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how old was daniel when belshazzar died

    how old was daniel when belshazzar died

    [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. Belshazzar is made to understand that Babylon will be given to the Medes and the Persians. Many of the streets were lined with buildings three and four stories high. Leupold cites the ancient historian Ktesias to the effect that Persian monarchs frequently were known to dine daily with 15,000 people.257 M. E. 50:Mallowan mentions the great feast that Ashusnasirpal II gave to 69,574 guests when he dedicated his new capital city of Calah (Nimrud) in 879 b.c.258. He was 62 years old. Daniel proclaims to Darius that God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. Because of the variety of words that could be identified merely by the consonants, another suggestion has been made. 283 Ibid., p. 126; cf. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain He and all his nobles were slain together, in the midst of their feasting and revelling, as Herodotus, lib. This text indicates that a person known as Bel-sarra-usur was a res sarri, an officer of the king, under Neriglissar who came to the throne in 560 B.C., as had been earlier pointed out in a text YBC 3765:2 published by R. P. Dougherty in 1929 in Nabonidus and Belshazzar, pp. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. 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. So broad and strong were the walls that chariots four abreast could parade around its top. 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. For pictures and further details, see R. K. Harrison, Babylon, in The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, pp. Although there are alternative explanations and some dates vary, this succession of kings and identification of characters seems to have reasonable justification. 5:1-30) and during whose reign he received two visions (Dan. [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. 249 According to J. [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. All 66 books; Old Testament books; . The situation before Belshazzar had all the elements of a great drama. [56], The broad consensus among scholars is that the Book of Daniel was compiled shortly after the Maccabean Revolt in the 160s BC. (19011906). This would be understandable if she was elderly and the widow of Nebuchadnezzar. [43], Regardless of any potential animosity between Nabonidus and Belshazzar, Belshazzar retained the status of crown prince and intended successor, as a handful of documents still reference the "son of the king". Daniel 4:27-37. 271 F. Rosenthal, A Grammar of Biblical Aramaic, p. 71. The text is definitely from the sixth century B.C. Problems of his relationship will be considered at the proper place in the exposition, including the possibility that Belshazzars mother was a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and thus in the royal line, whereas Nabonidus was not. As Keil points out, the king was ready to listen to anyone who could interpret the writing.269. The solution to the problem which the queen suggested was that they invite Daniel the prophet, who had been discovered as a man of wisdom by Nebuchadnezzar, to interpret the writing. 272 R. H. Charles, The Book of Daniel, pp. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, his reign could be expected to be brief and transitional, meaning that Belshazzar could expect to inherit the throne within a few years.[23]. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years. [54] Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. He was followed by Neriglissar, also spelled Nergal-shar-usur, a son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar who died in 556 b.c. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel, p. 115. E. J. She had not attended the banquet. [26] The purpose for this prolonged stay, effectively self-exile, in Tayma are unclear and debated. [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. 5:29-31 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 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". He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon More. Some have claimed that the text does not plainly indicate the language. Instead, in verse 18 he recognizes him as king but then immediately delivers his prophetic message of condemnation. Belshazzar's fate is not known, since none of the sources record it. 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. If in cuneiform, the vowels would be included. As he could lease out temple land, this suggests that Belshazzar, in administrative matters, could act with full royal power. A. v. 29-30 Belshazzar Died A Sudden Death - "In that night" - While Belshazzar partied, his enemies were encamped around Babylon. 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. They were said to have had enough food stored up for 20 years. 252 N. W. Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. See J. T. Milik, Priere de Nabonide et autres ecrits dun cycle de Daniel, Revue Biblique 63:407-15. 9:41, cited by C. F. Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, p. 164. The probability is that the writing was in Aramaic and therefore not entirely unknown to the wise men. 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. Darius makes the decree public. The same was true in the Gentile world, and the dowager queen was able to enter the banquet hall without an invitation. Belshazzar was entrusted with many typically royal prerogatives, such as granting privileges, commanding portions of the army, and receiving offerings and oaths, though he continued to be styled as the crown prince (mr arri, literally meaning "son of the king"), never assuming the title of king (arru). 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. 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?" 250 Cf. About seventy years had elapsed since the capture of Jerusalem recorded in Daniel 1. Belshazzar also lacked many of the prerogatives of kingship, most importantly he was not allowed to preside over and officiate the Babylonian New Year's festival, which was the exclusive right of the king himself. 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. Daniel 3:12, Nebuchadnezzar confronts Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego about their disobedience. 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. 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. A solution of the problem has depended largely on the premises of the scholars dealing with it. He believed that Babylon was safe. [27][28] During Nabonidus's absence, Belshazzar was put in charge of the administration in Babylonia. In one case, sacred garments that Belshazzar ordered to be granted to a temple in Uruk were held back because Nabonidus had given a contrary order before departing for Tayma. Daniel spoke in measured tones the condemnation of that which was blasphemous in the sight of the holy God. When the Medes and Persians under Cyrus Darius notes Daniels good qualities and plans to elevate him to the highest administrative position. when conquered by the Medes. Babylonian chronicles refer to the crown prince being stationed at home in Babylonia with "his army". It would have been quite improper for the entire company to keep on talking, especially in these dramatic circumstances, when Daniel was reporting to the king. 268 Cf. Now these holy vessels are distributed among the crowd and used as vessels from which to drink wine. When Nabonidus went into exile (550), he entrusted Belshazzar with the throne and the major part of his army. 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as God's judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of the city. However, the narration here must be considered in the form of a condensation; and probably Daniel addressed the king in a formal way. See also Leupold, pp. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Drinking bouts such as characterized Babylon were also common among other peoples, such as 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. Putting this together, we might expect Belshazzar to have been 40+ at the fall of Babylon when he was slain (539 BC). Daniel had not been assembled with the other wise men because he probably was in semiretirement and was no longer chief of the wise men. 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. [41] As Nabonidus's stay in Tayma continued, Belshazzar as became acutely aware of the threat presented by the Achaemenids, as he is recorded as having expended resources at projects in Sippar and nearby defenses. Daniel 6:21-22, Darius orders Daniel to be freed out of the lions den and have the administrators thrown in instead, along with their wives and children. 287 J. Not only the record in Daniel but also the external evidence is now sufficient to support the conclusion that Belshazzars coregency is almost beyond question. Daniel 6:23-24, Darius issues a decree proclaiming that people should fear the God of Daniel. The Writing on the Wall The conspirators appointed Nabonidus, one of their number, who reigned for seventeen years before being defeated by Cyrus the Persian. How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? Daniel 1:1-2, Jeremiah 25:1), Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king (2 Kings 24:6). Daniel was deported to Babylon (some 900 miles away) when he was sixteen years old. Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. It may well be that because of awareness of his ancestry and religious convictions that Daniel had been demoted by Belshazzar himself. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropd., lib. He was given a Babylonian name - Belteshazzar, meaning "Bel Protect his Life." 9 out of the 12 chapters in Daniel revolve around dreams. Nebuchadnezzar II was the eldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, founder of the Chaldean empire. The command given to Abraham to cut in pieces three heifers (Genesis 15:9) as a part of the covenant established between him and his God was thus elucidated as symbolizing Babylonia, which gave rise to three kings, Nebuchadnezzar, Amel-Marduk, and Belshazzar, whose doom is prefigured by this act of "cutting to pieces" (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xliv.). Q. Home; Blog; Bible survey. He was 62 years old. Even while Daniel was interpreting the writing on the wall, the prophecy was being fulfilled as the Medes and the Persians poured into the city. Then the kings countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. It may even have been Belshazzar who convinced his father to stay away from Babylonia in the first place, fearing a confrontation with the Babylonian oligarchy and clergy over his father's religious beliefs. 279 In the end, even the critics accept either the interpretation of Daniel (mene, numbered; tekel, weighed; peres, divided); or the reading, a maneh, a maneh, a shekel, and a half-maneh, see exposition. For his wisdom, Daniel was honored by King Nebuchadnezzar and placed in authority over all the wise men of Babylon. As mentioned before, Belshazzar was the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. [24] Nabonidus made Tayma his provisional seat and he would stay there for about a decade, not returning to Babylon until September or October of 543 or 542 BC. In the Neo-Babylonian Empire, oaths were typically sworn by the king, and several gods, by individuals who were going to conduct various services. If Belshazzar began his reign in 553 b.c, when Nabonidus went to Teima, the visions of chapters 7 and 8 actually occurred about twelve years before the events of chapter 5. [44] Upon Nabonidus's return to Babylon, Belshazzar was demoted from his administrative responsibilities and officials he had appointed were dismissed. 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. TEQEL means weighed, with the thought that Belshazzar has been put into the balances and found wanting, that is, short of true weight. Then came in all the kings wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. This implies a twofold difficulty. 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. 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. That means Daniel was 36 years old when Jerusalem and Solomon's temple were destroyed. Belshazzar was killed that night, and the city taken by the Medes and Persians. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. [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. 267 Cf. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 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. After a decisive victory at the battle of Opis, the Persian army, on 12 October,[48] led by Ugbaru, entered Babylon without a fight. According to the well-known narrative Belshazzar gave a splendid feast in his palace during the siege of Babylon (B.C. King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his officials. 115-19; Keil, pp. There are various theories concerning Nabonidus's origins, and in turn what claim he had to the throne, since it is not made clear in any contemporary sources. The Babylonian chronicles describe the actions and conquests of Cyrus in detail throughout Belshazzar's regency. Nebuchadnezzars humiliating experience in chapter 4 had been followed by his death in 562 b.c. The king was drinking wine with them. Daniel 3:1-6, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuses to pay homage to Nebuchadnezzars golden statue. Daniel 5:18-21 . 2 Kings 25:1-3, Jerusalems wall breaks and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, setting fire to the temple and the palace. 89-93. For example, in the passage, "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him" (Amos 5:19), the lion is said to represent Nebuchadnezzar, and the bear, equally ferocious if not equally courageous, is Belshazzar. Ibid., p. 214. 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. [21] Belshazzar is recorded as owning lands throughout Babylonia, for instance owning an agricultural settlement near Uruk. Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus, was the last king of Babylon during the time of Daniel . That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 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. The fall of Lydia in 546 BC meant that the Neo-Babylonian Empire was now effectively encircled by a stronger kingdom which had nearly unlimited resources at its disposal. 257 Montgomery mentions a marriage feast of Alexander with 10,000 guests (Montgomery, p. 250). (Ugarit was a Canaanite city destroyed around 1200 BCE - the tablet containing the story is dated c. 1360 BCE.) Daniel 1:3-7, Daniel and his friends complete their three years of learning. Daniel (Dn'il, or Danel) is also the name of a figure in the Aqhat legend from Ugarit. 248 James A. Montgomery, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, p. 249. Belshazzar was the first-born son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. [8], Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus,[9] an elderly courtier who would rise to become the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Like Nebuchadnezzar before him, Belshazzar was soon to experience divine judgment but without the happy ending. 117-20. All Rights Reserved. The battle probably took place much as Herodotus records it.286. Belshazzar was not even the first ruler in the kingdom and was humiliated by the fact that Babylon was besieged and had already lost its power over the provinces surrounding the city. To be clothed in scarlet and to wear a chain of gold about the neck were special tokens of the kings favor and certainly would have been coveted by any of the wise men. 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. 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 . 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. A plausible account of Berosus, in his third book, found in a fragment preserved by Josephus summarizes the history between Nebuchadnezzars death in 562 B.C. When Nebuchadnezzar's son King Belshazzar uses the vessels from the Jewish temple for his feast, a hand appears and writes a mysterious . The account of Cyrus, himself, of the fall of Babylon has now been recovered in an inscription on a clay barrel: Marduk, the great lord, a protector of his people/worshipers, beheld with pleasure his (i.e., Cyrus) good deeds and his upright mind (lit. Daniel 1:18-20, Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzars dream about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. Daniel 6:26-27, Daniel prays and fasts about what lies ahead and the Jewish peoples indifference to their captivity. 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]. 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. [29][1] The Verse Account of Nabonidus, a biased[13] document probably written after Nabonidus was deposed by Cyrus the Great, states that Nabonidus entrusted Belshazzar with the kingship, but there are no records of Belshazzar assuming the royal title. Possibly to reassert their faith in their Babylonian gods and to bolster their own courage, this feast in the form of a festival had been ordered. "That two deserters, Gadatas and Gobryas, having assisted some of the Persian army to kill the guards, and seize upon . Norman Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. [57], In the Book of Daniel, Belshazzar is not malevolent (he rewards Daniel and raises him to high office). 315-16. 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. . 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 (. Among these buildings were the Temple of Bel, an eight-story structure, and the magnificent palace of the king, actually a complex of buildings, which have now been excavated. Although such ancient records are notoriously inaccurate and at best are fragmentary, the argument of the critics was that Belshazzar never existed because his name did not appear in any of the ancient records. [1], The ancient Greek historian Herodotus names the "last great queen" of the Babylonian Empire as Nitocris, though that name (nor any other name) is not attested in contemporary Babylonian sources. Daniel 7:1-7, Daniel receives a vision of a ram and a goat. Daniel 5:1-4, A handwriting appears on the wall and Belshazzar calls for Daniel who interprets it as a judgement from God. Daniel experiences a vision of the four terrifying beasts but kept the vision to himself. Whereas Neriglissar's career as a businessman prior to becoming king can be followed through a trail of surviving business documents, Belshazzar appears to have become a prominent member of the Babylonian oligarchy overnight[18] (Belshazzar, in contrast to his co-conspirators was notably not a member of the old Babylonian aristocracy),[19] not being mentioned in any business documents or private transactions prior to Nabonidus becoming king. When Daniel was brought before the king, he addressed a natural question to reassure himself of the identity of Daniel. 407-15. Daniel 5:1-25 ERV. Nabonidus assumed the throne in 556 b.c. 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. [31] These include: Though Belshazzar's authority was thus limited, he also was allowed, and assumed, certain royal responsibilities. 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. [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. (Cf. Following Cyrus decree, around 50,000 Jews return home to Judea, led by Zerubbabel.

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