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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 5:13-16 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world The temple in Jerusalem is completed. 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). How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? Some have found, in the six materials mentioned, a typical reference to the number of the world amenable to judgment because of its hostility to God.264 In the original, the gods of gold and silver are separated by the conjunction and, not true of the listing of the gods of brass, iron, wood, and stone, as if there were two classes of deities. The Jewish Encyclopedia. Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. About seventy years had elapsed since the capture of Jerusalem recorded in Daniel 1. 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. The great Euphrates River flowed through the middle of the city in a general north-south direction and was bordered by walls on each side to protect the city from attack from the river. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. There may have been a division of the Babylonian army. When Daniel was brought before the king, he addressed a natural question to reassure himself of the identity of Daniel. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 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. 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. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. See also Leupold, pp. of natural causes. Only Babylon with its massive walls and fortifications remained intact. . That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Belshazzar played a pivotal role in the coup d'tat that overthrew the king Labashi-Marduk (r.556 BC) and brought Nabonidus to power in 556 BC. 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 was 62 years old. That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. While the dimensions may be questioned, the magnificence of the city was not seriously exaggerated.267. Ev. [31] These include: Though Belshazzar's authority was thus limited, he also was allowed, and assumed, certain royal responsibilities. Daniel 5:1-4, A handwriting appears on the wall and Belshazzar calls for Daniel who interprets it as a judgement from God. In the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible, Belshazzar is referred to as Nebuchadnezzar's (grand)son. 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 (. Through the deposition of Labashi-Marduk, Belshazzar had positioned himself to become the heir of one of Babylonia's wealthiest families. 115-19; Keil, pp. A. v. 29-30 Belshazzar Died A Sudden Death - "In that night" - While Belshazzar partied, his enemies were encamped around Babylon. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropd., lib. When the Medes and Persians under Cyrus What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? [50] It is often assumed that Belshazzar was killed by the Persians at Babylon when the city fell, on 12 October. [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. 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. Critics of the authenticity and historicity of Daniel accordingly were free to question whether any such person as Belshazzar existed. the interesting discussion of Belshazzar by C. Boutflower, In and Around the Book of Daniel, pp. Under these circumstances, Belshazzar would indeed be king of Babylon in the absence of his father. 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. "That two deserters, Gadatas and Gobryas, having assisted some of the Persian army to kill the guards, and seize upon . Daniel first reminds Belshazzar that God gave Nebuchadnezzar his great kingdom and the honor that went with it. In his reign the walls of Babylon abutting on the river were magnificently built with baked brick and bitumen. Approximately twenty-three years elapsed between chapter 4 and chapter 5. [44] Upon Nabonidus's return to Babylon, Belshazzar was demoted from his administrative responsibilities and officials he had appointed were dismissed. . 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. [45] Otherwise his status and position after Nabonidus's return is never made clear. Having stationed his forces and given these directions, he himself marched away with the ineffective part of his army; and having come to the lake, Cyrus did the same with respect to the river and the lake as the queen of the Babylonians had done; for having diverted the river, by means of a canal, into the lake, which was before a swamp, he made the ancient channel fordable by the sinking of the river. Later, King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, and again Daniel was able to interpret it. 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. The text is definitely from the sixth century B.C. With what eloquent scorn Daniel declares that Belshazzar, his lords, wives and concubines had drunk wine from these sacred vessels and had praised gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.278. Probably before the babble of conversation in the banquet room had subsided, the king began to cry aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Only three classes of wise men are mentioned, but it is doubtful whether any class was intentionally omitted as verse 8 refers to all the kings wise men. The astrologers were actually the magicians; the Chaldeans were a broad class of scholars and learned men in the lore of the Babylonians; and the soothsayers corresponded more closely to the modern concept of astrologers, although they may have also practiced sorcery. In Babylonia, temples usually carried out offerings to the king, such as sacrificing a specified number of sheep. Daniel 5:30-31. and reigned until 539 b.c. Yet this empire was to have as its last official act the honoring of one of these captives who by divine revelation predicted not only the downfall of Babylon but the course of the times of the Gentiles until the Son of man should come from heaven. 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. 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. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire (Jer 51:57-58). The Medes and Persians managed to slip into the city secretly while all the Babylonians feasted. His grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken these cups from the Temple in Jerusalem. 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. [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. Daniel proclaims to Darius that God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. In many respects, modern civilization is much like ancient Babylon, resplendent with its monuments of architectural triumph, as secure as human hands and ingenuity could make it, and yet defenseless against the judgment of God at the proper hour. The situation before Belshazzar had all the elements of a great drama. 251 H. H. Rowley, The Historicity of the Fifth Chapter of Daniel, Journal of Theological Studies 32:12. Belshazzar goes on in verse 14 to repeat what his mother had said concerning Daniels wisdom. 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. [16] The sources suggest that while he was part of the conspiracy, Nabonidus had not intended, nor expected, to become king himself and he was hesitant to accept the nomination. 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. 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 62 years old. Who was Daniel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org This was not prompted by disrespect nor by the evident fact that they would be short-lived. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Belshazzar, How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Belshazzar. 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. Only when Nebuchadnezzar was properly humbled did God restore him to his glory and kingdom. Belshazzar under Nabonidus was considered the second ruler, and the position of a third ruler would be the highest that he could offer. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years. Corrections? 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. Ezra 1:1-4. It is possible that Belshazzar had campaigned against the Persians on Lydia's behalf a year prior, in 547 BC. The Writing on the Wall Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. [27][28] During Nabonidus's absence, Belshazzar was put in charge of the administration in Babylonia. In beginning his explanation of the handwriting on the wall, Daniel first of all reads the writing; and for the first time, the words are introduced into the text of this chapter.
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