Belshazzar

Bel- šarru - usur and Belshazzar (also Belshazzar; spätbabylonisch Bel- šarru - usur; Greek Baltasar; Latin Baltạssar ) was the Babylonian crown prince, who until 543 BC, in place of his father Nabonidus conducted the affairs of 552. His name means " Bel protect the king."

Historical Sources

Numerous economic documents from Babylonia testify Belshazzar's reign. In the Nabonidus Chronicle, among others, also the ancestry of Nabonidus Belshazzar testified: " The king's son ... was in the land of Akkad ( Babylonia ), while Nabonidus was staying in Tayma ( in Arabia ) ."

Book of Daniel

Biblical tradition

In the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, Belshazzar is called the son of Nebuchadnezzar II ( "son" in the biblical languages ​​means only one male descendants, as "father" as ancestor ), where a ghostly writing on the wall of his palace appears (see " writing on the wall "). Belsasar asks his scholars to translate the scriptures and to interpret. After they all fail, can the king the prophet Daniel to come, which translates to him the words correctly. That same night Belshazzar is killed and divided his kingdom among the Persians and the Medes.

Historical reference

The biblical name of Nebuchadnezzar, the father of Belshazzar explained by the Hebrew custom to also denote forefathers as " fathers ". Belshazzar was at no time king of Babylonia, but until the return of Nabonidus his deputy; thus "king" refers to his actual position, as also evident that the location of the third party is offered in the kingdom in Dan 5,7.16 (because Belshazzar was just only the second one ). Belshazzar was not, as has often been inferred from Daniel, the last king of the Babylonian Empire.

Daniels function, described by the editors as a omen of wisdom Deuter, can with the Office Entu a priestess or a " soothsayer " ( Akkadian ašipu ) are compared, which included the omen interpretations or incantations in the Babylonian Empire. Nabonidus reigned after his return for three more years. In the Nabonidus Chronicles premature death of his son, however, is not indicated. In this context it is also important that the descendants of Babylonierkönigs no subsequent kingdom was prophesied.

It is not excluded that a historical reference exists and Belshazzar was actually killed by the Marduk priesthood. The last time he is mentioned as a substitute in the 13th year of the reign of Nabonidus, he represented the government since the 4th year since the accession to the throne. After returning from the Babylonierkönigs Tayma Belshazzar's name was not mentioned in other documents.

Edits

The fabric of Belshazzar is the basis for numerous artistic edits:

• The Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, the famous banquet theme Banquet of Belshazzar of about 1635 in his painting.
• Belshazzar is the title of an oratorio by George Frideric Handel.
• One of the early operas of Gioachino Rossini, Ciro in Babilonia, deals with Belshazzar.
• The German poet Heinrich Heine wrote a ballad, which is to be found in his book of songs and was set to music by Robert Schumann as a song (Op. 57):

" And look! and see! on the white wall, there came forth like human 's hand. And wrote and wrote on the white wall Letters of fire and wrote and vanished. [ ... ] But Belshazzar was the same night murdered by his servants. "

• The Englishman Sir William Walton wrote the popular in the English-speaking oratorio Belshazzar's Feast, which was premiered in 1931 at the Leeds Festival.
• The German composer Volker David Kirchner composed an opera entitled Belshazar. The premiere took place at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in 1986.