Some time ago, I was studying the Book of Daniel, chapter 5. This chapter discusses some of the events surrounding the defeat of Babylon by the Medes and Persians around 539 BC. The invasion culminated while Belshazzar was holding a feast for the leading men of Babylon. (Some question whether Belshazzar ever existed. See my paper titled, Authenticity of the book of Daniel, to see the evidence.)
This paper will focus on the banquet, the takeover, some of the characters involved, and some of the prophecies foretelling this event. Daniel 5 also talks about the well known incident of a hand (without an arm or body) writing on the wall. That section of the story from Daniel 5 is the topic of another post titled, Handwriting on the Wall.
Below is a timeline of some important dates related to this paper.
Approximate Dates BC
711 Isaiah prophesied a man named Cyrus would defeat Babylon (discussed below)
605 – 562 Nebuchadnezzar -king in Babylon
605 Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem
605 Daniel exiled to Babylon -(See my article: Daniel Honors God for the story.)
586 Jeremiah prophesied against Babylon (discussed below)
553 – 539 Belshazzar -king in Babylon
539 Belshazzar’s Banquet (Medes & Persians invade – Belshazzar slain)
539 – 537 Darius the Mede -king in Babylon
539 – 530 Cyrus the Persian -king in Babylon (Co-reigned with Darius 2 years)
537 Proclamation of Cyrus to rebuild the temple
535 Temple Work Begins
The Banquet
Daniel 5:1-4 tells of the banquet:
“Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the vessels and they drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”1
In verse 2 above, it reads, “When Belshazzar tasted the wine.” This could be a euphemism for being high. In fact, in a comparison of 28 biblical translations, 8 of them translate it that he was either “under the influence” or that Belshazzar was drunk. The prophecy of Jeremiah reveals a time of drunkenness when Babylon falls.
Prophesied by Jeremiah 47 years before the Banquet
Jeremiah chapter 51 prophesied destruction for Babylon by the Medes (v11). Part of the judgment prophesied against Babylon is God’s vengeance for His temple because they took and desecrated the temple vessels (v11). Also foretold is the drunkenness of the leaders during a banquet where they would not wake up (v39 & 57).
Jeremiah’s Prophecy
Jeremiah 51:
9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Forsake her and let us each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And towers up to the very skies.
10 The LORD has brought about our vindication;
Come and let us recount in Zion
The work of the LORD our God!
11 Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!
The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it;
For it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple.—
39 “When they become heated up, I shall serve them their banquet
And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant
And may sleep a perpetual sleep
And not wake up,” declares the LORD.—
57 “I will make her princes and her wise men drunk,
Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men,
That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,”
Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
Inside the palace
Daniel chapter 5 tells us about the banquet held by Belshazzar, the same night they are defeated. Concerning Daniel 5:1, Bible commentator John Gill observes, “…but he [Belshazzar] drank in the presence of them, to show his condescension and familiarity; [which is] contrary to the custom of kings, especially of the eastern nations, who were seldom seen in public.”2
The idea that is being offered here is that King Belshazzar lowered the normal lofty office and position of being a king by partying with his underlings. To me, this reveals a flaw in his character and a low view of his responsibility as king.
The 1,000 nobles mentioned in that verse may seem unusual, but Bible commentator Albert Barnes concludes that 1,000 nobles in a large banquet hall is not uncommon. Barnes adds, “Quintus Curtius says that ten thousand men were present at a festival of Alexander the Great; and Statius says of Domitian, that he ordered, on a certain occasion, his guests ‘to sit down at a thousand tables.’ ”3
Outside the palace
While the Belshazzar was having a banquet inside, Babylon was being attacked outside by the Medes and Persians. Some suggest that Cyrus was besieging the city and Belshazzar shows his contempt and disregard by having a banquet. Others say that this was a yearly festival and that Cyrus took advantage of their distraction.
Cyrus was the commander of the army under King Darius. But some Bible commentators take Darius and Cyrus to be the same person, thinking that ‘Darius’ is a title like the Roman’s use the title ‘Caesar’. Reading Daniel 6:28 however, leads me to believe that Darius and Cyrus are not the same person. Daniel 6:28 says, “So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
John Gill writes that, “Cyrus the Persian was the son-in-law of Darius, and inherited the kingdom after him; for he married the daughter of Cyaxares or Darius the Mede who was his uncle, and succeeded him as sole monarch of the empire: he reigned with him the two years he had the government of the Babylonish monarchy; and when he died, it solely devolved on him, who reigned seven years after, as Xenophon4 relates.” 5
The historian Herodotus6 reports that the Babylonians had a large stock of supplies stored away and could outlast several years of siege against them. This agrees with the idea that the Babylonians made light of the siege, feeling secure within their walls.
Prophesied by Isaiah 172 years before the Banquet
Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 44 and 45 have several interesting points:
- The river dries up (44:27)
- Isaiah says a man named Cyrus will perform God’s will (44:28; 45:1,3,4)
- Cyrus to rebuild the temple (44:28)
- Cyrus will subdue nations (45:1)
- God gives Cyrus the victory and wealth (45:2,3)
- Cyrus did not know the God of Jacob (45:4,5)
Isaiah’s Prophecy
Isaiah 44:
27 “It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers dry.
28 “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
45:1 Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right hand,
To subdue nations before him,
And to loose the loins of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze, and cut through their iron bars.
3 “And I will give you the treasures of darkness,
And hidden wealth of secret places,
In order that you may know that it is I,
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
4 “For the sake of Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have not known Me.
5 “I am the LORD, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me;”
Dry River
In Isaiah 44:27 (above), God says that He will “make your rivers dry.” The city of Babylon was protected by thick walls. The Euphrates river which flowed through the city passed under the walls, but was too deep for an army to pass easily. Herodotus relates the story of the Euphrates river being diverted making it so that the Persians could sneak in under the wall without having to ford the river.7
This plan to divert the river was reportedly used after Cyrus grew tired of waiting for their siege against the city to be fruitful.
The Cyrus Cylinder, found in the ruins of Babylon, describes Babylon being taken by Cyrus and his army “without battle”.8 All of these points seem to support Herodotus’ story.
Cyrus’ Proclamation to Rebuild the Temple
The Book of Ezra 1:1-4 explains what happened:
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the LORD stirred up [his] spirit so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, saying, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem. Whoever there is among you of all His people, let him go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the LORD. And let the men support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God.’ ”9
It appears from his proclamation that Cyrus recognizes Jehovah as the one true God. However, Isaiah’s prophecy states that Cyrus did not know the God of Jacob. In addition, the Cyrus Cylinder quoted earlier makes Cyrus’ worldview clear. Cyrus is a polytheist, and ascribes his conquest of Babylon to Marduk.10 He also presents himself as a worshiper of Marduk. Explaining this apparent contradiction in Cyrus’ proclamation, Bible commentator MacLaren points out about Cyrus:
“Like other polytheists, he had room in his pantheon for the gods of other nations, and admitted into it the deities of the conquered peoples. Cyrus’s profession of faith, then, is an example of official and skin-deep religion, of which public and individual life afford plentiful instances in all ages and faiths.”11
Cyrus Informed?
The historian Josephus says that Cyrus was informed of the biblical prophecies written about him.12 The natural person to have shown Cyrus the scrolls was Daniel, a high-ranking official in Persia (Daniel 6:28 “So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”)
It is possible then, that Daniel had a direct influence on Cyrus, telling him of the prediction of Isaiah 44:28 (referenced earlier), where he is named. Also during the time of Cyrus, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were active in motivating Israel in rebuilding the temple. It could also be possible that these prophets influenced Cyrus in the work, but there is no record of either Haggai or Zechariah addressing Cyrus.
Conclusion
We have looked at some of the amazing prophecies given through Isaiah and Jeremiah foretelling the future fall of Babylon. The details surrounding the banquet, the takeover, and the characters involved, show God’s knowledge, wisdom, and orchestration in the affairs of man.
We have also seen that God’s will is accomplished even when He is working with men and their frailties. We may not know God’s timing, but by faith we can trust Him that His will will be done. He is sovereign, and therefore we can and should trust Him.
1 Edited for brevity.
2 Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible on Daniel 5
3 Albert Barnes’ Notes on Daniel
4 Xenophon, (lived c. 430 – 350 BCE, Attica, Greece), Greek historian and philosopher
5 Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible on Daniel 6
6 Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c.480-c.429 BCE): Greek researcher, often called the world’s first historian
7 https://www.livius.org/sources/content/herodotus/cyrus-takes-babylon/ 3/6/23
8 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1880-0617-1941 3/7/23
9 Edited for brevity.
10 Marduk, in Mesopotamian religion, the chief god of the city of Babylon and the national god of Babylonia; as such, he was eventually called simply Bel, or Lord. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marduk 3/8/23
11 MacLaren’s Expositions on Ezra
12 Antiquities of the Jews, XI.1.2