Often, using one or another winged expression, a person does not even think about what source it came to us from. Among them is the "Belshazzar Feast", which initially describes an event of biblical themes and only then rethought and acquired a new, figurative meaning. We will get acquainted with the legend itself, its embodiment in art and modern understanding of the catch phrase.
Personality of the king
Before considering the legend of the feast of Belshazzar, let us briefly get acquainted with the personality of the hero himself, who, as historians believe, could well exist in reality. Belshazzar is one of the rulers of Babylon, who occupied the royal throne during the absence of his father, King Nabonidus.
Belshazzar's father was known for his love of mysticism, antiquities, so he very often left Babylon and transferred the responsibilities of government to his son. However, the Bible says that the father of the legendary king was no less famous Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar himself, the prince and co-ruler in reality, is referred to in the Scriptures as “the last Chaldean king”.
The feast itself
Consider how the feast of King Belshazzar was held according to biblical sources. There are two reasons explaining the reason for the feast:
- The king knew that his city was besieged by the Persians, and decided to arrange a farewell feast.
- After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Balthasar, who took his place, decided to richly celebrate this event.
So, the feast of Belshazzar began, it was attended by the royal nobles, their spouses and even concubines. Wanting to impress guests even more with his wealth, the king ordered the sacred vessels of pure gold that Nebuchadnezzar had once brought from the Jerusalem temple to be brought.
Sacrilege
However, the feast of Belshazzar went down in history not with his luxury, but with an abuse of Christian values. Wine began to be drunk from the sacred golden vessels, not only the monarch himself, but also his close associates and their concubines. They also glorified their gods - idols made of gold and jewelry.
Further, the legend of the feast of Belshazzar says that in the midst of fun on the wall appeared a human brush that brought out obscure letters. The tsar was very scared, his desire to have fun instantly disappeared from him, he realized that he had done an evil deed, and for this he would face a terrible reckoning. However, what does the inscription say?
Interpretation
None of the sages in Babylon could read the mysterious inscription, which frightened the young king even more. However, his mother suggested that there was another wise man, someone Daniel, who was respected by Nebuchadnezzar and was even appointed by him as the chief among the fortunetellers. This man was found and brought to the king, ordering him to decipher the mysterious inscription.
Daniel did the job, but his answer to Belshazzar was not to his taste. The sage reproached the king that he, like his father, could not let God into his heart, lived a sinful life, but the last straw was the desecration of the sacred cups of Yahweh and the praise of invented idols. Like Nebuchadnezzar, his son was proud and presumptuous, for which he would be severely punished.
The king, promising rich gifts to the sage, asked him to read what was written on the wall with an invisible hand, what was the meaning of the symbols that appeared. Daniel refused gifts, but translated and clarified three words written in a mysterious hand:
- Calculated. This word means that the young ruler lived his life unrighteously, although he had before his eyes the example of his father, Nebuchadnezzar, who kept neighboring states at bay, did not honor God and suffered from excessive pride.
- Weighted. Belshazzar himself continued the unrighteous path of his father, all his deeds were evaluated and balanced, so he was doomed to death.
- Divided. The sage told the king that his kingdom would be divided between the Medes and the Persians.
This is the meaning of the secret message that Daniel was able to read to the frightened king.
The death of Babylon
On the same night, the city was attacked, the walls of Babylon were destroyed, and the king himself was killed. However, it is generally accepted in history that the destruction of the city took place according to a different scenario.
The expression "feast of Belshazzar" has been preserved and continues to be used. It means fun, a feast on the eve of the death or the onset of some terrible, negative event.
Contradictions
Consider some of the differences of the biblical plot with real historical facts. Some have already been mentioned:
- Nabonidus was actually the father of Belshazzar, while in the Bible he becomes Nebuchadnezzar, most likely as the more famous Babylonian monarch.
- The hero of our material himself was not king, he performed the functions of co-ruler and rules in Babylon only during the absence of Nabonidus.
- The walls surrounding the city were so thick that it was impossible for scientists to take it in one night. It is not for nothing that historians call Babylon a fortified city: it was surrounded by three rows of powerful walls and a moat. The enemies also could not dig, as the city walls went down no less than 10 meters. The width of the fortification, according to surviving data, was at least 5 meters.
- Tsar Belshazzar could not know that an enemy army had gathered under his walls, since there were observation towers with battlements on the walls. If we assume that he was aware, understood the danger and decided to “meet death merrily”, to arrange a grand banquet at parting, then his fright after the appearance of a mysterious message becomes incomprehensible. Why fall into despair, try to find an explanation, if death is already a foregone conclusion?
Finally, it is not clear why Babylon will be divided between the Medes and the Persians, why are they better than the idolater Belshazzar and his subjects? During the reign of this king, both ethnic groups remained pagans, then converted to Islam, that is, they had nothing to do with the Christian god, so the question remains open - why are equally unrighteous people chosen to punish the unrighteous king?
The plot in art
Feast of Belshazzar has become a favorite subject of literary and pictorial works. Here are a few examples:
- The canvas of Rembrandt with the same name was created in 1635. Now a work of art can be seen in the London National Gallery.
- Surikov's painting "Feast of Belshazzar", 1874. On the canvas a large number of characters and worked out in detail emotions.
- Works for performance by choir, oratorio, for example “Belshazzar” by Georg Handel.
These are the main works in which the last, according to biblical canons, is the king of the great Babylon.
Popular expression
What does the "feast of Belshazzar" mean in a figurative sense? This is a stable phrase, which is customary to use in a situation of unbridled fun in front of some kind of trouble, and celebrating people still do not realize that they will soon face a problem. In general, the biblical plot was not completely rethought in the catch phrase, but the expression can be used not only in relation to the feast, but also in connection with any fun that occurs on the eve of the tragedy.
The scale of the disaster itself can be any, not necessarily the collapse of a whole city or catastrophe, an event may be the most insignificant for the world, but significant for a particular person. For example, to say “they made a feast of Belshazzar” is quite appropriate for students who decided to celebrate their birthday on the eve of the exam and not prepare, citing the fact that it is impossible to master the entire course in one evening.