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<TR><TD VALIGN="top">'''succeeded by'''</TD><TD VALIGN="top">Darius the Mede (=Cyaxares II)</TD></TR>

<TR><TD VALIGN="top">'''succeeded by'''</TD><TD VALIGN="top">Darius the Mede (=Cyaxares II)</TD></TR>

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'''Belshazzar''', (Greek: Βαλτασάρ, Baltasár, Aramaic בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר, from Akkadian: 𒂗𒈗𒋀, Bēl-šar-uṣur, meaning "[[Bel]] protect the king"), oldest son of [[Nabonidus]], was named as co-regent by his father Nabonidus (556-539 BC) in Nabonidus's third year, 553 BC.<ref>Pritchard, ''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', 313b.</ref><ref>''Verse Account'' ii.5.</ref> He reigned in Babylon while his father spent his time in the Arabian desert worshipping the moon-god Sin, and/or possibly subjugating the Arab tribes. Belshazzar's reign, and his life, came to an end when he was killed on the night that Babylon fell to the combined armies of the Medes and Persians and their allies under the command of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]].<ref>Daniel 5:30</ref><ref>Xenophon, ''Cyropaedia'' 7.5.30.</ref> The Nabonidus Chronicle dates the end of the Neo-Bablyonian Empire, and thus the death of Belshazzar, to the 16th of Tashritu/Tishri, i.e. October 12, 539 BC.<ref>Pritchard,''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', p. 306b.</ref><ref>''Nabonidus Chronicle'' iii.5.</ref>  

'''Belshazzar''', (Greek: Βαλτασάρ, Baltasár, Aramaic בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר, from Akkadian: 𒂗𒈗𒋀, Bēl-šar-uṣur, meaning "[[Bel]] protect the king"), oldest son of [[Nabonidus]], was named as co-regent by his father Nabonidus (556-539 BC) in Nabonidus's third year, 553 BC.<ref>Pritchard, ''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', 313b.</ref><ref>''Verse Account'' ii.5.</ref> He reigned in [[Babylon]] while his father spent his time in the Arabian desert worshipping the moon-god Sin, and/or possibly subjugating the Arab tribes. Belshazzar's reign, and his life, came to an end when he was killed on the night that Babylon fell to the combined armies of the Medes and Persians and their allies under the command of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]].<ref>Daniel 5:30</ref><ref>Xenophon, ''Cyropaedia'' 7.5.30.</ref> The Nabonidus Chronicle dates the end of the Neo-Bablyonian Empire, and thus the death of Belshazzar, to the 16th of Tashritu/Tishri, i.e. October 12, 539 BC.<ref>Pritchard,''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', p. 306b.</ref><ref>''Nabonidus Chronicle'' iii.5.</ref>  

According to the ''Verse Account of Nabonidus'', [[Nabonidus]] allocated the government of the city of Babylon to Belshazzar for 10 years, giving him the kingship over the city, while he dwelt at the Arabian oasis of Tema (possibly in an effort to control lucrative Arabian trade routes).<ref>Verse Account, ii.5; Pritchard, ''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', 313b.</ref> This means that the people, government and army officials saw Belshazzar more than Nabonidus. Likewise the Nabonidus Chronicle states that [[Nabonidus]] fled from the area of Babylon before the city fell to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus's]] forces.

According to the ''Verse Account of Nabonidus'', [[Nabonidus]] allocated the government of the city of Babylon to Belshazzar for 10 years, giving him the kingship over the city, while he dwelt at the Arabian oasis of Tema (possibly in an effort to control lucrative Arabian trade routes).<ref>Verse Account, ii.5; Pritchard, ''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', 313b.</ref> This means that the people, government and army officials saw Belshazzar more than Nabonidus. Likewise the Nabonidus Chronicle states that [[Nabonidus]] fled from the area of Babylon before the city fell to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus's]] forces.