Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-07-20
Testimony IN favor of the Bible.

TO overthrow tnclI CIculbiiley, tuO Su"' "
of inaccuracies in their historical state
ments is one of the latest that have been
resorted to- Any apparent disagreement
between sacred and profane history has
been at once seized upon, and converted
into an argument against the divine au-
thority of the Bible.
1t is certainly just occasion for
thankfuness to God, on the part of all
who believe the sacred volume to be an
inspired and true record Of the events of
which it treats, to learn that the dlscove-
ries of modern science are constantly
contributing to the evidence OF histo-
rical trnth and accuracy OF that vol
ume.
The following is an interesting instance
of confirmation Of the scrlptural record,
in point upon which inaccuracy has
been charged on the sacred historian. 1t
is claimed that, in the account by Daniel
of the fall of Babylon, the statement that
Belshazzar, who was then oVerthrown,
was the last king, is utterly irreconcla-
bic with undoubted facts stated in pro-
fame history. On this topic, we quote q
passage from "Rawlinson Historical
Evidence ''in which the light Of modern
research and discovery is made to con-
tribute to its calculation Tile World
"Of the son Of Neriglissar who was a
mere child and reigned but few months,
scripture certainy contains no trace
Whether his successor, the last native
king of the Canon, whose name is there
given as Nabonadius, and who appears
elsewhere as Nabannidochus, Nabonne-
dus, or Labynetus, s,-whethe this mon
arch has place in the scriptural nara
tive or not, has been matter of dispute
among the learned. That there is no
name in the least resembling NabonadiuS
in The Bible, is granted. But it has
been by many supposed that this prince
must he Identical with Daniels Belshaz'
zar-the last native ruler mentioned in
scripture.
"The great diversity, however, of the
two names coupled with the fact that i'll
every other case of Semitic monarch
whether Assyrian or Babylonian, the He
brew representative is new expression
of the vernacular term, has always made
this theory unsatisfactory; and rational
lists, finding no better explanation than
this of the acknowledged difficulty, have
been emboldened to declare that Daniels
account Of BelshazZar is a pure lnYen-
ton of his own, that it "contradlcts" Be
rosus, and is an unnstakable indication
of the unhistorcal character which at
taches to the entire narrative.
1T was difficult to meet the arguments
Of these objectors in former times. Not
only could they point to the want of con-
6rmaton, by any profane writer's, of the
name Belshazzar, but they could urge
further contradictions" Berosus, they
could say, made the last Babylonian
monarch absent from the city at the time
of its capture by the Persians. He spoke
of him as taken prisoner afterwards at
Borsippa, and as then not slain, but trea-
ted with much kindness by Cyrus. Thus
the two narratives Of the fall of Babylon
appeared to be wholly irreconcilable, and
some were driven to suppose Two falls of
Babylon, to escape the seemingly contra
rietY
"But out of all this confusion and I'M
certainty, very small and simple dis
covery, made q very few years since, has
educed order and harmony in q very re-
markable way. 1t is found that Nabona-
dius, the last king Of the Canon, associat-
ed with him on the throne during the later
years OF his reign his son bsL-shar-us"r,
and allowed him the royal title.
There can be little doubt that it was
this prince who conducted the defense OF
Babylon, aud was slain in the massacre
which followed upon its capture; while
his father, who was at the time in bor-
Sippa, surrendered, and experienced the
clemency which was generally shown to
fallen kings by the Persians.
If it be still objected that Belshazzar
is, in scripture, hot the son Of Nabona-
diuS, but Of Nebuchadnezzar, and Of the
Nebuchadnezzar who carried of the sa-
cred vessels from Babylon, ii is enough
to reply, first. that the word "son" is
used in scripture not only in IFS proper
sense, but also as equivalent to "grand-
son, or indeed any descendant; and sec
ondIy, that BcLSho1-m4ur (or BeIshazzar)
may have been the Issue of this marriage;
a usurper in the government. b. aa alll-
ance with some princess Of the house, or
branch, whica he dispossessed."
WEALTH OF CrBAN FuRESTs.--The veal tn
of the Cuban forest in woods suitable for the
cabinct-makpr aud .ioiaar, the carpenter and
whaelrght a. we'll as dye and tan woods.