Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-05-24
Historical Sketch of "Belshazzar."

The events that occurred at the close of
BelshaZZar'S brief reign in the year 538 B. c..
are as instructive and impressive as can be
found in the whole range of Bible history.
These events form the subject of our story
and at this time the Jews had been in captiv-
ity seventy years.
Babylon formed the capital Of the Babylon
ian Empire. Its origin was so remote that
history cannot fix the date. 1t was built in
the form of a square, measuring about fifty
six miles in circumference, and contained
1000 600 inhabitants, whose homes were scat
tered over this vast space like a collection Of
villas within general walls. Upon the walls
were. 25O watch-toWers At the:ponts where
the river entered and left the city were pom
derous water gates, which were closely guard
ed and kept closed at night.
the Jewish captives had their own local
rulers, or gOvernOrS-ther religious chiefs
and gave music and song to the feasts Of
their heather captOrS.
At this time Cyrus, king Of Persia, had been
for years besieging Babylon with no imme
diate prospect of success.
The time for the great annual festival in
honor Of the BabylOnian deities had come,
and BelshazZar had determined to give
feast surprising everything that had gone
before, as it in mOckery Of the Medes and
Persians, who came as the ministers of a
God whom he would not Serve.' The high
noon of the feast came. All hearts were
bounding, all spirits joyous. The king de-
scended from his throne, drank in the most
public manner, and then impiOuSly called for
the holy vessels robbed from the temple of
Jerusalem by his grandfather, Nebuchadnez-
Zar. This Sacrilege was regarded as the worst
of crimes; but inf1amed by wine the king
would not be restrained. Then, over against
the seVen-branched candlestick from the
temple, appeared the fingers of mysterious
hand that wrote strange words upon the wall
which none could read.
The revelry was hushed. 1.-THE cup fell
from the kings hand. His knees smOte to-
gether. His glaring eyeballs are fixed on the
wall before him, as behOlding some horror
from which they could not turn away. A
thrill of terror passes through every soul,
and shrieks of alarm are mingled with cries
to Baal and the king loudly commands that
the AstrolOgers, or Magi, be brought to read
the writing. The Magi, of whom Daniel was
once made chief. were counsellors of the
sovereign, administrators of Justice, and edu-
Gators of the heir apparent to the throne
None could occupy the throne who were not
SO trained by the Magi. 1t was the proper
| name for priests among the PersiGns. They
wOrshipped fire and water. Baal was their
God. Their priests were cOnversant with the
secrets of nature, spirits, genii, and angels %
Such were the men whom the king summon
| ed They came but were dumb.
! Daniel, formerly high at court under Nebu-
chadnezzar, in the new regime had gone into
obscurity, perhaps sharing the bitter fate Of
] his despised and prosecuted fellow exiles
watching and waiting for the day when the
Lord should have mercy on his people and
! He came and declared the hidden meaning to
| be that the king is weighed in the balance
and found wanting, and that the kingdom is
divided and given to the Modes and Persians.
While this was transpiring at the palace
Zerubbabel had fonnd his way to the camp of
| Cyrus; between whom the opinion is ventur-
| ed that q secret and serViceable league exist
ed. and Gyms was thus kept informed of all
that passed in the city. Acting by the COM
mand of God through an angel, and by the
advice of Zerubbabel, Cyrus marched into
the city by the way of the river gates, burst
into the palace with a band of Persians and
slew BelshaZZar on the scene of his impious
| reVelry.
Soon afterward, led by Zerubbabel, the
Jews returned to their own land, by com
Inand of Cyrus, and Babylon finally fell into
| such complete decay that scarce trace of it
] remains.