The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-01


tern side of the river stood the
largest royal palace, nearly seven miles
in circumference, and enclosed by three
lofty walls with prodigious towers. The
strength and resources of this vast city
were of the highest order Two walls,
an outer and inner, completely sur
rounded it. having a Thickness Of about
eighly-dve feet, and the height Of
over 800 feet, outside of which
was a wide and deep ditch lined with
brick and flied with water In the
walls were a hundred gates made OF
solid brass. and Of prodigious strength
and sizs. Upon the walls were $50
watchtuwer5. At ths points where the
river entered and loft the city were
ponderous water gates, which were
closely guarded and kept closed at
night.
CONFIDENT OF RESTORATION.
The Jewish captives had their own
local rulers or governors-their roll
cious chief-lnd gave music and song
to the feasts of their heathen captor5,
living in the midst Of whom as ma
ton they We're cured of their idolatry,
and brought nearer than ever to the
true God. They believed in the pres
ence and appearances o. angels, and as
the years of their captivity came TO a
close were confident of restoration to
their native land.
AT this time Cyrus, king Of Persia,
had been for years Cesiegiug Babylon
with no immediate prospect Of success.
Eabonidas was king of Babylon, but
with bis army, had left the city to fight
the Persians, placing his impetuous
and riotous son. Beisba2zar, on the
throne, with Nilocris. the queen
mother. as co-regent in his absence.
The tim9 for the great annual festi-
val in honor of the Babyloninn deitiss
had come, and BelshazSar had deter
mined to give feast surprising every
thing that had gone before, as if in
tnocEery Of the Medes and Persians.
"yhom came as the ministers of God
whom he would not serve" lie
gathered "a thousand of his lords. "
and brought in his wives and cOncu-
bines. "They drank toasts of snthusi'
astic patriotism, sang songs of bound-
less loyalty. and shouted dehancs to
every foe. The high noon Of the feast
came All hearts were bounding, all
snirits ioyous." The king descended
from his throne, drank in the most
public manner, and then impiou'iy
called for the holy vassels robbed from
the temple at Jerusalem by his grand
father. Nebuchadne2Sar Thi5 sacrilege
WIS regarded as the worst OF crimes;
bnt ipfamed by wine the king would
not be restrained. Then, over against
the seven-branched candlostick from
the temple, appeared the fingers OF
mysterious hand that wrote strange
words upon the wall which none could
read.
RESULT OF THE WRITING.
The revelry was hushed. "Tne cur
fell from tho kings nand. His knees
smote together His glaring eyeoalls
are fixed on the wall before him, as be-
holding some horror from which tney
could not turn away. A thrill OF terror
pierces through every soul, and shriok'
Of alarm are mingled with cries tc
Baal, and the king loudly commands
that the Astrologers, or Magi, bt
brought to read the writing. The
Magi, OF whom Daniel was once made
chief, "wers counssllors of the SOW
eiEn, administrators of justice. ant
educators Of the heir apparent to th'
throne
"None could occupy the throne wht
were not 80 trained by the Masi. L
was the proper name for priests among
the Persians. They worsbipped fire
and water. Baal was their God Their
priests were conver5mt with the Sc
crets Of nature, spirits, genii, ant
angels" Such were the men whom
the king summoned. They came bu
we're dumb.
REWARD GIVEN TO DANIEL
Daniel, formerly high at court unde
| Nebuchadnezzar, in the new regime
had gone into obscuritY, perhaps shar
ing The bitter fate of his despissd ant
persecuted fellow exiles. watching ant
waiting for the day when the Lort
should have mercy on his people ant
restore Israel to the land Of thei
fathers. IL was over thirty years sine
Daniel had stood before Nebuch adnez
zar. He was now 90 years old, and 81
long had been his obscurity that Bel
shazzar had forgotten him; but tn
virtuous and regal Nitocris remember
him and suggests that he DO called. IL
camo and declared the hidden meaning
to be that tho king il weighed in TN
balance and found wanting, and tha
! the kingdom Is divided and given I
the Medes and Persians The promise'
reward is at once given to Daniel, VIII
was made third ruler Of the kingdom
which was tho highest Office in Bel
shazzar's gift, he himself being secon
ruler
| While this was transpiring at tn
palace ZerubDabel had found his wa
TO the camp of Cyrus; between whom
the opinion is ventured that q secre
and serviceable league existed, an
Cyrus was thus kept informod OF al
that paseed in the city Acting by tn
command OF God, through an angs
and by the advice of Z'rubbabel, Cyru