instance of the queen (i.e., his mother) Daniel was brought in, and he
interpreted the writing. That night the kingdom of the Chaldeans came to
an end, and the king was slain (Daniel 5:30). (See NERGAL-SHAREZER.)
The absence of the name of Belshazzar on the monuments was long
regarded as an argument against the genuineness of the Book of Daniel. In
1854 Sir Henry Rawlinson found an inscription of Nabonidus which
referred to his eldest son. Quite recently, however, the side of a ravine
undermined by heavy rains fell at Hillah, a suburb of Babylon. A number
of huge, coarse earthenware vases were laid bare. These were filled with
tablets, the receipts and contracts of a firm of Babylonian bankers, which
showed that Belshazzar had a household, with secretaries and stewards.
One was dated in the third year of the king Marduk-sar-uzur. As
Marduk-sar-uzar was another name for Baal, this Marduk-sar-uzur was
found to be the Belshazzar of Scripture. In one of these contract tablets,
dated in the July after the defeat of the army of Nabonidus, we find him
paying tithes for his sister to the temple of the sun-God at Sippara.
- BELTESHAZZAR Beltis protect the king!, the Chaldee name given to
Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:7). - BENAIAH built up by Jehovah. (1.) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest (1
Chronicles 27:5). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites
and Pelethites (2 Samuel 8:18; 1 Kings 1:32; 1 Chronicles 18:17). His
exploits are enumerated in 2 Samuel 23:20, 21, 22; 1 Chronicles 11:22. He
remained faithful to Solomon (1 Kings 1:8, 10, 26), by whom he was raised
to the rank of commander-in-chief (1 Kings 2:25, 29, 30, 34, 35; 4:4).
(2.) 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:31.
(3.) A musical Levite (1 Chronicles 15:18, 20).
(4.) A priest (1 Chronicles 15:24; 16:6).
(5.) The son of Jeiel (2 Chronicles 20:14).