Like Father, Like Son: Belshazzar's Relationship to King Nebuchadnezzar

Abstract

The historical identification of the person by the name of Belshazzar, who in Dan 5 is said to have been the last king of Babylon, has been one of the most debated issues in the book of Daniel. Today, however, there are several ancient texts which unequivocally support the biblical statements on the person of Belshazzar and they even clarify the role which this ruler played in the Neo-Babylonian empire prior to its fall. Many more questions, however, remain regarding Belshazzar's person and office. One such question is Belshazzar's relationship to king Nebuchadnezzar.

The glorious king Nebuchadnezzar II is remembered as the builder of Neo-Babylon, and the readers of the Bible know him as a "king of kings" who ruled in the time of the prophet Daniel. Belshazzar, on the other hand, is notorious for his act of bringing that brilliant empire to an end. It is known from the official history of Neo-Babylon that between these two kings, no less than four other kings were sitting on Babylon's throne, namely, Amel-Marduk, Nerigissar, Labashi-Marduk, and Nabonidus. For some reason, not too well known today, the writer of the book of Daniel described Nebuchadnezzar as Belshazzar's "father," and Belshazzar as Nebuchadnezzar's "son."

There are several ways in which the students of Daniel have understood the meaning of the words "father" and "son" in Dan 5. This article will first present these views and then add one more piece of evidence pertinent to this discussion which is virtually absent from scholarly debates on Belshazzar. We begin with the literal view which is found in some scholarly works, and follow with the nonliteral views.