniel accordingly were free to question whether any such person as Belshazzar existed. Belshazzar may have been the son of the king who is said in the same chronicle to have commanded the Babylonian army in Accad from the 6th to the 11th year of Nabunaid I; or, possibly longer, for the annals before the 6th and after the 11th year are broken and for the most part illegible. Though he is referred to in the Book of Daniel as the son of Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian inscriptions indicate that he was in fact the eldest son of Nabonidus, who was king of Babylon from 555 to 539, and of Nitocris, who was perhaps a daughter of Nebuchadrezzar. See also Leupold, pp. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. "Belshazzar". Belshazzar, Neo-Babylonian Bel-shar-usur, Greek Baltasar, or Balthasar, (died c. 539 bc), coregent of Babylon who was killed at the capture of the city by the Persians. How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? 272 R. H. Charles, The Book of Daniel, pp. As Keil expresses it, It is not quite certain what the princely situation is which was promised to the interpreter of the writing That it is not the ordinale of the number third, is, since Havernick, now generally acknowledged.270 However, recent scholarship has tended to confirm the translation the third ruler. Franz Rosenthal, for instance, confidently translates the term one-third (ruler), triumvir.271. 162-79; and Leupold, pp. 263 Edward B. Pusey, Daniel the Prophet, p. 346. With only the fingers of the hand visible and producing writing upon the wall, the spectacle immediately attracted attention. The new Persian-Median empire succeeds the old Persian Empire which had recently been ruled by Belshazzar, who is familiar to us from the Book of Daniel. Prior to and after Belshazzar's regency, surviving texts only contain references to offerings to the king (i.e. Belshazzar is made to understand that Babylon will be given to the Medes and the Persians. 115-19; Keil, pp. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, his reign could be expected to be brief and transitional, meaning that Belshazzar could expect to inherit the throne within a few years.[23]. 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. [29] It is probable that Nabonidus, a reformer, and Belshazzar, apparently more religiously conservative, did not see eye to eye in religious matters. Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom. There was plenty of water from the Euphrates River which bisected the city. These facts are pertinent to Belshazzars situation as they were well known by everyone as Daniel expresses it in verse 22, And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this. The contrast between the supreme power of Nebuchadnezzar and the very limited power of Belshazzar is also evident. As Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he ordered his servants to bring the gold and silver cups. He was 62 years old. Verse 2 cites that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drink from them; and this fact is restated in the actual act in verse 3 where only the golden vessels are mentioned. . Q. Young in his discussion on this point gives J. Dymeley Prince282 the credit for the suggestion that the maneh refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the shekel (of much less value) to Belshazzar, and the half-minas refers to the Medes and the Persians.283 Daniels explanation, however, is far more cogent and reasonable, and does not give any indication that the words mean other than he indicates. This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 23:09. 257 Montgomery mentions a marriage feast of Alexander with 10,000 guests (Montgomery, p. 250). 57-59; cf. Chapter 7 was revealed to Daniel in the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon (Dan 7:1) and the vision of the ram and he-goat in chapter 8 occurred in the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar (Dan 8:1). There Nabonnedus spent the remainder of his life, and there he died^ Flavius Josephus. For further discussion, see exposition of Daniel 5:25-27. His concern was shared by the entire assembly. 279 In the end, even the critics accept either the interpretation of Daniel (mene, numbered; tekel, weighed; peres, divided); or the reading, a maneh, a maneh, a shekel, and a half-maneh, see exposition. Belshazzars predicament is another illustration of the insecurity and powerlessness of the rulers of this world when confronted by the power and wisdom of God. How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? Was Nebuchadnezzar a believer? Because his rule was arbitrary and licentious, he was assassinated by Neriglisar after he had reigned only two years. being about threescore and two years old. The storehouses of Babylon were still abundant with food and wine, and there is evidence that there was plenty of both at this feast. Jeremiah is explicit, And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. The information embodied in these two visions, insofar as Daniel understood it, therefore was known to Daniel before the event of chapter 5 which chronologically came after chapters 7 and 8. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropd., lib. Nebuchadnezzar II, also spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, (born c. 630died c. 561 bce), second and greatest king of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylonia (reigned c. 605-c. 561 bce). Only Babylon with its massive walls and fortifications remained intact. The Babylonian kings are often mentioned together as forming a succession of impious and tyrannical monarchs who oppressed Israel and were therefore foredoomed to disgrace and destruction. What Daniel is saying is that he will give an unprejudiced interpretation with no attempt to seek favor from the king. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. Young states, The identity of Belshazzar has long caused difficulty to commentators. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 287 J. [8], Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus,[9] an elderly courtier who would rise to become the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. On his return, the doorkeepers refused to admit him. [54] Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. Daniel experiences a vision of the four terrifying beasts but kept the vision to himself. He was followed by Neriglissar, also spelled Nergal-shar-usur, a son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar who died in 556 b.c. This, no doubt, prepared the way for the co-regency under Nabonidus which probably began 553 B.C., supporting Daniel 5. If the scene can be reconstructed, it is probable that the banquet was illuminated by torches which not only produced smoke but fitful light that would only partially illuminate the great hall. He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon More. For pictures and further details, see R. K. Harrison, Babylon, in The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, pp. Belshazzar's Impious Feast 1 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 258 M. E. L. Mallowan, Nimrud, in Archaeology and Old Testament Study, p. 62. [53] During a feast, Babylonians eat and drink from the holy vessels of Yahweh's temple, and "king" Belshazzar sees a hand writing the words mene, mene, tekel, upharsin on a wall. And thus Babylon was taken for the first time.285, Keil discusses at length both Herodotus account and that of Xenophon in his Cyropaedia, which is similar, and summarizes the arguments of Kranichfeld discounting these records. 268 Cf. Knowing Daniel was a wise elder statesman, the new leaders gave him a prestigious place in their government (Daniel 6:1-2). Later, King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, and again Daniel was able to interpret it. The outer wall seems to have been only seventeen miles in circumference, instead of about fifty-six as Herodotus claimed, with much fewer towers and gates; and probably even the towers were not more than 100 feet tall. [50], In the Book of Daniel, Belshazzar (Hebrew: , Blaar)[1] plays a significant role in the tale of Belshazzar's feast, a variation on the story of Nebuchadnezzar's madness showing what happens when a king does not repent. Nabonidus appoints his son, Belshazzar, as his co-regent. Daniel had a reputation among the Babylonian courts. To be clothed in scarlet and to wear a chain of gold about the neck were special tokens of the kings favor and certainly would have been coveted by any of the wise men. The crisis produced by the inability of the wise men to interpret the handwriting on the wall is met by the entrance of one described as the queen. Much speculation surrounds the identity of this person as it is related to the larger question of Belshazzars lineage. The effect upon the king and his associates was immediate. His grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken these cups from the Temple in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 52:7-14, 2 Kings 25:4-10, Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue and orders everyone to worship it or be thrown into the furnace. The reference to Nebuchadnezzar as the father of Belshazzar, as previously indicated, should probably be either grandfather or greatgrandfather as the same term would be used for any of these designations. PERES means divided, and is merely another form for UPHARSIN as in verse 25 having the u, which is equivalent to the English and, with PHARSIN being the plural of PERES. 11 or 12) 539 B.C., as indicated in the Nabonidus Chronicle,288 so the world will be overtaken by disaster when the day of the Lord comes (1 Th 5:1-3). In some cases, such as a ritual performed at the tempel of Bunene in Sippar, inscriptions attribute it to Nabonidus while surviving letters prove that Belshazzar was responsible. Though oaths for most of the regency only refer to Nabonidus, some oaths from late in the regency were sworn by "the majesty of Nabonidus, king of Babylon, and Belshazzar, his son", or even by "the majesty of Nabonidus and Belshazzar". . This prince, whose government was arbitrary and licentious, fell a victim to a plot, being assassinated by his sisters husband, Neriglisar, after a reign of two years. [49][51][52] He may have alternatively been killed already at the battle of Opis,[1] captured and executed, or exiled together with his father. Since the publication of Raymond Doughertys scholarly research .on Nabonidus and Belshazzar, based on the Nabonidus Cylinder and other sources, there is no ground for questioning the general historicity of Belshazzar; and only the details of the scriptural account unverified by extrabiblical sources can be challenged by the critics.247 Montgomery states that the story is unhistorical but nevertheless contains indubitable reminiscences of actual history.248. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The situation before Belshazzar had all the elements of a great drama. 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Their confidence in their gods was bolstered by their confidence in their city. 7. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel, p. 115. Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied that Babylon would fall to the Medes on just such a night of revelry as Daniel records (Is 13:17-22; 21:1-10; Jer 51:33-58). This, however, is conjecture; and probably it is more natural to consider Belshazzar a son of Nabonidus himself. In the seventeenth year of his reign Cyrus advanced from Persia with a large army, and, after subjugating the rest of the kingdom, marched upon Babylonia. [26] The purpose for this prolonged stay, effectively self-exile, in Tayma are unclear and debated. In the Neo-Babylonian Empire, oaths were typically sworn by the king, and several gods, by individuals who were going to conduct various services. This explains why Belshazzar in the lineal descent from Nebuchadnezzar was honored as a coruler under Nabonidus. Although such ancient records are notoriously inaccurate and at best are fragmentary, the argument of the critics was that Belshazzar never existed because his name did not appear in any of the ancient records. Following Cyrus decree, around 50,000 Jews return home to Judea, led by Zerubbabel. [46][47] The sources also do not make Belshazzar's location clear, but it appears that he was stationed some distance away from Babylon, but that he also was no longer in Sippar, where he had stationed himself in 546 BC out of fear of Cyrus. [5][6] Belshazzar is portrayed as the king of Babylon and "son" of Nebuchadnezzar, though he was actually the son of Nabonidusone of Nebuchadnezzar's successorsand he never became king in his own right, nor did he lead the religious festivals as the king was required to do. 283 Ibid., p. 126; cf. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Belshazzar was not allowed to officiate and oversee the Babylonian. The difficulty of the wise men in reading the writing may have been that it was written in Aramaic script without the vowels being supplied; but if written in cuneiform, the vowels would have been included. Cf. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Belshazzar, How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Belshazzar. Whether, therefore, someone else made the suggestion to him in his perplexity, or whether he himself devised the plan, he had recourse to the following stratagem. Under these circumstances, Belshazzar would indeed be king of Babylon in the absence of his father. . Daniel 6:16, Darius hurries to the lions den the following day to see what happened to Daniel and learns to his astonishment that Daniel is unharmed. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. Belshazzar was not allowed to date documents after his own "regnal years". [43] Belshazzar appears to have worked to restore Marduk's status in his father's absence. Nebuchadnezzar dies and is replaced by a succession of short-lived kings. Belshazzars situation and his knowledge of Nebuchadnezzars humbling made all the more blasphemous his taking of the vessels captured in Jerusalem from the house of the Lord and using them to drink wine in praising the gods of Babylon. Suiting the action to the word, Cyrus and Darius grasped a heavy ornament forming part of a candelabrum, and with it shattered the skull of their royal master (Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah 3:4).[58]. See also Keil, p. 179, citing Athenaeus, as does Young, p. 118. 9:41, cited by C. F. Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, p. 164. Although it is possible to question the historicity of portions of the Prayer of Nabonidus, as it is undoubtedly apocryphal, the consensus of both liberal and conservative scholarship seems to take the account as repeating in the main a true story. In the quarter of a century which elapsed between chapter 4 and chapter 5, the further revelations given to Daniel in chapters 7 and 8 occurred. MENE could be considered equivalent to the maneh of Ezekiel 45:12; Ezra 2:69. Belshazzar's fate is not known, but is often assumed that he was killed during Cyrus the Great 's Persian invasion of Babylonia in 539 BC, presumably at the fall of the capital Babylon on 12 October 539 BC. The account of Cyrus, himself, of the fall of Babylon has now been recovered in an inscription on a clay barrel: Marduk, the great lord, a protector of his people/worshipers, beheld with pleasure his (i.e., Cyrus) good deeds and his upright mind (lit. 278 There is a remarkably close parallel to the language of 5:23 in the Prayer of Nabonidus found in Qumran Cave 4:See J. T. Milik, pp. [50] It is often assumed that Belshazzar was killed by the Persians at Babylon when the city fell, on 12 October. Nabonidus also had certain inscriptions made during the period of the regency edited to add prayers urging Belshazzar and the people of Babylonia to accept and receive Sn's blessing. No documents are dated to the "reign of Belshazzar", and no documents mention both Belshazzar and Nabonidus as if there was a formal co-regency. In any case Daniel read the writing as Aramaic, and the suggestion of puns in the language (see later discussion) depends upon the Aramaic. According to Berosus, Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, Evil-Merodach, also known as Amel-Marduk, who was killed in 560 b.c. Because of the variety of words that could be identified merely by the consonants, another suggestion has been made. Belshazzar informs Daniel of the inability of all the wise men either to read or to interpret the writing. Under this interpretation, the writing would read, A maneh, a marieh, a shekel, and a half-maneh. Having arrived at this conclusion, however, it still remains to be determined what it means. He was clearly the highest legal authority in Babylonia during Nabonidus's absence. This is the first point at which this ch. Among these buildings were the Temple of Bel, an eight-story structure, and the magnificent palace of the king, actually a complex of buildings, which have now been excavated. As Keil points out, the king was ready to listen to anyone who could interpret the writing.269. There are actually so many plausible possibilities in Daniels account, supported by the evidence cited, that the storm of objections can hardly be taken seriously.254. (Ugarit was a Canaanite city destroyed around 1200 BCE - the tablet containing the story is dated c. 1360 BCE.) The identity of this conqueror, unknown outside the Bible by this name, has touched off endless controversy and discussion which will be considered in the next chapter. A. Brinkman, Probably the first recorded mention of Belshazzar, Prince of Babylonia under Nabonnedus is in a cuneiform text 135 in a collection at the Archaeological Museum in Florence published in 1958-60 by Professor Karl Ober-huber of the University of Innsbruck. As mentioned before, Belshazzar was the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. Still, orders by Nabonidus superseded orders by Belshazzar. A. Brinkman, Neo-Babylonian Texts in the Archaeological Museum at Florence, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 25:202-9.). As this phenomenon only began late in the regency period, it is not clear whether this was a prerogative that had been granted to Belshazzar, or if he inserted his name into oaths in violation of an agreement with his father. when conquered by the Medes. Interestingly, the wall behind the niche was covered with white plaster as described by Daniel, which would make an excellent background for such a writing.268. This omission, however, was later remedied, as mentioned above, by the discovery of the name of Bel-shar-usur (Belshazzar) on cylinders in which he is called the son of Nabonidus. D. N. Freedman (Prayer of Nabonidus, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 145 [1957]: 32) identifies the three kings as Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus and Belshazzar.
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