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Exilic · c. 555 BCE
Nabonidus Cylinder
Cuneiform cylinder mentioning Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus.
Date
c. 555 BCE
Culture
Neo-Babylonian
Material
Baked clay
Dimensions
22 cm long
Found at
Ur (Mugheir), Iraq
Held by
British Museum, London
Discovered by
J. E. Taylor (1854)
cylindercuneiformbabylonianbelshazzar
Description
A clay cylinder from the temple of Sin at Ur, in which King Nabonidus (r. 556-539 BCE) prays for the well-being of his eldest son, Bel-shar-usur (Belshazzar).
Biblical significance
Before its discovery, critics ridiculed Daniel's reference to "King Belshazzar" (Daniel 5) since Nabonidus was Babylon's last king. The cylinder confirms Belshazzar's existence and his co-regency, which explains why Daniel is offered the "third" position (Daniel 5:16).
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