Only when Nebuchadnezzar was properly humbled did God restore him to his glory and kingdom. 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. Belshazzar, overcome by sickness, left the palace unobserved during the night through a rear exit. This, however, is conjecture; and probably it is more natural to consider Belshazzar a son of Nabonidus himself. Daniel had a reputation among the Babylonian courts. . 24-26) as holding that only three kings are referred to, viz., Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach and Belshazzar. 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. 57-59; cf. Later, King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, and again Daniel was able to interpret it. Belshazzar - Wikipedia The inscription on the wall may have appeared like this, MN MN TQL UPRSN. The order of the letters in the Aramaic, of course, would be the reverse of this, that is, from right to left. Almost seventy years have passed since the events of chapter 1 of Daniel. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? The drama of the writing on the wall and its interpretation is now brought to its fulfillment as Belshazzar keeps his promise. Daniel 5:30 Commentaries: That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king [54] Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. It may well be that because of awareness of his ancestry and religious convictions that Daniel had been demoted by Belshazzar himself. While the dimensions may be questioned, the magnificence of the city was not seriously exaggerated.267. He's also one of the most well-known Old Testament villains. One preserved document, which regards the granting of the privilege to cultivate a tract of land belonging to the Eanna temple in Uruk, is virtually identical to similar privileges issued by Nabonidus, though it is specified to have been issued by Belshazzar. About seventy years had elapsed since the capture of Jerusalem recorded in Daniel 1. Daniel 5:5-29, Belshazzar is killed when Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon. 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Nebuchadnezzar himself had died in 562 B.C. It seems likely that skirmishes along the border were frequent from then until Babylon's fall. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield (Is 21:4-5). 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. 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 . [26] The purpose for this prolonged stay, effectively self-exile, in Tayma are unclear and debated. He delivered into his (1:e., Cyrus) hands Nabonidus, the king who did not worship him (i.e., Marduk).287. It is possible in the decline of the Babylonian Empire that the number of the wise men was far more limited at this point in history than it was under Nebuchadnezzars reign. Belshazzar (Balthazar), on the other hand, disappeared from history around 540 BC, when Darius the Great would have been roughly ten years of age. In the seventeenth year of his reign Cyrus advanced from Persia with a large army, and, after subjugating the rest of the kingdom, marched upon Babylonia. 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. Omissions? Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. [48] Nabonidus was captured and possibly exiled to Carmania. Did Daniel have a wife in the Bible? The implication in the clause whiles he tasted the wine is that Belshazzar in his right mind probably would not have committed this sacrilegious act. 5:24-28 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. Daniel 1:3-7, Daniel and his friends complete their three years of learning. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 248 James A. Montgomery, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, p. 249. Ezra 1:1-4. Here was Daniel, an old man well in his eighties, with the marks of godly living evident in his bearingin sharp contrast to the wine-flushed faces of the crowd. Instead, in verse 18 he recognizes him as king but then immediately delivers his prophetic message of condemnation. How old was Daniel when Belshazzar was king? The Writing on the Wall of natural causes. 1., and Xenophon, inform us. Montgomery, opposing the idea that the queen is Belshazzars wife, comments, Also the ladys masterful appearance on the scene betokens rather the queen-mother than the consort.274 Jeffery, likewise, writes, she speaks to him of his father in a way that suggests a mother speaking to a son rather than a wife to a husband.275. 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. Daniel 6:23-24, Darius issues a decree proclaiming that people should fear the God of Daniel. 114 ff. 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. As Nabonidus assumed the throne in 556 B.C., only six years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar was probably at least a teenager when Nebuchadnezzar diedif he was old enough to be coregent with Nabonidus in 553 B.C. it is possible that he was a genuine son of Nebuchadnezzar and that his mother, after Nebuchadnezzars death, was married to Nabonidus. BELSHAZZAR - JewishEncyclopedia.com 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. Belshazzar is not mentioned in building inscriptions, which usually mention the king responsible. For a map of Babylon in sixth century B.C., see D. J. Wiseman, Babylon, in The New Bible Dictionary, pp. As mentioned before, Belshazzar was the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. According to the queen, Daniel had the spirit of the holy gods. In the time of Nebuchadnezzar, to whom she refers as thy father, Daniel had been found to have the wisdom of gods and possessing light, that is, enlightenment, understanding or insight, and in general wisdom comparable to the wisdom of the gods. He was 62 years old. Although Babylon has been only partially excavated with but a small part of the original city recovered, the system of mounds which mark the city today more or less indicate its boundaries. 5:1-4 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 247 See Raymond P. Dougherty, Nabonidus and Belshazzar. This articleincorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Singer, Isidore; etal., eds. It was hard for the Babylonians to believe that even the Medes and the Persians who had surrounded their beloved city could possibly breach the fortifications or exhaust their supplies which were intended to be ample for a siege of many years. But as they had been long aware of the restless spirit of Cyrus, and saw that he attacked all nations alike, they had laid up provisions for many years, and therefore were under no apprehensions about a siege. Still, orders by Nabonidus superseded orders by Belshazzar. Daniel 6:16, Darius hurries to the lions den the following day to see what happened to Daniel and learns to his astonishment that Daniel is unharmed. 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. 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. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. A parallel is found in Daniel 2:27, where Daniel addresses Nebuchadnezzar without formal greeting, and in Daniel 4:19, where Daniel replies to Nebuchadnezzar simply with the expression, My lord. This was hardly a time in any case for Daniel to greet Belshazzar with such an expression as he gave to Darius, O king, live for ever, when as a matter of fact, Belshazzars hours were numbered. Now Belshazzar was all too eager to have the gifts of this man exercised to interpret the writing. In the ruins of Nebuchadnezzars palace archeologists have uncovered a large throne room 56 feet wide and 173 feet long which probably was the scene of this banquet. Daniel himself records with graphic simplicity the fulfillment of his prophecy in the words, In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. The concluding verse of the chapter in English versification records how Darius the Median became ruler of Babylon at the age of 62 years. [11], The most important sources for the time of Belshazzar are the Nabonidus Chronicle, the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Verse Account of Naboniduswhich, despite its name, was commissioned by the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great. This implies a twofold difficulty. [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. Because of the variety of words that could be identified merely by the consonants, another suggestion has been made. 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. The identity of this conqueror, unknown outside the Bible by this name, has touched off endless controversy and discussion which will be considered in the next chapter. Daniel does not explain the difficulty in reading the writing on the wall, but the problem apparently was not that it was a strange language but rather what the words signified prophetically. Because he could hardly proclaim himself as king while his father was still alive, Belshazzar proclaimed Nabonidus as king. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Daniel, p. 210; and George A. Barton, Archaeology and the Bible, p. 481 ff. [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. Daniel 6:6-9, Daniel is spotted by the administrators while he is worshiping the Lord inside his house, and they report him to Darius. That would make him about 85 to ninety years old at his death. 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. Nabonidus left Babylon in May 553 BC to campaign in the west. 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. Daniel 5:30. 11 or 12) 539 B.C., as indicated in the Nabonidus Chronicle,288 so the world will be overtaken by disaster when the day of the Lord comes (1 Th 5:1-3). [54] Belshazzar is killed that night, and Darius the Mede takes the kingdom. Belshazzar Bible Story - Deadly Mistakes & History - Crosswalk.com Are Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar the same? - Kembrel.com Knowing Daniel was a wise elder statesman, the new leaders gave him a prestigious place in their government (Daniel 6:1-2). Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world [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. Belshazzar goes on in verse 14 to repeat what his mother had said concerning Daniels wisdom. Verse 2 cites that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drink from them; and this fact is restated in the actual act in verse 3 where only the golden vessels are mentioned. So great was his genius that Nebuchadnezzar had made him master or chief of his wise men, which in itself was a remarkable position for one who was not a Chaldean; and this honor placed upon him testified to the confidence of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniels abilities. 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. . In spite of the problem in the word, it is probable that the offer of honor was that of being the third ruler. Belshazzar - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - StudyLight.org His son, Laborosoardoch, a mere boy, occupied it for nine months, when, owing to the depraved disposition which he showed, a conspiracy was formed against him, and he was beaten to death by his friends. [50] It is often assumed that Belshazzar was killed by the Persians at Babylon when the city fell, on 12 October. What Did Belshazzar Use In His Feast? - On Secret Hunt 282 Since Prince, who wrote his commentary in 1899, many others have followed the suggestion of Clermont-Ganneau (Journal Asiatique) 1886, that the inscription contained a string of weight names. [25] October 543 BC is the return date most supported by surviving Babylonian documentation. Belshazzar | Bible Wiki | Fandom Sermons and Outlines - Sermon Notebook Belshazzar was killed that night, and the city taken by the Medes and Persians. Though he is referred to in the Book of Daniel as the son of Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian inscriptions indicate that he was in fact the eldest son of Nabonidus, who was king of Babylon from 555 to 539, and of Nitocris, who was perhaps a daughter of Nebuchadrezzar. A favorite target of critics of faith concerns two kings mentioned eight times each in the book of Daniel: Belshazzar and Darius the Mede. Prophecy anticipating the fall of Babylon is found in both Isaiah and Jeremiah, written many years before. These facts are pertinent to Belshazzars situation as they were well known by everyone as Daniel expresses it in verse 22, And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this. The contrast between the supreme power of Nebuchadnezzar and the very limited power of Belshazzar is also evident. Updates? Daniel 3:1-6, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuses to pay homage to Nebuchadnezzars golden statue. 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. After his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar died, his uncle had reigned for two years, only to be murdered by a brother-in-law. They would naturally want to hear what he had to say. 5:17-23 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 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]. 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 (. Belshazzar (Babylonian cuneiform: Bl-ar-uur,[1][2] meaning "Bel, protect the king";[3] Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} Blaar) was the son and crown prince of Nabonidus (r.556539 BC), the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Much has been made of the reference of Belshazzars relationship to Nebuchadnezzar, who is described as his father in verse 2; and even Keil is influenced by this to consider Belshazzar a literal son of Nebuchadnezzar.261 This is not entirely impossible, of course, for as Leupold shows,262 Nabonidus could have married a widow of Nebuchadnezzar who had a son by Nebuchadnezzar who then could be adopted by Nabonidus by way of strengthening his own hold upon the throne. He was selected for special service in Babylon, and was given three years of training in the best of Babylon's schools. [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. 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. 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. But for Belshazzar, Daniel immediately speaks out and delivers the cold hard facts. He knew for instance that Daniel was of the captivity of Judah and that he was one of the captives which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem. Belshazzar Babylonian King - Amazing Bible Timeline 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. The next four years Neriglisar occupied the throne. In the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible, Belshazzar is referred to as Nebuchadnezzar's (grand)son. Some of these prophecies may have their ultimate fulfillment in the future (Rev 17-18). There may have been a division of the Babylonian army. Much as Babylon fell on that sixteenth day of Tishri (Oc. The inability of the wise men to decipher the writing only increased the concern of Belshazzar. [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. . 257 Montgomery mentions a marriage feast of Alexander with 10,000 guests (Montgomery, p. 250). Nabonidus was allowed to live in Carmania until the time of his death, but he was not allowed to come to Babylonia.245, The account of Berosus preserved by Josephus is supported by other evidence such as the short fragment of Abydenus preserved by Eusebius.246, Until the discovery of the Nabonidus Cylinder, no mention of Belshazzar, whom Daniel declares to be king of Babylon, had been found in extrabiblical literature. (30-31) The death of Belshazzar and the rise of Darius the Mede. [55] Daniel tells Belshazzar that because he has not given honor to God, his kingdom will be given to the Medes and Persians. Corrections? [20], By examining surviving documents from Belshazzar's time as crown prince, it appears that the estates of Neriglissar's family were confiscated after Labashi-Marduk's death and that they were claimed and taken over by Belshazzar. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. Daniel 1:18-20, Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzars dream about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. On the other hand, Cyrus found himself in difficulty, since much time had elapsed, and his affairs were not at all advanced. 254 For further discussion of this problem, see Young, pp. Daniel 10:2-3, Daniel dies at 84 years old. Only Babylon with its massive walls and fortifications remained intact. Daniel read the writing and Belshazzar made him the third ruler in the kingdom. - Daniel 5:5-29: Belshazzar is killed when Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon. 67-68. The other administrators resented this and thought of ways to bring ruin to Daniel. At his death his son Laborosoarchod, who was only a child, reigned for nine months until a conspiracy resulted in his being beaten to death. The Medes and Persians managed to slip into the city secretly while all the Babylonians feasted. (30-31) The death of Belshazzar and the rise of Darius the Mede. After a decisive victory at the battle of Opis, the Persian army, on 12 October,[48] led by Ugbaru, entered Babylon without a fight. Whether, therefore, someone else made the suggestion to him in his perplexity, or whether he himself devised the plan, he had recourse to the following stratagem. Norman Porteous, Daniel: A Commentary, p. 76. As Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he ordered his servants to bring the gold and silver cups. No documents are dated to the "reign of Belshazzar", and no documents mention both Belshazzar and Nabonidus as if there was a formal co-regency. Daniel describes graphically in verse 19 how Nebuchadnezzar was feared and had absolute authority of life and death over his people and, accordingly, was an absolute sovereign. 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. The storehouses of Babylon were still abundant with food and wine, and there is evidence that there was plenty of both at this feast. Honoring of parents was characteristic of the Israelites (Ex 20:12; 1 Ki 2:13-20; 2 Ki 24:12-15). Cyrus, emperor of Persia, appoints Darius the Mede as viceroy in Babylon. 216-17, who discusses this quotation from Pusey. TEQEL means weighed, with the thought that Belshazzar has been put into the balances and found wanting, that is, short of true weight. How God holds in derision the rulers of the world who take counsel against Him (Ps 2:1-4)! 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. He was followed by King Belshazzar who ascended the throne in 3387 (374 BCE). PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Her address is courteous, O king, live for ever, but directly to the point. This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 23:09. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. [49] The last tablet dated to Nabonidus's reign is from Uruk and is dated to 13 October, which is considered the end date of his reign. Here was a man who did not fear man and feared only God. [45], Belshazzar partook in Babylon's defense against the invasion by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. At Daniel's request, his three countrymen were also placed in positions of authority as administrators of Babylon. [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. Belshazzar (prince of Bel), the last king of Babylon.In ( Daniel 5:2) Nebuchadnezzar is called the father of Belshazzar.This, of course, need only mean grandfather or ancestor. Keil and Leupold both consider her to be a wife of Nebuchadnezzar and the mother of Belshazzar.273 As the wives of the lords and the king himself had earlier been declared to be at the banquet (v. 3) one who had the role of queen would most probably be Belshazzars mother. 267 Cf. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In any event, there is no proof for the suggestion discussed by Keil that the classification of wise men mentioned purposely excluded Daniel. Babylonian chronicles refer to the crown prince being stationed at home in Babylonia with "his army". They were said to have had enough food stored up for 20 years. The same was true in the Gentile world, and the dowager queen was able to enter the banquet hall without an invitation. Prior to and after Belshazzar's regency, surviving texts only contain references to offerings to the king (i.e. According to Daniel, his countenance changed, that is, changed color and became pale. Too often the world, like Belshazzar, is not willing to seek the wisdom of God until its own bankruptcy becomes evident. All of these honors, however, were short-lived and useless, as Daniel well knew, and typical of the honors of this world. 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. [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. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropd., lib. Daniel 3:16-18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the furnace but are unharmed. Within these walls were beautiful avenues, parks, and palaces. [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.