Who succeeded Belshazzar as king of Babylon? When Nabonidus went into exile (550), he entrusted Belshazzar with the throne and the major part of his army. King Belshazzar wanted his royal people, his wives . This explains why Belshazzar in the lineal descent from Nebuchadnezzar was honored as a coruler under Nabonidus. He was followed by Neriglissar, also spelled Nergal-shar-usur, a son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar who died in 556 b.c. Under the stimulus of wine, the thought occurred to Belshazzar to bring in the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar almost seventy years before. 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. [7] The story of Belshazzar's feast is historical fiction, and several details are not consistent with historical facts. Daniel was deported to Babylon (some 900 miles away) when he was sixteen years old. Herodotus gives a glowing account of Babylon as a monument to the genius of Nebuchadnezzar and undoubtedly a source of much pride to all the Babylonians. Before morning they killed Belshazzar and took over his kingdom (v 31). The storehouses of Babylon were still abundant with food and wine, and there is evidence that there was plenty of both at this feast. 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. This same son of the king is most probably mentioned . 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. 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. That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. Verse 1 of chapter 5 introduces the fact that Belshazzar as king of Babylon had made a great feast to which a thousand of his lords had been invited with their wives. A solution of the problem has depended largely on the premises of the scholars dealing with it. [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. Through his mother, he might have been a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar II (r.605562 BC), though this is not certain and the claims to kinship with Nebuchadnezzar may have originated from royal propaganda. Montgomery, pp. . Belshazzar is not mentioned in building inscriptions, which usually mention the king responsible. [48] Nabonidus was captured and possibly exiled to Carmania. All 66 books; Old Testament books; . Although the author of the Book of Daniel describes Belshazzar as the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon, Belshazzar was, in fact, neither. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Her address is courteous, O king, live for ever, but directly to the point. 115-19; Keil, pp. During his coregency Belshazzar administered the government, his own estates, and those of his father, though, according to the Book of Daniel, famine and economic setbacks occurred late in his rule. After his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar died, his uncle had reigned for two years, only to be murdered by a brother-in-law. 251 H. H. Rowley, The Historicity of the Fifth Chapter of Daniel, Journal of Theological Studies 32:12. The Revised Standard Version, following the Vulgate, adds in verse 3 and silver vessels. This act of sacrilege was an intentioned religious gesture in praise of the gods of Babylon mentioned in descending order of importance as gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. That Belshazzar well knew the blasphemous character of his act is evident from Daniel 5:13, 22. 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. According to Daniel, his countenance changed, that is, changed color and became pale. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 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. The chronology of the three Babylonian kings is given in the Talmud as follows: Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-five years, Evil-merodach twenty-three, and Belshazzar was monarch of Babylonia for two years, being killed at the beginning of the third year on the fatal night of the fall of Babylon (Meg. 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. Much speculation has arisen concerning the expression that he offered them the position of being the third ruler in the kingdom. There is some question as to whether the Aramaic indicates specifically the third ruler. The ordinal numeral would be tlitay (as in Dan 2:39) whereas the Aramaic here is actually talti. Daniel first reminds Belshazzar that God gave Nebuchadnezzar his great kingdom and the honor that went with it. I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. Daniel 2:26-45, Nebuchadnezzar begins siege of Jerusalem. Approximately twenty-three years elapsed between chapter 4 and chapter 5. 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?" It is possible that Nabonidus was married to one of Nebuchadnezzar II's daughters. 184-85. 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. 253 The new evidence confirming the theory that Nabonidus was absent is found in the statement in the Prayer of Nabonidus that Nabonidus was at the oasis of Teima in Arabia at this time. 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. 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. Updates? According to Berosus, Nebuchadnezzar died after a reign of 43 years and was followed by his son Evil-Merodach. The long chapter devoted to this incident which brought the Babylonian Empire to its close is undoubtedly recorded in the Word of God not only for its historic fulfillment of the prophecies relative to the Babylonian Empire but also as an illustration of divine dealing with a wicked world. Although the precise identity of Belshazzar may continue to be debated, available facts support accepting Daniels designation of Belshazzar as king. 245 The actual text of Berosus is as follows: After beginning the wall of which I have spoken, Nabuchodonosor fell sick and died, after a reign of forty-three years, and the realm passed to his son Evilmaraduch. 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). Contemporary civilization is similar to ancient Babylon in that it has much to foster human pride but little to provide human security. 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. 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. Daniel 5:5-29, Belshazzar is killed when Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon. Honoring of parents was characteristic of the Israelites (Ex 20:12; 1 Ki 2:13-20; 2 Ki 24:12-15). All Rights Reserved. Ezra 6:14-18. 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. He was given a Babylonian name - Belteshazzar, meaning "Bel Protect his Life." 9 out of the 12 chapters in Daniel revolve around dreams. Belshazzar was killed that night, and the city taken by the Medes and Persians. [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. One possibility, suggested by Paul-Alain Beaulieu, is that Belshazzar was put in charge of Babylonia's defense and was moving with the army along the northern and eastern border. 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 . [43] Belshazzar appears to have worked to restore Marduk's status in his father's absence. In the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible, Belshazzar is referred to as Nebuchadnezzar's (grand)son. Young states, The identity of Belshazzar has long caused difficulty to commentators. He was 62 years old. Daniel 12:13, Cyrus allows the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Critics, having to recede from their former position that no such person existed, have since centered their attack on the fact that the word king does not occur in connection with Belshazzar on any extant Babylonian records.250 The establishment of Nabonidus as the father of Belshazzar, or at least his stepfather, nullifies most of the critical objections, although Rowley in an extensive discussion maintains stoutly that to call Belshazzar a king must still be pronounced a grave historical error.251, Since Rowley, however, even liberal scholars have tended to accept the explanation that Belshazzar acted as a regent under his father, Nabonidus. 246 Eusebius, Praeper. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. 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". In the midst of this atmosphere of consternation, apprehension, and fear, Daniels countenance alone reflected the deep peace of God founded on confidence in God and His divine revelation. According to Berosus, Nebuchadnezzar died after a reign of 43 years and was followed by his son Evil-Merodach. of natural causes. He was known for his military might, the splendour of his capital, Babylon, and his important part in Jewish history. Daniel 5:30-31. 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. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Belshazzar, How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Belshazzar. 164-71. 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. 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). 263-64. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. For his wisdom, Daniel was honored by King Nebuchadnezzar and placed in authority over all the wise men of Babylon. Most expositors disagree with Keil, who identifies Belshazzar with Evil-Merodach, preferring the identification of a son of Nabonidus, based on later evidence not available to Keil.255 The identifications of Leupold are more satisfactory.256. 288 John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Darius the Mede, p. 73. Norman Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. How God holds in derision the rulers of the world who take counsel against Him (Ps 2:1-4)! Then came in all the kings wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Now Belshazzar was all too eager to have the gifts of this man exercised to interpret the writing. TEQEL means weighed, with the thought that Belshazzar has been put into the balances and found wanting, that is, short of true weight. [12] As all of these ancient Babylonian documents were written after Babylon was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire, they are biased in favor of Cyrus, and against Nabonidus and Belshazzar.