The Nabonidus Cylinder from Ur
Issued in the name of NabonidusReign of Nabonidus, 556–539 BC
A clay foundation cylinder in which Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, records his repair of the temple tower of the moon god at Ur. It ends with a prayer for himself and for Belshazzar, his eldest son.
See the object at britishmuseum.org ↗English translation (Livius) ↗
Clay cylinders bearing this text were found at Ur, where Nabonidus restored the temple tower of the moon god Sin. The inscription describes the work and closes with a prayer that the god keep the king from sin and put reverence into the heart of “Belshazzar, the eldest son”.
It is a contemporary document from Belshazzar’s own lifetime. It shows that the Belshazzar of Daniel 5 was a real person and the eldest son of Nabonidus. It does not call him king.
Cited in
- about 605 BC to 536 BC, traditional date
- 12 October 539 BC, firm date