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I’ve been slowly working my way through the Bible chronologically. I’m allowing myself time to take the side roads, occasionally stopping to investigate a detail. A few weeks ago, when reading the book of Daniel, I came across something that prompted my curiosity. The section about King Belshazzar reminded me of something I saw in the British Museum during my trip to England in 2016. I love digging in to historical details, so it fascinated me, so I’m sharing here for those who are interested in such things.
Daniel
Daniel was a devout young Hebrew who was deported to Babylon during the “70 year captivity” period of Israel (605-536 BC). He was a specially chosen young man, for the purpose of training/brainwashing in Babylonian ways in order to help assimilate the Jews into the culture. He rose to the level of a statesman, but never denied his Hebrew God, who gifted him with the ability to interpret dreams and make prophesies.
The book of Daniel, a largely a prophetic book, was written in the 6th century BC, and contains details about current and future world kingdoms. (kingdoms of Babylon and Persia during Daniel’s lifetime, and kingdoms of Greece in the 3rd century BC, and Rome in the 2nd century BC). Some have discounted prophesies in Daniel claiming the book was written centuries later with the content changed to match the actual history. The story of King Belshazzer in Chapter 5 has been used to support this erroneous view.
King Belshazzer
Remember the “Writing on the Wall” king? In 539 BC, King Nebuchadnezzer, had died, and his heir Belshazzar had become king. Belshazzar threw a great feast and during the party, a mysterious hand wrote three words on the wall. “Mene, Tekel and Peres” No one could figure out their significance. Belshazzar turned to the prophet Daniel, now an old man, and promised the royal treatment including elevation to a position of “3rd in the kingdom” if he could explain the meaning. Daniel gave the interpretation, paraphrased, “Your kingdom has been numbered and weighed and found wanting. It is ending, and will be given to the Medes and the Persians.” That night Belshazzar was killed and the Medes took over Babylon.
So what’s the problem?
Why did Belshazzar offer Daniel 3rd position in the kingdom? Why not 2nd? Why does this even matter? Because some critics of the Bible had pointed to “Belshazzar” a name unknown to historians as a reason to doubt the authenticity of the book of Daniel, claiming the facts were wrong. In fact, all artifacts and records, including Heroditus’ writing 100 years later, had pointed to Nabonidus as the last king of Babylon. “…historians believed that the book of Daniel was written in the 2nd century BC and redacted back to the 6th century BC and included a “legendary” king, Belshazzar. But the Bible says “That same night Belshazzar was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom, making Belshazzar the last king of Babylon. (The Bible in the British Museum 18)
A Discovery
In 1854 archeologist, J.G.Taylor, discovered the Nabonidus cylinders/barrels at the Ziggurat at Ur (modern day Iraq). In cuneiform writing, King Nabonidus mentions his son, Belshazzar. This is one of the artifacts we saw at the British Museum a few years ago. (See my photo.)
"As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life-long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and may he not commit any cultic mistake.”
So Belshazzar, existed historically, and was not a legend. In fact he was in the royal line as grandson of King Nebuchadnezzer.
Another Artifact
Sometime prior to 1879, the Nabonidus Chronicle tablet was discovered. It records the activities of King Nabonidus. Notably, he went to Arabia for the last 10 years of his life, leaving his son, to rule Babylon in his place. Combining the cylinder with this tablet, we can conclude that Nabonidus (1st) and Belshazzar (2nd) were co-regents. Therefore Daniel was made 3rd. Daniel’s prophesies were not written after the fact, but indeed back in the 6th century BC.
Ripple Effect
If Daniel’s prophesies of Greece and Rome were fulfilled after the book was written, that verifies its other prophesies that have not yet been fulfilled but will be, just as sure as the Greeks followed the Romans centuries later than Daniel’s prophesy predicted.
I never doubted the book of Daniel being accurate, and prophetic, but isn’t this info cool? I love the details of Scripture and how relatively new archeological discoveries confirm the accuracy of the Word of the Living God. A personal note: the main thing that drew my husband Gary into saving faith, was the fulfilled prophesies in the Bible. They helped him see that if God’s Word could predict future events, hundreds of centuries away, that turned out to be historically accurate, it must be taken as true from cover to cover, including its condemnation of sin, and offer of forgiveness through faith in Christ.
Daniel said,
“Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.
It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.
To You, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me wisdom and power’
Even now You have made known to me what we have requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:20-23