5:1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his thousand nobles, and in the presence of the thousand he drank wine.
King Amel-Marduk
While HaShem was teaching King Nebuchadnezzar humility by having him live as a werewolf, his son, Amel-Marduk (aka Awil-Marduch), known as "Evil Marduk," ruled the Babylonian Empire. Some of the dates and details given are uncertain, but it appears that Amel ruled from circa 562 BCE until his overthrow and murder in 560 BCE as the third king of post-Babel Babylonia (being, Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar, Amel-Marduk).
King Belshazzar
The political intrigue during this period complicates specific historical identification. However, Rashi says that Belshazzar (whose name means 'May Bel Protect the King') ruled after Amel. Scholars debate whether Belshazzar overthrew Amel or, more likely, Nabonidus did. Historians usually suggest that Belshazzar backed the elderly Nabonidus and soon ascended the throne after him, with or without a coup. Nabonidus' brief reign was irrelevant to Daniel and so not mentioned.
The lineage of Belshazzar, a key figure during this period, is a source of significant confusion. The Book of Daniel and some sources, including Rashi, assert that Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. However, other accounts suggest he was a grandson, and the discovery of The Nabonidus Chronicle has cast doubt on any blood ties to the renowned king. Despite these uncertainties, the Book of Daniel presents Belshazzar as a son of Nebuchadnezzar (5:2) and as a king who reigned after Nebuchadnezzar, a narrative that begins in this chapter.
It is said that King Belshazzar battled with Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Great during the day and emerged victorious. In the evening, he celebrated his triumph with the mentioned feast. Prophet Isaiah prophecied (at 21:5) about Belshazzar' setting the table, setting up the lamp, and eating and drinking, after his seeming victory. However, the feast was interrupted by the return of his enemies, who waged war on the city and captured it. While these events' exact dates and details remain debatable, the general timeline of the described events have external corroboration. There is no reason to challenge Daniel's account.
5:2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem to be brought so that the king and his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines could drink from them.
5:3 The golden vessels that had been taken out of the sanctuary of the House of God in Jerusalem were then brought, and the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines drank from them.
5:4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Of this, a midrash (i.e., an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scripture) adds:
"And vessels of diverse kinds" – he brought his vessels, and the vessels of Elam, and his were considered more beautiful than those of Elam. He brought his and Temple vessels, which were finer and more beautiful than his. [This is comparable] to a woman who had a beautiful maidservant; whenever she would look at her maidservant, her face would change color. Likewise, whenever the Temple's vessels were compared with his vessels, their vessels would change and appear like lead. Rabbi Taḥlifa bar bar Ḥana said: ["Vessels of diverse kinds"] – vessels whose form changes after a few days. Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Naḥman: Vessels that destroy those who use them while they [i.e., those using the vessels] persist in their corruption. Who caused Belshatzar's foundations to be undermined? Was it not because he used the Temple's vessels? That is as written: "Belshazzar said, as he tasted the wine, to bring the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had removed…" (Daniel 5:2). What is meant here? "During that night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed" (Daniel 5:30) - Esther Rabbah 2:11.
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Tractate Shirah 6:9 adds:
In summary, 'King Belshazzar made a great banquet, etc.' About this it is written (in Habakkuk 2:15) 'Woe unto him who makes his neighbor drink! You pour out your wrath even unto intoxication,' and 'You will be sated with shame rather than glory.' (Daniel 5:30) 'That very night King Belshazzar was killed.'
We continue with King Nebuchadnezzar's chastisement:
5:5 Just then, fingers as of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace opposite the lampstand, so that the king could see the hand as it wrote.
5:6 The king's face darkened, and his thoughts alarmed him; the joints of his loins were loosened and his knees knocked together.
5:7 The king called loudly for the exorcists, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought. The king addressed the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning shall be clothed in purple and wear a golden chain on his neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom" [i.e., will be elevated to the third highest position in the kingdom, Dan. 6:3].
5:8 Then all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the writing or make known its meaning to the king.
5:9 King Belshazzar grew exceedingly alarmed and his face darkened, and his nobles were dismayed.
5:10 Because of the state of the king and his nobles, the queen came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke up and said, "O king, live forever! Let your thoughts not alarm you or your face darken.
5:11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him; in your father's time, illumination, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods were to be found in him, and your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, exorcists, Chaldeans, and diviners.
5:12 Seeing that there is to be found in Daniel (whom the king called Belteshazzar) extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, to explain riddles and solve problems, let Daniel now be called to tell the meaning [of the writing]."
Through Daniel's prophetic insights, King Belteshazzar was now shown the power and authority of the true God but clung to the Babylonian ba'alim of Nimrod and Semiraimis instead. As far as we know, King Belteshazzar had had no dealings with Daniel before this. Now, in his desperation, he is advised to seek his counsel. The suggestion itself must have been humiliating for the arrogant king.
5:13 Daniel was then brought before the king [Belteshazzar]. The king addressed Daniel, "You are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah whom my father, the king, brought from Judah.
5:14 I have heard about you, that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that illumination, knowledge, and extraordinary wisdom are to be found in you.
5:15 Now, my wise men and exorcists have been brought before me to read this writing and to make known its meaning to me. But they could not tell what it meant.
5:16 I have heard about you, that you can give interpretations and solve problems. If you can read the writing and make known its meaning to me, you will be clothed in purple and wear a golden chain on your neck and rule as one of three in the kingdom."
5:17 Then Daniel said in reply to the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself, and give your presents to others. But I will read the writing for the king, and make its meaning known to him.
5:18 O king, the Most High God bestowed kingship, grandeur, glory, and majesty upon your father Nebuchadnezzar.
5:19 And because of the grandeur that He bestowed upon him, all the peoples and nations of every language trembled in fear of him. He put to death whomever he wished, and whomever he wished he let live; he raised high whom he wished and whom he wished he brought low.
5:20 But when he grew haughty and willfully presumptuous, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was removed from him.
5:21 He was driven away from men, and his mind made like that of a beast, and his habitation was with wild asses. He was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the heavens until he came to know that the Most High God is sovereign over the realm of humanity, and sets over it whomever He wishes.
5:22 But you, Belshazzar his son, did not humble yourself although you knew all this.
5:23 You exalted yourself against the Lord of Heaven, and had the vessels of His Temple brought to you. You and your nobles, your consorts, and your concubines drank wine from them and praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear, or understand; but the God who controls your lifebreath and every move you make—Him you did not glorify!
5:24 He therefore made the hand appear, and caused the writing to be inscribed.
5:25 This is the writing that is inscribed: MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN.
5:26 And this is its meaning: MENE—God has numbered [the days of] your kingdom and brought it to an end;
5:27 TEKEL—you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting;
5:28 PERES—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians."
MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN
God, in His infinite mercy, also possesses a patience that should never be mistaken for tolerance of human arrogance and willful ignorance. It is a patience that, when tested, can lead to humbling consequences. < br> < br>
It is HaShem alone who grants and removes all blessings. Having seen and rejected the evidence of HaShem's authority with his own eyes, the time for Belshazzar's humiliation had now come. HaShem destroyed the first "Superpower" and gave it to the Medes and Persians, the foretold Second Beast. There are vital lessons here, lessons that the leaders of modern Israel, the USA, and other countries are once again ignoring as God removes His blessings from them. Our collective responsibility is to heed these warnings as God removes His blessings and inflicts punishments on us.
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
The phrase 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN' has long intrigued biblical scholars; its meaning is a puzzle waiting to be solved. Even Daniel's interpretation, though word by word, leaves room for further exploration. As the Jewish Encyclopedia notes:
Various difficulties of the writing present themselves also in Daniel's interpretation: e.g., the repetition מְנֵ֥א מְנֵ֖א [mene mene] is not explained, and instead of the plural, the singular form without the conjunctive is translated. By giving only three words to verse 25, Theodotion and Jerome sought to make it uniform with verses 26-28 (Theodotion reading "Mane"), and that the Septuagint, though differing from Theodotion as to the meaning of the words, also has only three words, which it transfers to verse 17. Nevertheless, the seeming discrepancy in the Masoretic text and the grammatical construction of the words greatly puzzles modern critics. It may be noted that the author chose words with double meanings and that Daniel gave the king a dual interpretation, applying both meanings of the words as correct. Thus, he interpreted it as "to count" and "to finish," to "weigh" and "to be wanting," to divide," and "Persia."
The difficulty is that interpreters seek to translate the phrase as Hebrew or Aramaic rather than Sanskrit, which it seems to be. While Daniel wrote in Aramaic, India and Persia were closely connected during this period, as confirmed by the Book of Esther and the Persian king Ahasuerus' decrees it contains (example: Esther 1:1, 8:9, 1 Maccabees 6:37). Using the standard Devanagari script to make the point would seem logical and explains why the king did not understand the phrase. When the phrase is read as मेने, मेने, टेकल, उफारसीन rather than מְנֵ֥א מְנֵ֖א תְּקֵ֥ל וּפַרְסִֽין׃ the confusion appears solved. Interpreting the script as Devanagari, Daniel understood. In Sanskrit we have:
ईश्वरः भवतः राज्यस्य दिवसान् गणयित्वा तस्य समाप्तिम् अकरोत्; त्वं तुलायां तौलितः अभवः, अभावः च प्राप्तः; तव राज्यं विभज्य मादीभ्यः फारसीभ्यः च दत्तम्।
ishvarah bhavatah rajyasya divsan ganayitva tasya samaaptim akrot; tvam tulayam taulitah abhavah, abhavah ch praptah; tav rajyam vibhajya madibhyah forcibhyah ch dattam
Or:
God, the One, has numbered [or determined the days of] your kingdom and brought it to an end. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; your kingdom has been divided [as are females] and given to the Persians.
The Medes were the ancient Akkadians, called the Medol by the Greeks. Around the 11th century BCE, The Medes occupied the mountainous regions of northwestern Iran and the northeastern and eastern area of Mesopotamia near Ecbatana (present-day Hamadan).
Zarathustra (aka Zoroaster) founded Zoroastrianism among them in the second millennium BCE with the Avesta. The influence of the Avesta and its dualistic philosophy on all ancient religious systems and cultures, including ours, can not be overstated. Zoroastrianism modified and challenged the ba'alim of Nimrod and Semiraimis with the semi-monotheistic albeit dualistic world paradigm of Ahura Mazda (Ohrmuzd) and Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) that threatened to disempower Nephilim authority. Unlike the Babel paradigm that held that all humans were gods capable of literally anything they set their minds to, Zarathustra extolled the existence of two co-equal all-powerful gods: one, Ohrmuzd, god of light, conceived of as we do the yetzer hatov, and the other, Ahriman, the god of darkness or yetzer hara. Within the hidden teachings of the Knights Templar and upper levels of Masonry, Ohrmuzd, as Ohrmuz de Outlander, continues to play a significant, if mystical, Occultic role as is known by the students of that dark discipline.
Persia, of course, is the ancient name of Iran. Persia/Iran is one of the world's oldest civilizations. Persia began with the biblically mentioned Elamites (compare Genesis 14:1, Genesis 14:9, Isaiah 11:11, 21:2, etc.) in the fourth millennium BCE by modern reckoning. Elam was a son of Shem (hence a Semite), whose people settled in Akkadia after the population relocation that followed the destruction of the Ziggurat of Babel, according to Genesis 10:22 and Ezra 4:9, so they were among the "rejected Semites" (i.e., those who were not of the line of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov).
Persia was first unified as a state by the Medes in the seventh century BCE during the Mede struggles against Kings Nimrod, Amel-Marduk, and Belshazzar. It reached its territorial zenith in the sixth century BCE when Cyrus the Great - HaShem's Mashiach (see Isaiah 45:1–3) founded the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest and most powerful empires in ancient history.
Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Empire in the fourth century BCE, dividing Iran into several Hellenistic (or culturally Greek) states. An Iranian rebellion established the Parthian Empire in the third century BCE. It was succeeded in the third century CE by the Sasanian Empire.
Islam conquered the entire region in the seventh century CE, leading to Iran's Islamization, the effective end of Zoroastrianism, and the Roman resurrection and renaissance of the ba'alim.
5:29 Then, at Belshazzar's command, they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a golden chain on his neck, and proclaimed that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom.
5:30 That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.
It was too little too late for King Belshazzar, however. His public recognition of Daniel was a mockery of his authority. He knew the real God, but he chose to reject and mock Him. Belshazzar had squandered away everything his father had created.
Continue to Chapter Six
* © This series is by John of AllFaith, © April 12, 1997 (last updated June 10,2024)
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