Tag: Writing on the Wall

In Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel, Belshazzar plays a significant role in the tale of Belshazzar’s feast, a variation on the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness showing what happens when a gentile king does not repent. During a feast, Babylonians eat and drink from the holy vessels of Yahweh’s temple, and “king” Belshazzar sees a hand writing the words mene, mene, tekel, upharsin on a wall. Daniel interprets the writing as a judgment from Yahweh, the god of Israel, foretelling the fall of Babylon. Daniel tells Belshazzar that because he has not given honor to God, his kingdom will be given to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar is killed that night, and Darius the Mede takes the kingdom.

This notebooking resource has been designed for students to write about, give a report of, and comment on chapter 5 of the book of Daniel.