What Did Belshazzar Use In His Feast? - On Secret Hunt Daniel was deported to Babylon (some 900 miles away) when he was sixteen years old. 5. Belshazzar's Feast And The Fall Of Babylon | Bible.org In its rise to power the Babylonian Empire had conquered Jerusalem, taken its inhabitants into captivity, looted its beautiful temple, and completely destroyed the city. 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. 00:00. and reigned until 539 b.c. 250 Cf. There was, however, nothing insolent or discourteous in Daniels address to the king; and the charges were stated in a factual and objective way. Belshazzar | Bible Wiki | Fandom But for Belshazzar, Daniel immediately speaks out and delivers the cold hard facts. [20] This is supported by documents describing business transactions of Belshazzar mentioning the same locations, and even the same household and servants, as similar earlier documents of Neriglissar. In addressing the king, Daniel does not begin with a formal salutation as he does for instance in connection with Darius in Daniel 6:21 where he says, O king, live for ever. No doubt Daniel holds Belshazzar in contempt for his desecration of the sacred vessels. Following Cyrus decree, around 50,000 Jews return home to Judea, led by Zerubbabel. [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. 5:10-12 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. . 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. He eventually led his forces into Arabia, conquering several cities, including the city of Tayma. Bible Q | How old was Belshazzar when he died? As mentioned before, Belshazzar was the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. He knew for instance that Daniel was of the captivity of Judah and that he was one of the captives which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem. [35] These include: The events that transpired in Babylonia during Belshazzar's regency are not well known, owing to a lack of surviving sources. Against Apion, in Josephus 1:221-25. 2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. Like the other words, it is a passive participle. (Daniel 5) and predicted the assassination of the corrupt King Belshazzar (her grandfather) by Medean spies. It is possible in the decline of the Babylonian Empire that the number of the wise men was far more limited at this point in history than it was under Nebuchadnezzars reign. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? The effect upon the king and his associates was immediate. The queen urged, however, that now he be brought in to solve the present problem. [8] The later authors of the Talmud and the Midrash emphasize the tyrannous oppression of his Jewish subjects, with several passages in the Prophets interpreted as referring to him and his predecessors. 257 Montgomery mentions a marriage feast of Alexander with 10,000 guests (Montgomery, p. 250). Belshazzar - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - StudyLight.org 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). 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. She had not attended the banquet. The next four years Neriglisar occupied the throne. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. [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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [54] Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. Belshazzar became regent of Babylon in 549 when his father left for Tema so he was presumably already an adult at this time. Daniel 12:13, Cyrus allows the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. All of these honors, however, were short-lived and useless, as Daniel well knew, and typical of the honors of this world. A solution of the problem has depended largely on the premises of the scholars dealing with 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. Daniel 5:30 Commentaries: That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Belshazzar and Daniel | the church of Christ | Daniel Chapter 5 Even during the period of Nabonidus's absence, he is mentioned in building inscriptions in Babylonia as a builder and excavator as if he was actively ruling at the time, with no known references to Belshazzar. [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. of natural causes. In Babylonia, temples usually carried out offerings to the king, such as sacrificing a specified number of sheep. 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. 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. 115-16; and T. G. Pinches, Babel, Babylon, in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1:350. H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel, p. 210; and George A. Barton, Archaeology and the Bible, p. 481 ff. The only other similar case is Neriglissar, though Neriglissar lacked royal blood and had not been the intended successor to the throne, and abandoned his estates upon becoming king, seemingly entrusting them to Labashi-Marduk, his crown prince, and a figure of unclear connections called Nabu-sabit-qate. Norman Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. If, however, the Babylonians had been aware of it beforehand, or had known what Cyrus was about, they would not have suffered the Persians to enter the city, but would have utterly destroyed them; for, having shut all the little gates that lead to the river, and mounting the walls that extend along the banks of the river, they would have caught them as in a net; whereas the Persians came upon them by surprise. Through proclaiming his father as the new king, Belshazzar also made himself the first-in-line to the throne. Although the precise identity of Belshazzar may continue to be debated, available facts support accepting Daniels designation of Belshazzar as king. The first is the Babylonian king whom Daniel records was feasting when Babylon fell (Dan. A. v. 29-30 Belshazzar Died A Sudden Death - "In that night" - While Belshazzar partied, his enemies were encamped around Babylon. Cf. He promises both to read and to make known the interpretation. The battle probably took place much as Herodotus records it.286. For other uses, see, List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources, "Nabonidus, Belshazzar, and the Book of Daniel: an Update", Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belshazzar&oldid=1147589796, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia without a Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia pending changes protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages with numeric Bible version references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Belshazzar never assumed, and was not allowed to use, the title of king (. Daniel is clothed with scarlet, a chain of gold put about his neck, and a proclamation issued that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. According to Berosus, Nebuchadnezzar died after a reign of 43 years and was followed by his son Evil-Merodach. Daniel 5:2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his . 251 H. H. Rowley, The Historicity of the Fifth Chapter of Daniel, Journal of Theological Studies 32:12. Belshazzar is made to understand that Babylon will be given to the Medes and the Persians. This would involve the premise that Nabonidus, although usually living at Teima, had returned to Babylon for a visit just prior to the siege of Babylon, had gone out to battle before Babylon was actually surrounded, and then was defeated, thereby permitting the Persians to besiege Babylon itself. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years. "Belshazzar". Daniels excellent qualities manifested themselves in an excellent spirit, unusual knowledge and understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, difficult sentences, and dissolving of doubts, that is, solutions to problems. Also known as: Baltasar, Balthasar, Bel-shar-usur. 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. Finally, the tidings come, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground (Is 21:9). This, no doubt, prepared the way for the co-regency under Nabonidus which probably began 553 B.C., supporting Daniel 5. 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). Isaiah 14:22, "And I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant and son and grandchild, saith the Lord", is applied to the trio: "Name" to Nebuchadnezzar, "remnant" to Amel-Marduk, "son" to Belshazzar, and "grandchild" Vashti (ib.). Nebuchadnezzar II | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts - Daniel 5:30 . Darius makes the decree public. 252 N. W. Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. Daniel 3:16-18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the furnace but are unharmed. Before morning they killed Belshazzar and took over his kingdom (v 31). And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Writing on the Wall - Mission Bible Class He died about 561 and was succeeded by his son Awil-Marduk (Evil-Merodach of 2 Kings). The whole surrounding territory of the city of Babylon and the related provinces already had been conquered. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Daniel does not record his immediate successors, and extrabiblical literature is somewhat confused. That such a large feast should be held by a monarch like Belshazzar is not at all strange. He was 62 years old. While the feast was in progress with its drinking of wine and shouting of praises to the gods of Babylon, suddenly there appeared the fingers of a mans hand which wrote on the plastered wall of the palace. 2 Kings 25:1-3, Jerusalems wall breaks and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, setting fire to the temple and the palace. Omissions? 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. Corrections? The Bible refers to him as his son ( Daniel 5:2 ), but really the original language seems to hint they're family, or. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. Belshazzar was evidently in no mood to bargain but was terrified and desperately desired to know the meaning of the writing. Cf. The other administrators resented this and thought of ways to bring ruin to Daniel. 258 M. E. L. Mallowan, Nimrud, in Archaeology and Old Testament Study, p. 62. [42], It is possible that a noteworthy return to orthodox Babylonian religion, following early attempts by Nabonidus to exalt the moon god Sn over the traditional Babylonian supreme deity Marduk, can be attributed to Belshazzar. 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. Much has been made of the reference of Belshazzars relationship to Nebuchadnezzar, who is described as his father in verse 2; and even Keil is influenced by this to consider Belshazzar a literal son of Nebuchadnezzar.261 This is not entirely impossible, of course, for as Leupold shows,262 Nabonidus could have married a widow of Nebuchadnezzar who had a son by Nebuchadnezzar who then could be adopted by Nabonidus by way of strengthening his own hold upon the throne. 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. [6] This is typical of the "tale of court contest" in which historical accuracy is not an essential element. . As one holding her position was normally highly regarded and treated with respect, she could speak out in a way that no other could do. [13], Belshazzar's father was proclaimed as king in May 556 BC,[14] and by the end of June, tablets recognising Nabonidus are known from across Babylonia. They said, "Has not the king ordered us to put to death anyone who attempts to enter the palace, though he claims to be the king himself?" How God holds in derision the rulers of the world who take counsel against Him (Ps 2:1-4)! This explains why Belshazzar in the lineal descent from Nebuchadnezzar was honored as a coruler under Nabonidus. 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. When Daniel was brought before the king, he addressed a natural question to reassure himself of the identity of Daniel. This article is about the Babylonian prince. Daniel himself records with graphic simplicity the fulfillment of his prophecy in the words, In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. The concluding verse of the chapter in English versification records how Darius the Median became ruler of Babylon at the age of 62 years. Daniel 5:2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to Daniel 4:27-37. 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. 249 According to J. The Babylonian chronicles describe the actions and conquests of Cyrus in detail throughout Belshazzar's regency. As in the previous instances in Daniel 2 and 4, the wisdom of the world is demonstrated to be totally unable to solve its major problems and to understand either the present or the future. Nebuchadnezzars humiliating experience in chapter 4 had been followed by his death in 562 b.c. 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. But as they had been long aware of the restless spirit of Cyrus, and saw that he attacked all nations alike, they had laid up provisions for many years, and therefore were under no apprehensions about a siege. Instead, documents from the period in which Belshazzar was regent continued to be dated after the years of Nabonidus's reign. Daniel 5:1 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 117-20. It is possible that Belshazzar had campaigned against the Persians on Lydia's behalf a year prior, in 547 BC. Only when Nebuchadnezzar was properly humbled did God restore him to his glory and kingdom. The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as God's judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of the city. Those critical of the authenticity and accuracy of Daniel, especially those zealous to prove second-century authorship, proceed on the premise that Daniel must be in error until he is proved otherwise. 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. A voice tells him the meaning of the vision, and Daniel lies exhausted by the vision for many days after. [6] In the story, the conqueror who inherits Babylon is Darius the Mede, but no such individual is known to history, and the invaders were actually Persians. 162-79; and Leupold, pp. Transliterated into English, they are given as MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. There has been almost endless critical discussion as to what the meaning of this inscription is, and the interpretation is complicated by a number of factors.279 In the book of Daniel the words are given in Aramaic, but some have questioned this.280 If it was written in Aramaic script, however, only the consonants may have appeared. Nabonidus also sometimes sent orders to Belshazzar, which Belshazzar was forced to respect and implement. Here was Daniel, an old man well in his eighties, with the marks of godly living evident in his bearingin sharp contrast to the wine-flushed faces of the crowd. 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. 248 James A. Montgomery, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, p. 249. The expression drunk wine before the thousand indicates that Belshazzar was probably on a platform at a higher level than other guests and led them in drinking toasts to their deities. There Nabonnedus spent the remainder of his life, and there he died^ Flavius Josephus. The queen uses the very words which presumably she had heard Nebuchadnezzar express (Dan 4:8, 9, 18). 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. Daniel 1:1-2, Jeremiah 25:1), Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king (2 Kings 24:6). Nebuchadnezzar died in the year 3364 (397 BCE) and was succeeded by his son Evil [pronounced eh-vil] Merodach whose reign extended for 23 years. 247 See Raymond P. Dougherty, Nabonidus and Belshazzar. The text is definitely from the sixth century B.C. (30-31) The death of Belshazzar and the rise of Darius the Mede. He was known for his military might, the splendour of his capital, Babylon, and his important part in Jewish history. He was succeeded by Laborosoarchad, also known as Labashi-Marduk, a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, who was assassinated after less than a year. Norman Porteous, for instance, writes, On the other hand it is known that Belshazzar was a historical person, the son of the last Babylonian king Nabonidus, who acted as regent of Babylon for several years before its fall, while his father was absent at the oasis of Teima in Arabia.252 This would begin Belshazzars regency about 553 B.C., when Nabonidus went to Teima.
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