The original thesis from Rabbi Steven
Fisdel is below yet the incident took place four times in total, all through
different lenses repeating the EXACT same story: 3/4 November 2020, 6th January
2021, 7th January 2021 and 2500 years ago in Babylon. This time around,
Belshazzar is greater, Nabonidus is dangerously worse and Cyrus is now a
deranged country (with a psychotic leader). The highlighted parts in yellow
(below) magnify current day Nabonidus and how his cunning, selfish incompetence
(alongside the 3 pronged legion, now starting to collapse) will destroy
civilization yet again. This time, for good. The grey sections are pretty self explanatory. Why are we seeing a repetition of
the most profoundly mysterious event in history? Because wrongs will be righted.
It'll all be fully explained with a step by step breakdown in the final volumes of Living Off The Irony - I'm just waiting to receive the last pieces of this phase and then I'll write up volumes 7 onwards.
NB: This theseis came about in November 2018 and is related to me. Rabbi Fisdel unexpectedly passed away on the 23rd April 2019, a few months after writing it...and a long time before the elections.
The Fall of Babylon:
A Reassessment
Posted on January 1,
2019 by admin_ck
By Rabbi Steven
Fisdel (26th December 2018)
One of the most pivotal points in ancient
history is the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire[i]. Its demise was sudden and
unexpected. It changed the reality and the very trajectory of civilization.
Since the fall of Babylonia helped ensure and consolidate the establishment of
the Persian Empire under Cyrus II[ii], it is of considerable importance that as
accurate an assessment as possible be made to understand exactly what happened
that changed things so profoundly. In this brief paper, the intention is to reconstruct
as effectively as possible the actual circumstances of Babylon’s fall by
reviewing and reassessing the materials that we have available to us from
antiquity.
The contention that
we are working with here is that to understand the dimensions of this epic
series of events, it is necessary to view the information that we have
primarily from a political perspective, which means taking into account the
practical nature of political struggle, its complexity and the attending
intrigue.
I feel the best way
to approach this whole subject is as a narrative centering on the reign of the
sixth ruler of the 11thDynasty, the last king of Babylon, Nabonidus[iii]. As
background, it is important to note that the Neo-Babylonian Empire only lasted
87 years, from 626 to 539 BC. The first Neo-Babylonian ruler of the 11thdynasty
was Nabopolassar (626 - 605 BC), an Assyrian official who rebelled and set
himself up as king in Babylonia, who ejected the Assyrians in 616 BC and then
proceeded in destroying the Assyrian Empire. His son, Nebuchadnezzar, sent an
army (possibly more than once) west toward Egypt, conquered Judah destroying
the Jerusalem Temple in the process and incorporated both Phoenicia and Cilicia
into the empire.
Amel-Marduk, the
third king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, reigned only two years before being
murdered by Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law, Neriglissar, who was a capable
official and good businessman. His son, Labashi-Marduk, however, was killed
within a year by a group of senior officials, who saw him as absolutely unfit
to rule. Labashi-Marduk was seen as a child who was cruel and evil. After 9
months, he was tortured to death. In his place, Nabonidus was named to be king.
Remarkably, his reign lasted 17 years. On the whole, though, it seems that the whole
tenor of the 11th dynasty was not particularly stable.
Upon taking the
throne, Nabonidus was 60 years old. He was from a noble family, but not the
royal family. He had held important posts under both Nebuchadnezzar and
Neriglissar. One of the most noticeable traits of Nabonidus was that he was a
great devotee of the god Sin[iv], whose central shrine appears to have been in
Harran. He seems to have made it his mission to promote and elevate the worship
and position of Sin within the empire as a whole. It is important to remember
that Sin, the moon god, was central and pivotal in the Assyrian pantheon. This
would not make Nabonidus popular, since the Babylonians suffered for a very
long time under the Assyrian yoke.
Moreover, Harran was
the strategic city commanding the roads from Northern Mesopotamia to Syria and
Asia, therefore possessing as a result, a hugely important marketplace. This is
certainly a prime reason why Nabonidus would lavish great attention on its god.
However, Nabonidus by no means restricted the promotion of Sin to just Harran.
He rebuilds the Temple to Sin there, which was destroyed by the Medes in the
process of overthrowing Assyria. It is stated in the Nabonidus Cylinders[v]that
the god Marduk commanded him to rebuild the sanctuary of Ehulhul and
specifically establish the god Sin there. In doing so, Nabonidus marched from
Gaza with numerous troops and rebuilt Ehulhul anew on the foundation of
Assurbanipal, who had built on the foundation of Shalmaneser III. He refers to
Sin as the Creator and King of the Gods[vi].
Apparently, there was a great
deal of discontent and opposition against Nabonidus in the first half of his
reign. In the stele called the Verse Account of Nabonidus[vii], the statement
is made that the country had descended
into lawlessness. The king listened
to no one. As a result, the common people perished through hunger. Trade was
interfered with and prosperity ruined. The nobility was decimated, killed
in war. Farmers were ruined, because the country’s arable land was not being
protected. This was complicated by the confiscation of property (probably
illegally or wantonly). The accusation is leveled that the king has
defied the gods and established Sin as lord of the gods. The stele also laments
that a cessation of the New Year festival has occurred.
The Nabonidus
Chronicle states that the king went into self-imposed exile in Arabia for a
period of 10 years. It would seem that he really had no other viable choice
under the circumstances, if he wished to save his crown. However, due to
Nabonidus’ decade long absence, the New Year’s Festival[viii]ceased. It could
not be held, since the presence and participation of the king was central to
this vital ritual. In Babylonian belief, the order of the universe had to be restored
every year in order to prevent the cosmos from devolving back into chaos.
During the New Year
Festival, the critical rituals were done to maintain order and ensure blessing
and prosperity. The rituals revolved on reestablishing the proper relationship
between the people, represented by the king and the gods, represented by the chief
god, Marduk.
The welfare of the
nation and its structural coherence, as well as the natural hierarchy of the
universe was seen to be totally dependent on the precise rituals that had to be
carried out during the New Year Festival.
The rituals revolved around the re-creation of the World, the Defeat of
Chaos, the Restoration of Order, the Forgiving of the Past and the
Determination of Destiny. The King was the representative of the country. It
was he who faced Bel and then installed Marduk.
Any cessation of the
New Year Festival would have been devastating, let aside one that lasted a full
decade. The practical and psychological trauma this induced must have been
enormous. Moreover, it comes on the heels of a period of time in which the
country had deteriorated into lawlessness.
The Verse Account
indicates that Nabonidus entrusted the army to his son, Belshazzar[ix]and
entrusted kingship to Belshazzar and himself. It appears then that Belshazzar
was empowered to run the government, while Nabonidus moved to Arabia for
political refuge and for purposes of political maneuvering. It seems that one
of Nabonidus’ aims was to build up the Arabian Peninsula as buffer against
possible Persian expansion. It is also interesting that the god Sin was a very
prominent deity in the Arabian pantheon.
It is important to
note that in the Nabonidus Cylinders from the great city of Ur, Nabonidus
fervently prays to Sin that he not sin against the god and that he fulfill all
the rituals without any errors or mistakes. He makes a point of praying that
Belshazzar show the same reverence and care, so that as a result both he and
Belshazzar are rewarded for their piety. This indicates that divine rituals had
to be completed fully and meticulously in order to bring harmony and blessing.
More importantly, it is clear that Nabonidus, at the time of his departure from
Babylon, understood he and Belshazzar to be completely on the same page.
Nabonidus at that time had total confidence in Belshazzar and felt comfortable
leaving him as his agent in the capital and in effective administrative and
military control.
The famous authority
on Ancient Mesopotamia, Georges Roux, asserts that Belshazzar was put in charge
of the country, because he had a record of being an able soldier and administrator
and that he respected and revered the ancient traditions, thus restoring and
renovating the Temples of Marduk, something erroneously attributed to
Nabonidus.
The Chronicle of
Nabonidus states that from the seventh up to eleventh year of his sojourn in
Arabia (meaning the seventh through tenth year) Nabonidus was in the oasis of
Tayma. Inscriptions from Harran note that Nabonidus wandered from oasis to
oasis as far as Yathrib. This would accord with the Biblical evidence that
Nabonidus went through a period where he completely lost his mind and his
mental faculties.
Upon arriving in
Tayma, Nabonidus kills the ruling prince. He and the army then take up
residence there and proceed to literally work the people to death building a
replica of his palace in Babylon. This very possibly indicates that he was in
permanent exile and could not return to Babylon.
The following story
appears in the fourth chapter of the Book of Daniel. A dream that Daniel
interprets for the king prophesizes that because of the king’s iniquities and
arrogance, he will be driven away from men and live like a beast in the field,
eating grass and being washed only by the dew of heaven[x]. Only through
generosity to the poor, can his sins be redeemed.
The king did not
heed this advice, he remained self-referenced and arrogant. As a result, twelve
months after the prophecy, the king is driven away and for seven seasons, lives
in the fields with the animals, eats grass and drinks the dew, his hair growing
as long and thick as eagle’s wings and his nail resembling the talons of a
bird. When the allotted time is up, the
king regain his senses and his faculties return. He gives thanks and admits
there is a greater power in the world than he is.
In the Biblical
story, the king named is Nebuchadnezzar. However, in the same account found in
the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q242), the king is Nabonidus. This accords with many of
the ancient assertions that Nabonidus was insane. It
seems that in general, Nabonidus was very self-referenced (possibly narcissistic),
arrogant and unconcerned about the welfare of others. However, at
some juncture during the years he was in Tayma, Nabonidus apparently had a
complete nervous breakdown and/or a psychotic break. In the cuneiform text, the Verse Account of
Nabonidus, he is called a liar, claiming
victories he never won. The stele asserts that Nabonidus claimed triumphs that were either not his or never occurred. He
would also claim to see visions and those would provide him with access to
secret, esoteric knowledge. Such knowledge led him to lecture the priests on
holy matters and rituals. He was branded
as a heretic.
This raises the
possibility that Nabonidus did not necessarily go into exile completely of his
own volition. He may have been under considerable pressure to do so by the
nobility, facing mass discontent from the general population and the specter of
possible internal, civil violence. He was at direct odds with the established
priesthood in the service of Marduk. The ancient record does indicate that he was not very well liked.
Moreover, the exile in Arabia seems to have exacerbated matters and pushed him
over the edge completely.
A more important
point is that for ten years, Belshazzar ran the empire pretty much on his own.
Much of the army and all of the administration were left in his hands, while
Nabonidus was driven away (according to Daniel) and preoccupied with
establishing control over Arabia. The fact that Nabonidus built an exact
replica of the royal palace of Babylon in Tayma, may well be that he did not
believe he could ever return or at least would be in exile for a very long
time, if not permanently.
It is quite likely
that Belshazzar did keep Nabonidus responsibly updated on what the situation in
Babylonia was, on a regular basis. Belshazzar had a great respect for
tradition, family and duty. Whether Nabonidus responded or not, or even cared
that much is another question, considering he had his own agenda and focus.
Cyrus II ascended
the throne of Persia, 3 years prior to Nabonidus’ ascension in Babylonia.
During the years Nabonidus was in Arabia, Cyrus was establishing his own
empire. He conquered Ionia, Asia Minor, Parthia, Sogdia, Bactria and part of
India. In response, Nabonidus raised troops in Syria and subsequently, invaded
Arabia.
According to the
Book of Daniel, it was the king’s conviction that his sanity was restored to
him in its entire splendor specifically for the glory of Babylonia. After
completely recovering his faculties, it says that at that juncture, Nabonidus
was sought out by the court and the nobility and that he was reestablished in
the kingdom with even more greatness. This would indicate that several crucial
realities were emerging as a result of his recovery. Upon regaining his sanity,
Nabonidus believed that he had been brought back to life and elevated to an
even higher level of competence and grandeur than he previously exhibited. With
this greater power, he felt that he was destined to expand the glory and power
of the empire.
At this point,
Nabonidus is contacted by the nobility who want to reestablish him in Babylon
and are willing to give the king substantial support. This does not mean that
all of the nobility was reaching out to Nabonidus. The biblical text refers to
“companions” and “nobles.” That presumably means close friends and supporters
of noble rank. The increasing success of Cyrus may have been the pivotal, if
not the most salient and pressing, reason for turning to the king, i.e. the
defense of the empire.
It is now that we
need to examine the position that Belshazzar was in, so as to understand the
dynamics of what actually transpired and how the Neo-Babylonian Empire was
brought to an end.
What is most
important to bear in mind, is that while the archeological and historic records
all blame Nabonidus with
causing economic ruin[xi],
social turmoil, injustice and heresy, no such complaints or allegations
were made throughout the 10 years that Belshazzar was effectively the ruler. It
seems fairly apparent that Nabonidus’ push to promote Sin as the prime deity of
Babylon and the empire caused very fundamental and practical ruptures within
the daily life of the people and the government. It was also a direct assault
on the power and prestige of the central priesthood that served Marduk.
The ardent desire of
Nebuchadnezzar (and his successors in all likelihood) was to model the
Neo-Babylonian Empire socially, politically and economically along the lines of
the laws, policies and culture of the early Babylonian dynasties. The focus was
on reviving all of the elements that had made Old Babylonia great in the more
distant past. This policy reflects a society that was very mindful of
tradition. The religion of Mesopotamia was astrologically based. So a large
function of the priesthood was to determine what the gods were planning to do,
what fate they were ordaining, so that
they knew how to proceed. That way, they could propitiate the gods and beg for
forgiveness if the gods were unfavorable or angry. Alternately, they could
offer praise and lavish offerings to the gods if they were well disposed.
By promoting Sin as
the central deity, not only was the divine order being massively disrupted,
much of practical life and society was directly affected by the commotion. Not
only were the temples the cultic centers, they were also the major economic and
financial centers. Nabonidus’
policies undermined the system, throwing much of the society and the economy
into deep uncertainty and subsequent chaos. This would appear to be the
cause of the distress and commotion that forced Nabonidus to flee or be exiled
to Arabia. It would also be the root conflict between Belshazzar and Nabonidus.
No one accuses
Belshazzar of ever being lawless, arrogant or of being a heretic. Nabonidus was
preoccupied by the subjugation of Arabia, while Belshazzar ran the governance
of the empire. Belshazzar
continued to operate as the sole ruler effectively during the years that Nabonidus lost his mind altogether.
We do not know
exactly at what point in time Nabonidus recovered from his debilitating
condition. We do know, however, that the New Year Festival[xii]was resumed
during the 17thyear of Nabonidus’ reign. This means it was at that time, the
last year of his reign, that Nabonidus returned to Babylon per se. Whether or
not he returned to Babylonia in general, earlier than his entrance into the
capital, is another question.
In psychological
terms, a person coming out of a coma, an emotional trauma or an emotional
breakdown often experiences personality and/or behavioral changes. Sometimes,
these changes manifest as the intensification of certain already active beliefs
and behaviors. At other times, the experience can activate latent or dormant
ones.
When Nabonidus
‘reclaimed’ his sanity, he had to have realized that Belshazzar had become the
sole ruler of the empire during this whole period of time, and easily have come
to the paranoid conclusion that Belshazzar had usurped the throne. His son, in
his mind, had become his biggest enemy. If he wished to regain the throne,
Nabonidus would need a strong ally and a covert plan of operation.
It would appear that
Nabonidus, upon returning, set about exercising his authority. This normally
would have had to be done gradually and discreetly. However, under the threat
of an imminent war with Persia, the process could be moved along much faster.
Under the urgency of these circumstances, it would also be easier to
marginalize Belshazzar. This could be reinforced by slandering Belshazzar to
his subordinates, spreading calculated falsehood about his son. In the ancient
records, Nabonidus was accused of lying as well as taking credit
for achievements that were not his. Slandering an opponent in order
to undermine his credibility and thus isolate him is a critical step in the
process of destroying him. It is all the more effective, if the statements are
coming from a clear authority figure, particularly, one that abuses his title
for self gain.
By this time, Cyrus
had extended his empire all the way to the Arabian Gulf and the two empires
were bordering each other. Cyrus crossed the Tigris River in 539 BC and
attacked the Babylonian forces at Opis. We have no direct information about who
the Babylonian commander was or what the casualty figures were. However, the
people of Opis and/or elements of the army revolted and it was Nabonidus who
quashed the rebellion. This would indicate that it was Nabonidus at the head of
the army. The sources report that the Persians massacred the Babylonian forces
and that the governor of Gutium (Assyria) with his forces changed sides and
defected to Cyrus.
This fiasco could be
understood in two different ways, either that Nabonidus was old and incompetent
at this juncture. After all, he was in his late 70’s and had recently recovered
from a major psychological breakdown in the not too distant past. The other
possibility is that Nabonidus was secretly working with Cyrus in order to regain
his throne. This is suggested by both Cyrus’ and Nabonidus’ cylinders
referencing each other in a manner that implies complicity[xiii]. In that case
the army at Opis, as well as the population, realized from Nabonidus’ behavior
that something was very seriously wrong and that the king was either
endangering their lives or betraying them. When they rebelled, he ruthlessly
cut them down. In this scenario, he would have also ordered the Assyrian forces
to defect. This would leave Babylonia highly, but not completely, vulnerable.
To prepare for the
takeover of Babylonia, there was already fierce psychological warfare being
waged by the Persians depicting Cyrus not as a conqueror, but as a liberator
and savior. He was heralded as a very wise, humane and enlightened ruler who
freed peoples from corruption, crisis and oppression and was actually
benevolent and merciful.
After the Battle of
Opis, Cyrus takes a circuitous route before he reaches the very important city
of Sippar, which he conquers without any resistance. After the surrender of the
city, Nabonidus, who was there at the time, exits and heads directly to Babylon
itself. Two factors are worth considering here. One is why was Nabonidus in
Sippar without an army? The second question would be; is it possible that it
was not the bulk of the Babylonian army that was defeated at Opis. Perhaps,
that is why Cyrus approached Sippar cautiously. However, if Nabonidus did have
a sizable army at hand, why would he avoid facing the Persians?
It is worth
seriously considering that in order to regain his throne from Belshazzar,
Nabonidus worked out an arrangement with
Cyrus to facilitate a takeover, in exchange for making the Babylonian empire an
ally of the Persians or for ruling Babylonia as a coregent in a united empire.
Both Cyrus’ and Nabonidus’ cylinder transcripts may infer as much.
Before going into
the fall of Babylon itself, it is important to discuss the significance of the
Jews, their position in the empire and their relationship to the court.
The status of the
Jews in the Neo-Babylonian Empire was very favorable as can be deduced from the
biblical material. In the first chapter of the Book of Daniel it states that
Nebuchadnezzar specifically took talented men from among the Judean captives
and had them trained in Aramaic, and in the literature and culture of
Babylonia. Then, he incorporated them
into the court as officials and administrators. When Meshach, Shadrach and
Abed-Nego survived the ordeal of the fiery furnace, the king made them
administrators of the province of Babylonia. For his service, Daniel was
appointed the prefect of all the wise men of Babylon and appointed governor of
the province.
In the Book of Ezra,
Chapter 1, it lists the names of the prominent men and their families that were
returning to Judea to resettle under Cyrus’s edict. The amount of wealth that
they carried with them was substantial, apart from the Holy Vessels of
Jerusalem and the monetary donations collected from the Jewish community. It is
stated that priests, prophets, heads of the clans and even Nehemiah, who Cyrus
appointed as governor of Judea, went. The Book of Ezra puts the number at over
42,000[xiv]. In accord with Biblical reckoning, this number in all probability
only includes the important families, not necessarily the ordinary people who
chose to return as well. One way or the other, in spite of the intense
emotional pull and the joy of being repatriated in their homeland, the number
of people returning by no means is anywhere near the total Jewish population.
The vast majority of the Jews in Babylonia chose to stay, which strongly
suggests that they had found a comfortable place in Babylonian society.
Their acceptance and
success may be the reason why on one hand, Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-Nego and
later, Daniel, are denounced by some nobles and why, on the other, that Darius
is so relieved and happy that Daniel survived the lions’ den. Daniel remained a
prominent figure from the time of Nebuchadnezzar until the ascension of Cyrus,
which means that he had to have had a similar relationship to Belshazzar. In
other words, the Jews remained valuable assets and loyal servants of the crown
throughout the existence of the empire.
In Mesopotamian
belief, an idol was not a statue. It was the god or goddess incarnate. The god
or goddess inhabited the image and operated from their temple to dwell amidst
people of the city, so as to watch over them and rule. When the hostilities
first started with the Persians, Nabonidus had the gods from many of important
cities removed from their sanctuaries[xv]and brought to Babylon. This would
frighten and demoralize the population, since in times of danger the people
looked to the gods for protection and solace. Nabonidus’ move rendered the
populous helpless and terrified. The gods had left them abandoned. In essence,
Nabonidus was holding the gods captive, thereby removing any aid and
protection.
According to
Herodotus, shortly after Nabonidus went into exile, the queen Nitocris (most
likely with Belshazzar’s help) built fortifications in defense of Babylonia.
Since Belshazzar was in constant communication with Nabonidus[xvi], it is
almost certain that he had a fair working knowledge of the whole system. That would mean Nabonidus was in
a position to provide Cyrus information vital for bypassing Babylon’s defenses
and taking the city by stealth and surprise. The Persians knew to dig canals to
divert the river water that ran under Babylon’s walls, so as to lower the water
level and allow troops into the city. Who fed them the schematics of the
defense system, if not Nabonidus?
This brings us to
the issue of the feast[xvii]taking place in the palace, the coup de grâce. With
the loss of a substantial part of the army during the battle of Opis and the
surrender of Sippar, the last step in the process of bringing down Belshazzar
and regaining control of the country was the capture of Babylon itself. With
knowledge of the empire’s defenses, the Persians could infiltrate the city.
However, it was not in Nabonidus’s interest to have his forces slaughtered, if his aim was to
effectively govern. They needed to be neutralized, not killed.
At the time of the
assault on Babylon, there was a great feast occurring in the palace. This feast
is stressed in the Book of Daniel and in the writings of Herodotus and
Xenophon. At such a time, this makes no sense whatsoever. During a major war
which threatens Babylonia’s empire, if not her independence, why have such a
huge feast at such an inappropriate time?
In the 5th chapter
of Daniel, it states that Belshazzar organized the feast and was present. It
also points out that the feast was attended by 1000 of his nobles. In other
words, a very large number of those present were supporters of Belshazzar, as
opposed to those nobles who were allied more directly to Nabonidus.
In Daniel, mention
is made that during the course of the feast, everyone got very drunk and that
not only were the nobles there, but so were their consorts and concubines.
Herodotus describes the feast as being filled with debauchery. Under these
circumstances, it is no wonder that Babylon fell without a struggle. It was not
because the population was looking to be liberated from traumatic conditions,
as Persian propaganda claimed. Rather, the “peaceful takeover” was due to the
fact that the city was invaded by stealth, while the nobles were conveniently
all gathered together in the same place. Drunk and exhausted, they were not in
any mental or physical shape to think clearly, let aside to fight.
Why the feast was
held at all is a matter of conjecture. However, a couple of logical
possibilities come to mind. Belshazzar was an effective and intelligent ruler.
It is not likely that he came up with this idea on his own. Ordinarily, having
a great feast at this time would not make sense, either logically or
militarily. The order to have such a lavish celebration had to have come from
elsewhere. That would be Nabonidus, who could act through his supporters at
court without being there himself. Nabonidus was in the country, though not in
Babylon proper. This would allow him to issue orders, marginalize Belshazzar
and set him up to take the fall.
The two strongest
possibilities for explaining why the feast was held when it was are; Nabonidus
ordered it on the pretext that he was returning to the capital and that
reconciliation was about to take place, or that word had been spread
deliberately that the Persians had suffered a massive defeat and a celebration
was in order.
This ‘celebration’
tactic would include Nabonidus demanding the sacred vessels from the Temple in
Jerusalem be used in the feast. The use of the sacred vessels is stressed in
Daniel and mentioned as a serious issue in both Herodotus and Xenophon. The
primary reason for such mention and emphasis is that this kind of action
constitutes an act of wanton and deliberate sacrilege.
Jeremiah had
prophesied at the time Jerusalem was destroyed, that the exile would be over in
70 years time. The Jewish community in Babylonia, as well as the government,
was very aware of this fact. Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus and even Darius the
Mede, had direct experiences with the God of the Jews and respected His power.
The Jews were
longing to go back to Judea, reestablish the homeland and to rebuild the Temple
in Jerusalem. Both, symbolically and practically, this meant that they would be
returning with the Temple vessels. However when some of the vessels were used
in the feast under Nabonidus’ order, they were defiled ritually and could
never, under biblical law, be used again in the Temple. The political message
that this transmitted was that the government, ostensibly under Belshazzar, had
no intention of ever repatriating the Jews to Judea.
The objective of
this move by Nabonidus was to drive a huge wedge between the Jews and
Belshazzar, thus depriving him of a strong base of support. The feast, then,
had a double-edged purpose. On one hand, it neutralized the nobles who
supported Belshazzar and turned them over to the Persians ‘without a struggle’
and also caused a tremendous breach between the Jews and Belshazzar.
In one fell swoop,
two of the central pillars upon which Belshazzar depended were torn away,
completely destroying his position and laying the blame for Babylon’s fall
squarely on his shoulders.
It is emphasized in
Cyrus’ cylinder material that Sippar and Babylon were taken without a fight.
Nabonidus was present in or around both locations at the time they ‘welcomed’
the Persians. It would seem that in all probability, Nabonidus pulled off the
same type of deceit and betrayal in Sippar as he did in Babylon. There was a
close relationship between what happened in both locales, probably because
there were close connections between the two cities. An indication of this is
the fact that when Nabonidus removed the gods from most of their sanctuaries
and brought them to Babylon, Sippar was one of the few cities that was
exempted.
Belshazzar seems to
ask for Daniel’s help. When Daniel was able to interpret the vision that
Belshazzar had at the feast, of the writing on the wall[xviii], the message
made known was that the kingdom was falling to Cyrus. The message states, “your
kingdom is divided” in present tense. It was not a prophecy of future events,
but rather a notice stating the current facts on the ground with its
premeditated intentions. Belshazzar’s knees knocked. He was terrified when
realizing the full truth of how he was manipulated and deceived, what his
father’s agenda really was and the extent of the betrayal.
Prior to
translation, he offers Daniel the position of third in the kingdom. This means
that Daniel was being invited to join a triumvirate. The first in line would be
Nabonidus, who regardless of all the treachery was still the lawful king.
Belshazzar would remain as second and Daniel would be the third in command.
With that constellation of power, tradition would be respected and upheld and
the combination of Belshazzar and Daniel working together would hold Nabonidus
in check. Belshazzar was hoping to reverse the unfolding situation
and save Babylon.
What he did not realize was that
it was already too late. Within hours, the nobility would be captured and he
himself would be killed. It is noteworthy that he is the only one that dies.
This would support the
assumption that Belshazzar was ultimately the target. He had to be overthrown
and eliminated because he effectively held the real power on the throne. It was
in the interest of both Nabonidus and Cyrus to have Belshazzar killed.
Nabonidus returns to
Babylon immediately after its fall, in anticipation of being placed on the
throne by Cyrus, only to be double-crossed. When Cyrus enters the city a couple
of weeks later, Nabonidus is arrested[xix]. Instead of killing him, Cyrus
rewards his assistance by making Nabonidus the governor of Carmenia in Persia
itself. This worked for Cyrus on two counts.
He was being
honorable enough by acknowledging Nabonidus’ enormous contribution in
facilitating the incorporation of the Babylonian Empire, and he was furthering
a wise political policy of treating conquered people humanely and
compassionately.
This policy was well
thought out and very effective politically. It established Cyrus’ reputation as
one of being a merciful ruler, not only deeply concerned about the welfare of
his own people, but also responsive to the needs and sensitivities of even
subject peoples. In the Bible, Cyrus is highly regarded and described as sent
by God to restore the Jews to their homeland. Even Herodotus saw Cyrus as the
model of a true ruler.
In addition, it
should be pointed out that this policy also had tremendous propaganda and
public relations value. It set forth the feeling that Cyrus was not a ruthless
enemy, rather that he was a man with a wide perspective and enlightened
viewpoint. He might even be considered a potential liberator from injustice,
oppression and chaos. Moreover, his policy of working to restore the fortunes
of conquered peoples, treating them with dignity and understanding went a long
way in co-opting subject peoples and creating a strong bond of loyalty.
Though Cyrus did not
punish and destroy former enemies, it seems that his deference to the
sensibilities and needs of captured peoples, the handling of matters with kid
gloves, though common, was not a universal policy. Cities and countries that
Cyrus was concerned about “courting” and co-opting, generally, were named
specifically in the records. These were usually peoples or places that were of
strategic and economic importance.
It is of interest
that one of the first things Cyrus did after capturing Babylon was to make an
edict allowing for the restoration of Judea[xx]. It is one thing to rebuild a
fallen city, to protect the rights of a subject people and to integrate them
into the empire. However, the Jews were already integrated, not only into
Babylonian society, but holding high ranks within the government itself as
well.
The intention here
of the edict was to reestablish a strong Jewish presence in Judea. Cyrus
allowed aristocracy, the heads of the clans, the priests and prophets as well
as officials and administrators to return. They were encouraged to solicit
contributions for the Temple’s rebuilding from all over the empire. When they
arrived in Judea, the families settled in their original towns. Obviously, the plan
was to rebuild and empower a strong Jewish presence in the province, in Judea,
which would be loyal to Persia. This would solidify Persia’s hold on the land
bridge between Asia and Africa. It both held Egypt in check and subsequently
opened the door for its eventual conquest.
Since Belshazzar was
well aware of the anticipation around the possible fulfillment of Jeremiah’s
prophecy, it is quite conceivable that in order to secure Babylonia’s future,
protect it from the Persians and the Egyptians and expand the empire,
Belshazzar was planning to utilize the Jews in very much the same way. Cyrus
being alerted of this by Nabonidus may explain why he attacked Babylonia when
he did. He may have felt that he had to preempt or face a stronger enemy in
Babylon.
The tragedy is that
Babylonia could have regained its former glory or possibly surpassed it under
an unencumbered reign of Belshazzar. Instead, the Neo-Babylonian Empire was
short-lived due to Nabonidus’ insanity, sabotage and betrayal. Rather,
Belshazzar, the king who could have laid the foundations for a resurgence of
Babylonian culture and influence was marginalized, slandered, and murdered.
This was one of the greatest moral tragedies to play out in the ancient world.
=====
Author: Rabbi Steven
Fisdel is the founder of the Center for Jewish Mystical Studies in Albany,
California. Rabbi Fisdel has firsthand experience with both the esoteric and
practical sides of Kabbalah, studying the original texts, clarifying the ideas
and subsequently teaching the traditional doctrines to people of all spiritual
backgrounds. Rabbi Fisdel served for 12 years in the congregational rabbinate
in California. He served as a core faculty member of Chochmat HaLev, a center
for Jewish meditation and spirituality, from its inception and was for many
years a visiting scholar at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. He is the author
of two books, “The Practice of Kabbalah” and “The Dead Sea Scrolls:
Understanding Their Spiritual Message.” He has written and produced two CD
sets, Meditations on the Tree of Life and The Katriel Deck: The Original
Kabbalist Tarot. His current work in progress is an in-depth explanation of the
fundamental principles of Kabbalist thought and practice.
Rabbi Fisdel
received his BA at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and both his BHL and MA
at Spertus College of Judaica in Chicago. He was trained and received rabbinic
ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish
Renewal movement.
Reference sources:
[i]Wikipedia Fall of
Babylon
[ii]Britannica Cyrus
The Great
[iii]Livius
Nabonidus
[iv]Britannica
Mesopotamia God Sin
[v]Wikivisually
Cylinders of Nabonidus translation
[vi]Livius Nabonidus
Cylinder from Sippar
[vii]Wikipedia Verse
account of Nabonidus
[viii]New
Encyclopedia Nabonidus (3rdparagraph ‘Reign’)
[ix]Creation.com
Belshazzar
[x]Ancient Origins
The Lost Years of Nabonidus
[xi]Cambridge
University Press Neo-Babylonian Society and Economy (‘summary’ footnote) Also
note JSTOR’s ‘abstract’ citing Nabonidus additionally collapsing the Iron Age
polity of Edom
[xii]World History
Akitu – The Babylonian New Year Festival (second and last paragraphs)
[xiii]Cyrus Cylinder
translationand Nabonidus Cylinder translation
[xiv]Complete
History of the Holy Bible
[xv]Nabonidus The
Mad King Page 139
[xvi]Nabonidus and
Belshazzar – the Neo-Babylonian Empire by Raymond Philip Dougherty
[xvii]Bible.org
Belshazzar’s Feast
[xviii] Bible Gateway Writing on the Wall, Book of
Daniel
[xix]Encyclopedia
Nabonidus
[xx]My Jewish
Learning Palestine Under Persian Rule
