BELSHAZZAR (bC-shlz'zar), (Hcb.
bale-shats-tsar'), is the name given in the book of Daniel to the last king of the Chaldees, under whom Babylon was taken by the Medes and Per sians.
Ilerodottis calls this king, and also his father, Labynelus, which is undouhtcdly a corruption of Nabonidus, the name by which he was known to Bcrosus, in Joseph. Contr. Apion. i :20. Yet in Joseph. x. it, 2) it is stated that 13altasar was called Naboandel by the Babylonians.
His father, Nabonidus, had entrusted the care of the army to Belshazzar. and the Bible informs us that he W1 5 slain on the night of the capture of Babylon. It makes no mention of Nabonidus. Now, it is evident that the father, Nabonidus, and the son, Belshazzar, became confused in the minds of the writers of the histories. It was natural that foreigners should consider Belshazzar to be king, because he was the master of the army.
Winer conjectures that in the name Belshazzar the element shazzar means 'the principle of fire.' Nothing has been really known I If this king until recent discoveries, except from the hook of Daniel, the authenticity and credibility of which will be treated under the article DANIEL. That
which is told of Nabonidus by the Babylonian in criptions does not agree with the Scriptural ac count.
According to these annals, there was a revolt among the troops of Nabonidus, and he fled, hence Sippara was easily taken. From which it will be seen that the conquest of Babylon was brought about by other things than mere force of arms.
Berosus says that, losing a pitched battle against Cyrus in the open plain, Nabonidus was shut up in the city Borsippa on the Euphrates, below Babylon, and soon forced to surrender his person. Cyrus received him kindly, sent him into Caramania, and settled him on an estate, where he ended his life peaceably. No hypothesis will reconcile this account with the other, since it is certain that Nabonidus is the last king in the one narrative, as Belshazzar in the other. There can be little doubt that the two personages were confounded because Belshazzar commanded the army. (See BELSHAZZAR AND THE MONU MENTS.)