Belshazzar

American  

[bel-shaz-er] / bɛlˈʃæz ər /

noun

1. a prince of Babylon, son of Nabonidus and co-regent with him, referred to in the Bible as a king of Babylon and son of Nebuchadnezzar.

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Belshazzar British  

/ bɛlˈʃæzə /

noun

1. 6th century _bc , the son of Nabonidus, coregent of Babylon with his father for eight years: referred to as king and son of Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament (Daniel 5:1, 17; 8:1); described as having received a divine message of doom written on a wall at a banquet ( Belshazzar's Feast )

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Etymology

Origin of Belshazzar

From Hebrew Belshaṣṣar, from Akkadian Bēl-shar-uṣur “may Bel guard the king”

Example Sentences

The passage was about King Belshazzar of ancient Babylon, who was feasting when mysterious fingers of a hand wrote on the wall of his imminent destruction.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2022

Another Maius illumination shows the Babylonian ruler Belshazzar, despised as a tyrant in Jewish tradition, feasting in a Muslim-style palace.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2022

Step back into the distant past with this musical play about Daniel’s confrontation of Belshazzar — composed eight centuries ago in Beauvais, France, and now staged by early-music authority Anne Azéma.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2019

The tenor James Ruff brought a virile voice and dignity to the role of Daniel, held captive by King Belshazzar, here the stentorian bass-baritone Peter Walker.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2014

Belshazzar was but a blur beside the door-way, and Ramûa, when he returned to her, seemed a trifle less beautiful than usual.

From Istar of Babylon A Phantasy by Potter, Margaret Horton