What historical evidence supports the events described in Daniel 5? Canonical Text of Daniel 5:14 “I have heard of you,” the king said, “that the Spirit of God is in you, and that you possess insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.” Literary Setting Daniel 5 recounts Belshazzar’s great feast, the mysterious handwriting on the wall, Daniel’s interpretation, and the sudden fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persians in 539 BC. Critics long dismissed the chapter as legend, chiefly because Belshazzar was unknown outside the Bible. Twentieth-century discoveries reversed that verdict. Historical Babylon and Its Dynastic Line • Neo-Babylonian kings: Nabopolassar (626–605 BC), Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562), Amel-Marduk (562–560), Neriglissar (560–556), Labashi-Marduk (556), Nabonidus (556–539). • Daniel names “Belshazzar the king” (5:1) and calls Nebuchadnezzar his “father” (5:2,11,13,18,22). In Semitic usage “father” means ancestor or predecessor; Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson through his daughter Nitocris, solving the genealogical question. Belshazzar’s Co-Regency with Nabonidus The Nabonidus Chronicle (British Museum BM 35382) records Nabonidus’s self-imposed exile in Tema, Arabia, for roughly a decade (c. 553–543 BC). During that absence he “entrusted the kingship to his eldest son, Bel-shar-usur.” Thus Belshazzar exercised royal authority in Babylon, explaining why he could offer Daniel “third place in the kingdom” (5:16,29)—behind Nabonidus and himself. Cuneiform Witnesses Naming Belshazzar • Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar (excavated 1882): “As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon … Bel-shar-usur, the eldest son, offspring of my heart.” • Verse Account of Nabonidus (tablet BM 91000): Belshazzar assists in temple affairs. • 30+ administrative tablets (e.g., British Museum BM 60237; Yale Babylonian Collection YBC 8292) dated between Nabonidus’s 10th and 14th regnal years record “Bel-shar-usur, the king’s son” issuing orders, receiving grain, or advancing silver. Presence in day-to-day bureaucracy aligns with Daniel’s depiction of an active monarch. The Feast and Babylon’s Sense of Security Greek historians supply independent confirmation: • Herodotus (Histories 1.191) and Xenophon (Cyropaedia 7.5) describe Babylonians feasting the night the Persians diverted the Euphrates and captured the city. • These accounts correspond to Daniel 5:1’s lavish banquet. Archaeology adds color: drinking vessels of gold and silver unearthed in the Southern Palace at Babylon match Daniel’s note that sacred Jerusalem vessels were profaned (5:2–3). The Fall of Babylon: Persian and Babylonian Chronicles • Nabonidus Chronicle: “In the month of Tashritu … Ugbaru, governor of Gutium, and the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without battle.” • Cyrus Cylinder (BM 90920): claims Marduk delivered Nabonidus’s domain to Cyrus peacefully, paralleling Daniel 5’s abrupt regime change in one night (5:30–31). • Chronicle of the Early Persian Kings (ABC 7) corroborates the 539 BC date accepted by conservative and secular chronologies alike. Accuracy of Daniel’s Royal Title Daniel calls Belshazzar “king,” a title verified by the cuneiform term šarru in documents listing offerings “for the gods Bel and Nebo for Bel-shar-usur the king’s son.” Co-regency language vindicates the biblical usage once alleged to be anachronistic. Archaeological Testimony to Babylonian Religion Inscriptions reveal Nabonidus elevated the moon-god Sîn; Belshazzar therefore invokes “the gods of gold and silver” (5:4). Clay figurines, foundation texts, and temple inventories from Etemenanki highlight Babylon’s polytheism and support the narrative tension of desecrating Yahweh’s vessels. Critical Objections Addressed 1. “No Belshazzar in Classical Lists.” Answer: Cuneiform tablets, unavailable to earlier scholars, now list him abundantly. 2. “Daniel written in the 2nd century BC.” Answer: Aramaic in Daniel matches Imperial dialect (5th–3rd century BC). Greek loanwords are musical, aligning with Neo-Babylonian court culture, not Hellenistic bureaucracy. Combined linguistic and manuscript evidence argues for a 6th-century origin or eyewitness memoir. Prophetic Implications Daniel’s prophecy in 2:37–38 named Babylon as the head of gold; chapter 5 marks its divinely timed demise. Isaiah 13:17–22 and Jeremiah 51:57 foretold a sudden fall while rulers were drunk—fulfilled precisely in Belshazzar’s feast. The congruence of prophet, history, and archaeology undergirds Scripture’s unified witness. Theological Significance Daniel 5:14 attributes Daniel’s insight to “the Spirit of God,” foreshadowing the New Covenant promise of the Spirit indwelling believers (Joel 2:28; John 14:17). God’s sovereign hand writes judgment on earthly kingdoms, anticipating the ultimate vindication of Christ’s resurrection power (Acts 17:31). Conclusion Archaeological discoveries—the Nabonidus Chronicle, cylinders, administrative tablets—combined with classical historians confirm the major contours of Daniel 5: Belshazzar’s historicity, his authority, the great feast, and Babylon’s overnight capture. Linguistic, textual, and prophetic lines of evidence converge, offering robust historical support for the narrative and reinforcing the reliability of Scripture. |
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