the last king of Babylon, generally supposed to be the son of Evil-merodach, and grandson to the great Nebuchadnezzar.—During the time that Babylon was besieged by Cyrus, Belshazzar made an entertainment for a thousand of his most eminent courtiers (Dan. v. 1, &c.); and being heated with wine, ordered that the vessels of gold and silver which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem might be brought to the banquetting-house, that he and his princes, together with his wives and concubines, might drink out of them, which accordingly was done; and to add to their profaneness, in the midst of their cups, they sang songs in praise of their several idols. But it was not long before a damp was put to the king's mirth, by an hand appearing upon the wall, which in three words wrote the sentence of his condemnation. The king saw the hand that wrote; and, being exceedingly affrighted, commanded all his wife men, magicians, and astrologers, to be immediately called, that they might read the writing, and explain its meaning. When they came, the king promised, that whoever should expound this writing should be made the third person of his kingdom in place and power. But the Magi could comprehend nothing of this writing; which increased the disorder and uneasiness that the king was in, together with his whole court; whereupon, at the instance of the queen-mother, Daniel was sent for. The king made him the same offer of honours and presents that he had done to his own magicians if he would explain the writing. Daniel modestly refused those offers; but having undertaken to perform what he required of him, he first reproved the king with great freedom for his ingratitude to God, who had advanced him to the rank of a sovereign, and for the profanation of the vessels which were consecrated to his service; and then proceeded to the interpretation of the words, which were these, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Mene, says he, which signifies number, intimates, that the days both of your life and reign are numbered, or that you have but a short time to live; Tekel, which signifies weight, intimates, that you have been weighed in the balance of God's justice, and found too light; and Upharsin (or Peres, as Daniel has it, and means the same thing), which signifies a fragment, intimates, that your kingdom shall be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Which accordingly came to pass: for that very night, in the midst of their feasting and revelling, the city was taken by surprise, Belshazzar slain, and the kingdom transferred to Cyaxares, whom the Scripture calls Darius the Mede. See Babylon.