Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus and last king of Babylon according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. He ruled Babylon as co-regent with his father Nabonidus for several years before Nabonidus went into exile. Belshazzar remained in Babylon as the sole ruler during the last few years of the Neo-Babylonian empire before it was conquered by the Persians.
The Bible provides some key details about Belshazzar’s life and reign in the book of Daniel:
– He was the son of Nabonidus, who was the last king of Babylon before the Persian conquest (Daniel 5:2, 11, 18). Nabonidus ruled Babylon from about 555-539 BC.
– Belshazzar ruled as co-regent with his father Nabonidus for several years, but Nabonidus eventually went away from Babylon, leaving Belshazzar in charge as the sole ruler (Daniel 5:1-2). This happened around 542/541 BC.
– In the Bible, Belshazzar is called the “king of Babylon” even though technically his father Nabonidus was still alive and regarded as king (Daniel 5:1). This indicates Belshazzar wielded full royal power.
– The prophet Daniel served in high office under Belshazzar just as he had under Nebuchadnezzar, the famous king of Babylon decades earlier (Daniel 5:11-12).
– Belshazzar hosted a great banquet for his nobles and wives using the gold and silver vessels taken from the Jewish temple by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5:2-3).
– During this banquet, a hand suddenly appeared and wrote mysterious words on the wall which Daniel interpreted as God passing judgment on Belshazzar for his pride and sacrilege (Daniel 5:5-28).
– That very night Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom as prophesied, bringing an end to the Babylonian empire (Daniel 5:30-31).
– The Nabonidus Chronicles from ancient Babylon confirm the historicity of Belshazzar as the son of Nabonidus placed in charge of Babylon while Nabonidus was away.
So in summary, Belshazzar was the son and coregent of Nabonidus who was ruling Babylon as sole king when the city fell to the Medo-Persian forces around 539 BC. The biblical account highlights his impious banquet, the prophetic handwriting on the wall interpreted by Daniel, and his dramatic death that very night allowing Darius the Mede to take over just as the prophet foretold. Outside of the Bible, the Nabonidus Chronicles corroborate Belshazzar’s existence and co-regency in Babylon.
Beyond the biblical narrative, historians know a few other key facts about Belshazzar and his reign:
– Based on surviving records, he likely ruled as co-regent with his father Nabonidus from about 553-542 BC before Nabonidus went into exile leaving him as sole ruler.
– As the Babylonian empire declined, he remained mostly in the city engaging in lavish building projects and religious activities while his father Nabonidus spent long periods away on military campaigns attempting to shore up weakening borders.
– Cuneiform records portray Belshazzar as a capable military commander who led Babylonian armies against the rising Persian empire under Cyrus the Great. The Babylonian forces were defeated.
– Babylon was one of the wealthiest and most impregnable cities of the ancient world under Belshazzar’s rule. But the Persian leader Cyrus cleverly diverted the Euphrates River running through the city in order to breach its defenses one night while the population was distracted by a great festival.
– Belshazzar likely died during the Persian invasion on that fateful night just as described in Daniel 5. The Nabonidus Chronicles mention the pillaging of the city.
So in review, Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon ruling when the empire fell to Persia in 539 BC. The biblical account in Daniel emphasizes his sacrilegious feast, the handwriting on the wall, Daniel’s interpretation as divine judgment, and his dramatic death that night allowing Darius the Mede to take the kingdom. While some details remain unclear, historians confirm Belshazzar’s existence as a powerful ruler in Babylon’s final years before its legendary fall to Cyrus of Persia as described in the Bible.
Moving on from the basic historical facts, the Bible uses Belshazzar in several key ways:
1. As a depiction of the pride and hubris that often precedes disaster and judgment. Despite the clear warning of the handwriting on the wall, Belshazzar continued his banquet carrying on arrogantly right up until the very moment of Babylon’s long-predicted downfall. His impious use of the sacred temple vessels just hours before the city’s sacking underscores this poignant image of pride before the fall.
2. As a validation of Daniel’s ongoing prophetic ministry and God’s sovereignty over earthly kingdoms. Belshazzar only learned the meaning of the cryptic writing literally moments before his death, powerfully affirming Daniel’s authority and the inevitability of God’s plan. The scene is a striking reminder that earthly kings and those who oppose God’s people will face judgment.
3. As a demonstration of the corrosive effect of power. Surrounded by concubines and trespassing on holy things for the sake of self-glorification, Belshazzar exhibits how unchecked power coupled with spiritual emptiness often leads to moral decay and disastrous outcomes. His story serves as a warning.
4. As a contrast with faithful Daniel who quietly endured through decades of changes in leadership. Daniel 5 presents a study in contrasts between the rash, impious king partying with concubines versus the aged, steadfast prophet still faithful to God under pagan rulers. This highlights how godly wisdom and character outlast fleeting power and pleasure.
5. As the final pagan ruler of imperial Babylon before its prophesied fall to the Medo-Persians. Belshazzar’s dramatic demise marks both the literal end of independent Babylon and the beginning of the period of Medo-Persian dominance over the region foretold by biblical prophets like Isaiah centuries earlier. The scene has symbolic significance in the larger story of Scripture.
6. As part of establishing Darius the Mede’s succession to power. While historically obscure, Darius the Mede’s presence immediately after Belshazzar’s death helps substantiate the biblical narrative of a Median takeover of Babylon prior to Persian consolidation of power under Cyrus. This sets the political stage for the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
So in summary, while a relatively minor character, Belshazzar plays an important role in Daniel highlighting the themes of pride before judgment, the abuse of power, God’s sovereignty in contrast to human folly, the vindication of prophecy, and the transition from Babylonian to Medo-Persian rule. His reckless feast and sudden downfall serve as a pointed metaphor and forceful turning point in the larger biblical account.
Digging deeper, Bible scholars have noted some additional insights and significance related to Belshazzar:
– The portrayal of Belshazzar’s feast may allude to earlier prophetic condemnations of Babylon’s arrogance, such as Isaiah’s condemnation of the King of Babylon boasting against God (Isaiah 14:3-21) and Babylon’s self-confident claims of invincibility (Isaiah 47:1-15). The scene casts Belshazzar as typifying Babylon’s long-standing hubris, with the writing on the wall as the fulfillment of prophecies of its judgment.
– Belshazzar apparently did not know who Daniel was even though Daniel had great authority under Nebuchadnezzar, highlighting how quickly he was forgotten after Nebuchadnezzar’s death. This may underscore the fleeting nature of fame and power. It also highlights Daniel’s faithful service across decades and changing leadership.
– The mysterious Darius the Mede has been difficult for scholars to definitively identify historically, leading to extensive scholarly debate. He may have been appointed king by Cyrus as a regional governor. In any case, his appearance immediately after Belshazzar’s death matches the prophecy of Babylon’s fall.
– Some scholars see parallels between Belshazzar’s feast and the attempts of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to stamp out Jewish religion and identity under the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC. The later Seleucid policies may have been implicitly compared to Belshazzar’s sacrilege, casting him as a forerunner of this persecution.
– The account may have been shaped in part to encourage and warn the Jewish community under foreign rule centuries later when Daniel reached its final form. Pride, infidelity, and mistreatment of what is holy leads to disaster, while faith like Daniel’s is vindicated even under difficult times and tyrants.
So in conclusion, while brief, the narrative of Belshazzar’s feast provides a vividly symbolic scene highlighting a range of biblical themes regarding Babylon, pride before judgment, the misuse of power, prophecy and sovereignty, and the contrast of folly versus steadfast wisdom. As the last king of Babylon, his sudden demise at the height of arrogant revelry powerfully represents the city’s predicted fall. For later readers, his story offers dramatic encouragement and warning.
Moving on from Belshazzar himself, the mysterious “handwriting on the wall” episode has spawned much additional discussion:
– The text written on the wall is given in Aramaic as “MENE, MENE, TEQEL, UPHARSIN.” Bible scholars have analyzed the puzzle-like nature of this phrase and its meanings.
– “MENE” is likely repeated for emphasis and means “counted” or “measured” implying God’s judgment was being exacted on Belshazzar after reviewing his life and conduct.
– “TEQEL” means “weighed” indicating Belshazzar did not measure up when weighed in the balances of divine justice and was found deficient.
– “UPHARSIN” means “divided” referring to the division and end of his kingdom.
– Together they prophesy the determination of Belshazzar’s guilt and imminent punishment by means of the kingdom being divided and given to the Medes and Persians, exactly as happened that very night.
– The handwriting vividly symbolizes direct divine intervention and judgment breaking suddenly into the midst of the king’s self-exalting revelry.
– Only Daniel was able to interpret the writing after others failed, once again demonstrating his God-given wisdom and vindicating his prophetic credentials.
– Skeptics have questioned if the consonant-only alphabet of ancient Aramaic could be read so easily. But ancient readers may have understood such texts were to be read contextually.
– The passage does not claim the hand literally wrote but rather that writing appeared, allowing for the possibility the meaning was conveyed supernaturally into the minds of those present while being expressed through the hand motif.
So in summary, while intriguing unanswered questions remain, the handwriting vividly conveyed the end of Babylon and Belshazzar’s reign as an act of divine judgment and warning, powerfully reaffirming God’s sovereignty and Daniel’s prophetic authority. The puzzle-like text creatively foreshadowed the unexpected events about to shatter Belshazzar’s pride and arrogance. The writing vividly manifests and interprets the dramatic events about to unfold.
In conclusion, while few extra-biblical details are available, Belshazzar ruled as the last king of Babylon according to both biblical and ancient cuneiform sources. The colorful narrative in Daniel 5 uses his impious feast, the mysterious writing on the wall, and his sudden death to paint a theologically potent picture of pride before judgment, the limits of power, the vindication of prophecy, and Babylon’s long-predicted fall. As a relatively minor character, Belshazzar plays an important literary role as the epitome of Babylonian arrogance and dissipation who experiences sudden disaster after profaning what is holy and ignoring warnings of judgment. His reckless party and untimely demise serve as a forceful pivot point marking the dramatic fall of legendary Babylon and the rise of the Medo-Persian empire.