[[Dan-05]] Prev: [[Prophecies in Dan-04]] | Next: [[Prophecies in Dan-06]] --- ### But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: Daniel recounts the historical fulfillment of the prophecy concerning King Nebuchadnezzar, who was humbled by God, lost his mind and throne, and lived as an animal until acknowledging divine sovereignty. *Historical context*: This refers to the events detailed in [[Dan|Daniel 4]]. While specific extra-biblical records of Nebuchadnezzar's madness are limited, the 'Prayer of Nabonidus' found among the Dead Sea Scrolls describes a similar affliction of a Babylonian king. The transition of power and the eventual restoration of the king align with the biblical narrative's depiction of the Neo-Babylonian period. *Related to*: [[Dan-04#v24|Daniel 4:24]]-33 ### MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end. TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting. PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. *Type*: prophecy *Summary*: Daniel interprets the supernatural handwriting on the wall, predicting the immediate downfall of Belshazzar's reign and the transfer of the Babylonian Empire to the Medo-Persian alliance. *Historical context*: The fall of Babylon occurred on [[Oct|October 12]], 539 BCE. Archaeological evidence, such as the Nabonidus Cylinder and the Nabonidus Chronicle, confirms that Belshazzar was the son and co-regent of Nabonidus, explaining why he offered Daniel the 'third ruler' position. Historians like Herodotus and Xenophon record that the city was taken by the Persians under Cyrus the Great in a single night after they diverted the Euphrates River. *Related to*: ### In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: The Babylonian empire falls and its king is killed on the very night of the prophecy, with control passing to the Medo-Persians. *Historical context*: Historical records from the Nabonidus Chronicle confirm that Babylon fell to the forces of Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE. The text mentions Darius the Mede; while his specific secular identity is a subject of scholarly debate (with candidates including the general Gubaru or a throne name for Cyrus), the geopolitical shift from the Babylonian to the Medo-Persian empire is a major historical milestone. This event also fulfills the broader 'four kingdoms' prophecy established in [[Dan|Daniel 2]]. *Related to*: [[Dan-05#v26|Daniel 5:26]]-28; [[Dan-02#v32|Daniel 2:32]], 39 --- #ai_prophecy