Page 139 - Daniel

years that elapsed between chapters 4 and 5, a number of monarchs had
succeeded Nebuchadnezzar. Nabonidus eventually assumed the throne in
556 B.C. and reigned until 539 B.C. when his kingdom was conquered by

the Medes. Nabonidus evidently married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar
3
to strengthen his claim to the throne. His eldest son from this union was
Belshazzar. This explains why Belshazzar was said to be in the lineal
descent from Nebuchadnezzar (5:2, 11, 18) and why he was honored as
a coruler under Nabonidus. Although there are alternative explanations
and some dates vary, this succession of kings and identification of

characters has reasonable justification.
It was during this near quarter of a century between chapters 4 and 5
that the further revelations given to Daniel in chapters 7 and 8 occurred.

chapter 7 was revealed to Daniel “in the first year of Belshazzar king of
Babylon” (Dan. 7:1) and the vision of the ram and he-goat in chapter 8
occurred “in the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar” (Dan. 8:1).
The information embodied in these two visions, insofar as Daniel
understood it, was therefore known to Daniel before the events of
chapter 5, which chronologically came after chapters 7 and 8. If

Belshazzar began his reign in 553 B.C., when Nabonidus went to Teima,
the visions of chapters 7 and 8 actually occurred fourteen and twelve
years, respectively, before the events of chapter 5.

Verse 1 introduces the fact that Belshazzar had given a great feast for
one thousand of his lords. That such a large feast should be held by a
monarch like Belshazzar is not at all strange. Leupold cites the ancient
historian Ktesias to the effect that Persian monarchs frequently were
4
known to dine daily with 15,000 people. M. E. 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. 5

Although the size of the banquet is not amazing, the situation was
most unusual. King Nabonidus had returned to Babylon, which was now
threatened by the Medes and the Persians. According to the Nabonidus
Chronicle, the final days of Babylon were chaotic, with Nabonidus trying
to put down a rebellion inside the city while simultaneously facing the

Babylonian army outside:

In the month Tashritu, when Cyrus attacked the army of Akkad in