Nabonidus

Nabonidus came to the throne of Babylon through a conspiracy, according to the Babylonian historian Berossus, and reigned seventeen years (Josephus, Against Apion 1.149–153). For much of that time he lived at Tayma in Arabia while the crown prince, Belshazzar, stayed in Babylonia with the army (Nabonidus Chronicle ii.5–25; iii.12–16). A hostile poem written after his fall says that he entrusted the kingship to his eldest son when he left (Verse Account of Nabonidus ii.5–7), and the inscription of Cyrus the Great accuses him of neglecting Marduk, the city’s god (Cyrus Cylinder lines 3–8, 17). In 539 BC his army was beaten at Opis; he fled and was captured (Nabonidus Chronicle ii.5–25; iii.12–16). Berossus says that Cyrus sent him to live in Carmania (Josephus, Against Apion 1.149–153).

The Bible does not mention him. A Jewish text found at Qumran tells of his seven-year affliction at Tayma and of a Jewish exorcist who pardoned his sins, a story close to the one that Daniel 4 tells of Nebuchadnezzar (Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242) lines 1–8).