About seventy years had elapsed since the capture of Jerusalem recorded in Daniel 1. . 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. This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 23:09. 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. A system of inner and outer walls with a water moat between the walls made the city very secure. He appears on the Bible Timeline Poster right before the fall of Babylon. 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. How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? Daniel 3:12, Nebuchadnezzar confronts Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego about their disobedience. exhibits its remarkable accuracy.249 The controversy over Belshazzar, because of the extensive investigation and great variety of findings, has become one of the most complicated problems in the entire book, but the problem itself is comparatively simple. Leupold suggests that PHARSIN could be understood by changing the vowels to be Persians284 and might have a double meaning as indicated by Daniels explanation given to the Medes and Persians. A pun may be intended on this third word. [17] After the accession of his father, Belshazzar emerges in the sources as a prominent businessman and the head of a wealthy household, a role that was typically not picked up by members of the royal family in the Neo-Babylonian period. 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? 267 Cf. Hearing the unusual clamor at the banquet and learning of the distress of her son, because of her position she was able to enter the banquet hall freely and speak to the king. Was Belshazzar actually king of Babylon and was he murdered on the night that Babylon was conquered? But we have to acknowledge that this is speculation. The temple in Jerusalem is completed. King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his officials. 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. Approximately twenty-three years elapsed between chapter 4 and chapter 5. [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. Still, orders by Nabonidus superseded orders by Belshazzar. Midway in the long wall opposite the entrance there was a niche in front of which the king may well have been seated. 114 ff. Darius notes Daniels good qualities and plans to elevate him to the highest administrative position. [35] These include: The events that transpired in Babylonia during Belshazzar's regency are not well known, owing to a lack of surviving sources. 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). 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. BELSHAZZAR - JewishEncyclopedia.com Discoveries since Keil tend to support Herodotus and Xenophon, although not accounting for Darius the Mede. 275 Arthur Jeffery, The Book of Daniel, Introduction and Exegesis, in The Interpreters Bible, 6:426. Freedman cites H. Louis Ginsberg (Studies in Daniel, pp. 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. Since Belshazzar was the main beneficiary of the coup, through confiscating and inheriting Labashi-Marduk's estates and wealth, it is likely that he was the chief orchestrator. Nabonidus), but during the period of the regency there are references to both "offerings to the king" and "offerings to the son of the king". What Daniel is saying is that he will give an unprejudiced interpretation with no attempt to seek favor from the king. Critics of the authenticity and historicity of Daniel accordingly were free to question whether any such person as Belshazzar existed. A great bridge spanned the Euphrates River, connecting the eastern section and the western or new section of the city. His widespread troopstheir number, like that of the water of a river, could not be establishedstrolled along, their weapons packed away. B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, pp. He was 62 years old. [10] It is alternatively possible that later traditions of Belshazzar being a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar are derived from royal propaganda, and that there was no connection to the previous ruling Chaldean dynasty. Nabonidus appoints his son, Belshazzar, as his co-regent. All 66 books; Old Testament books; . In the same hour came forth fingers of a mans hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Since there is little change in the prominent members of Neriglissar's and Labashi-Marduk's former household under Belshazzar, it is probable that Belshazzar becoming the master of the household was met with relatively little opposition. [54] Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. : heart) (and therefore) ordered him to march against his city Babylon He made him set out on the road to Babylon going at his side like a real friend. MENE could be considered equivalent to the maneh of Ezekiel 45:12; Ezra 2:69. The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as God's judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of the city. He was instead filled with terror to the point that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. In his excitement, he no longer could sit down but hardly had the strength to stand. Like the other words, it is a passive participle. 184-85. 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. Cyrus, emperor of Persia, captures Babylon. 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. . [15] Belshazzar's father came to the throne as a result of a conspiracy that saw the deposition and murder of the previous king, Labashi-Marduk. 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. the second year of Darius the King King of what, exactly ? Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world It seems likely that skirmishes along the border were frequent from then until Babylon's fall. Daniel 7:1-7, Daniel receives a vision of a ram and a goat. The Writing on the Wall [25] October 543 BC is the return date most supported by surviving Babylonian documentation. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us, Daniel, along with his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (later named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), is taken to Babylon, where they are ordered to learn Babylonian culture on Nebuchadnezzars orders. Daniel Timeline - The Prophet Daniel in Biblical History At Daniel's request, his three countrymen were also placed in positions of authority as administrators of Babylon. 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. 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]. Belshazzar's reign as king (not when he was acting in his father's stead) was incredibly brief and he only ruled two years before the Persians took over Babylon in 539 B.C. He was given a Babylonian name - Belteshazzar, meaning "Bel Protect his Life." 9 out of the 12 chapters in Daniel revolve around dreams. 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. Daniel 5:30 That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, Belshazzar goes on in verse 14 to repeat what his mother had said concerning Daniels wisdom. Belshazzar's feast: analysis. Having stationed the bulk of his army near the passage of the river where it enters Babylon, and again having stationed another division beyond the city, where the river makes its exit, he gave order to his forces to enter the city as soon as they should see the stream fordable. 3 . Against Apion, in Josephus 1:221-25. For further discussion, see exposition of Daniel 5:25-27. Nebuchadnezzar II | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts But for Belshazzar, Daniel immediately speaks out and delivers the cold hard facts. Belshazzar died after Babylon fell to the Persian general Gobyras without resistance on Oct. 12, 539, and probably before the Persian king Cyrus II entered the city 17 days later. The storehouses of Babylon were still abundant with food and wine, and there is evidence that there was plenty of both at this feast. Darius makes the decree public. 11 b ). Then help is sought too late, as in the case of Belshazzar, and the cumulative sin and unbelief which precipitated the crisis in the first place becomes the occasion of downfall. Babylonian chronicles refer to the crown prince being stationed at home in Babylonia with "his army". 538), using the sacred vessels of the temple, which Nebuchadnezzer had brought from Jerusalem. 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. 263 Edward B. Pusey, Daniel the Prophet, p. 346. A. v. 29-30 Belshazzar Died A Sudden Death - "In that night" - While Belshazzar partied, his enemies were encamped around Babylon. This is another illustration of how critical objections based on lack of external evidence are frequently overthrown when the evidence is uncovered.253, Additional evidence that Nabonidus was away from Babylon on the night of Daniel 5 is given in the fragment from Berosus, previously cited, which indicates that Nabonidus had left Babylon only to be vanquished in battle and flee to Borsippa. Daniel 5:1-4, A handwriting appears on the wall and Belshazzar calls for Daniel who interprets it as a judgement from God. 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. 5:1-30) and during whose reign he received two visions (Dan. Daniel 1:1-2, Jeremiah 25:1), Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king (2 Kings 24:6). Nabonidus was allowed to live in Carmania until the time of his death, but he was not allowed to come to Babylonia.245, The account of Berosus preserved by Josephus is supported by other evidence such as the short fragment of Abydenus preserved by Eusebius.246, Until the discovery of the Nabonidus Cylinder, no mention of Belshazzar, whom Daniel declares to be king of Babylon, had been found in extrabiblical literature. According to the accounts in the Bible and Xenophon, Belshazzar held a last great feast at which he saw a hand writing on a wall the following words in Aramaic: mene, mene, tekel, upharsin. The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as Gods judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of the city. [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. Perhaps the full force of his wickedness in using the vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem had begun to dawn upon him, or the fears suppressed concerning the presence of the armies which surrounded Babylon may have now emerged. That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. Young suggests, after some of the rabbis, that the characters may have been written vertically,281 and in that case in the Aramaic order they would have appeared as follows: If, in addition to the complications of the Aramaic, a language which was known, some unfamiliar form of their characters was used, it would indeed have required divine revelation to give a suitable explanation and interpretation, and may account for the difficulty in reading the writing. Drinking bouts such as characterized Babylon were also common among other peoples, such as the Persians. 268 Cf. Daniel 5:1-25 King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his - Bible feast at which the writing appeared on the wall, Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took over Babylon (Daniel 5:30). 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. When Nebuchadnezzar died, Daniel was one of the most powerful men in Babylon and doubtless had his own house and was well provisioned for retirement. The famed hanging gardens of Babylon were large enough to support trees. The next four years Neriglisar occupied the throne. He praises God, and after seven months, his sanity is restored. This article is about the Babylonian prince. Nebuchadnezzars humiliating experience in chapter 4 had been followed by his death in 562 b.c. The word for doubts ( qitrin) is actually knots, joints, difficult problems. This would mean right about the time of his death, around 490-485 BC, since he was born around 550 BC, and lived for about 65 years. If in cuneiform, the vowels would be included. Daniel 5:5-29, Belshazzar is killed when Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon. The Verse Account of Nabonidus states that Nabonidus campaigned in Arabia with the "army of Akkad" (possibly referring to troops of Babylonian origin) whereas Belshazzar was entrusted at home with the "army of all the lands" (possibly referring to troops of foreign origin). He promises both to read and to make known the interpretation. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. (19011906). And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not show the interpretation of the thing: And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. He was selected for special service in Babylon, and was given three years of training in the best of Babylon's schools. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropd., lib. 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. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield (Is 21:4-5). For a map of Babylon in sixth century B.C., see D. J. Wiseman, Babylon, in The New Bible Dictionary, pp. Only Babylon with its massive walls and fortifications remained intact. Daniel 5 says Belshazzar was king, and was making a great feast when (famously) a hand appeared and wrote a message of judgment on the wall. As Young points out, however, the very character of this absolute authority delegated to Nebuchadnezzar by God also made Nebuchadnezzar responsible.277 This is demonstrated and supported by Nebuchadnezzars experience of insanity in Daniel 4 when, as Daniel expresses it, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Daniel then itemizes in detail the characteristics of Nebuchadnezzars insanity, how he lived with the wild beasts, ate grass like the ox, and was wet with the dew of heaven. Daniel 6:6-9, Daniel is spotted by the administrators while he is worshiping the Lord inside his house, and they report him to Darius. Belshazzar is best identified as his son, whose mother was either a wife or a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and thereby strengthened the claim of Nabonidus to the throne. Home; Blog; Bible survey. Although the size of the banquet is not amazing, the situation was most unusual. The king was drinking wine with them. Belshazzar died after Babylon fell to the Persian general Gobyras without resistance on Oct. 12, 539, and probably before the Persian king Cyrus II entered the city 17 days later. When Daniel was brought before the king, he addressed a natural question to reassure himself of the identity of Daniel. 5. Belshazzar's Feast And The Fall Of Babylon | Bible.org Daniel 6:10-15, Darius orders Daniel to be thrown into the lions den and wishes Daniel that he be saved by his God. (30-31) The death of Belshazzar and the rise of Darius the Mede. 407-15. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. . The queen urged, however, that now he be brought in to solve the present problem. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years. He eventually led his forces into Arabia, conquering several cities, including the city of Tayma. There may have been a division of the Babylonian army. The reference to father may be construed as grandfather. As Pusey states, Neither in Hebrew, nor in Chaldee, is there any-word for grandfather, grandson. Forefathers are called fathers or fathers fathers. But a single grandfather, or forefather, is never called fathers father but always father only.263, The sacred vessels taken from Jerusalem had apparently been kept in storage without sacrilegious use from Nebuchadnezzars day until the occasion of this feast.
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