The story of Belshazzar's feast occupies the entire fifth chapter of the Book of Daniel. The problem is, Belshazzar and his court dont praise Yahweh/God, but their old Babylonian gods, gods of gold and riches and the materials out of which their city is made: 5:4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. & Feet of Iron/Clay. The allusion to the prince in the "Annals of Nabonidus" shows plainly that he remained with the army in northern Babylonia, most probably in the capacity of commander-in-chief, while his father was living in Tema apparently free from the cares of government and applying himself to his favorite study of religious archeology. Finally, the statement that Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar shows conclusively that the historical data of the Biblical author were at fault. Nabodinus appears to have let his son do most of the ruling of the kingdom while Nabodinus himself focused on other things, so Belshazzar was a kind of de facto ruler, but never officially king. The Story in Paintings: Belshazzar's Feast - The Eclectic Light Company It is actually repeated in the "handwriting on the wall" that God wrote for this wicked king and interpreted through His prophet Daniel. At the instance of the queen (i.e., his mother) Daniel was brought in, and he interpreted the writing. We must not be surprised at the incongruity between the historical inscriptions and the Book of Daniel in this instance, but should rather note the very evident points of agreement: first, that while the Belshazzar of Daniel is represented as being the last king, the original of the traditionwhose name is etymologically equivalent to "Belshazzar"was actually the son of the last king; and secondly, that the son of Nabonidus probably met his death at the time of the capture of Babylon, as has recently been established (compare Prince, ib. In another book, the Book of Daniel, the fall of Babylon was already prophesized during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. This was a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk, the patron god of Babylon. In the last verse we are told that Belshazzar was slain in that same night, and that his power passed to Darius the Mede. The conquest of Babylon by the Achaemenid Empire, led by Cyrus the Great , marked the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire Alexander the Great's achievements make him one of the most exceptional figures in history.