Was Belshazzar really king?
Cuneiform evidence identifies him as Nabonidus's son and acting ruler in Babylon. Ancient usage could call a coregent king, and his third-ruler offer fits that arrangement.
DANIEL 5 — THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND BABYLON'S FALL
Was Belshazzar really king? Study Daniel 5 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
Daniel 53 questions
Source linked
Commentary provenance
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · DANIEL 5 — THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND BABYLON'S FALL
The precise difficulties
- Was Belshazzar really king?
- Who was Darius the Mede?
- Why could the sages not read ordinary words?
Verse and question study
Who was Darius the Mede?
His identity remains unresolved. Several historically plausible candidates exist, but the data are insufficient for certainty. Faithful interpretation can acknowledge this open question.
Why could the sages not read ordinary words?
The difficulty may involve script, missing vowels, word division, or especially interpretation. Even if the terms were legible, only divine revelation explained their judicial meaning.
Historical and literary context
Belshazzar was long known only from Daniel, leading some critics to regard him as an error because later Greek sources named Nabonidus as Babylon's last king. Cuneiform texts now identify Belshazzar as Nabonidus's son and coregent, entrusted with rule in Babylon while his father was absent. This explains both his authority and his offer to make Daniel “third ruler” in the kingdom—after Nabonidus and Belshazzar. The chapter calls Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar's father. Semitic usage can mean predecessor or dynastic ancestor, not necessarily biological parent. Belshazzar's exact maternal connection to Nebuchadnezzar remains debated.
Apologetic note
The rediscovery of Belshazzar in cuneiform records is a notable correction to earlier claims that Daniel invented him. It does not settle every question about the chapter, but it shows why arguments from silence should remain cautious.
Chapter cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 36:17–23; Ezra 1:7–11 Temple vessels taken and later restored
- Isaiah 44:24–45:7; Jeremiah 51:28–39 Babylon's fall and Cyrus's role
- Luke 12:16–21; Acts 12:20–23 Pride interrupted by sudden judgment
- Romans 1:18–25 Created things worshiped instead of the Creator
Source and editorial status
Dr. Shallua’s Commentary
This study preserves the hard questions, explanations, context, apologetic note, and references from Dr. Shallua's Commentary.