Cyrus takes Babylon: Daniel & Prayer of Nabonidus
Chronicle of Nabonidus
Verse account of Nabonidus
Daniel
Prayer of Nabonidus
Cyrus Cylinder
Second Isaiah
Ezra
Herodotus
Daniel
The final redaction of the biblical book of Daniel (called after a Jewish sage at the court of Belshazzar, i.e. Nabonidus' crown prince Bêlsharusur) took place in the second century BCE, but it contains some older elements. Probably, no less than four authors have contributed to the text. The resulting text can not be taken as history. Too many elements are too incredible (e.g., about every personal name is wrong).However, chapter four contains a bit of information that is corroborated by a text known as the Prayer of Nabonidus. According to Daniel's story, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar suffers from a mental illness, and lives isolated for seven years, until he acknowledges the power of the one God. From cuneiform texts, nothing is known about Nebuchadnezzar's mental health. The original story must have centered on another royal patient: Nabonidus, about whom rumors like this did circulate (see the Verse account). Moreover, several details return in the Prayer, where Nabonidus is the sad hero: the period of seven years, the isolation, the ultimate recognition of the power of the supreme God. Since the authors of Daniel consistently avoid mentioning Nabonidus, it is likely that one of them is responsible for the change of names.
This means that two elements of the Verse account are corroborated: the madness of Nabonidus and his monotheistic attitude. Stated differently, we have two sources for the accusations - a Babylonian poem full of insults and a Jewish story.
(Not all editions of this text use the same numbering. There is a change of perspective in lines 33/34.)
(4.29) At
the end of the twelve months Nebuchadnezzar
was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.
(4.30) The king spoke, saying, 'Is not this great Babylon,
that I
have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of
my majesty?'
(4.31) While the
word was still in the
king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it
is spoken: "The kingdom has departed from you!" (4.32) And
they shall
drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the
field.
They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven years shall pass
over
you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and
gives it to whomever He chooses.'
(4.33) That very
hour the word was fulfilled
concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like
oxen;
his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like
eagles'
feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
(4.34) And
at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I
blessed
the Most High and praised and honored Him Who lives forever: for His
dominion
is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to
generation.
(4.35 ) All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He
does
according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants
of
the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You
done?'
(4.36) At the same
time my reason returned
to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned
to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my
kingdom,
and excellent majesty was added to me. (4.37) Now I,
Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are
truth,
and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put
down.
Prayer of Nabonidus
This Aramaic text belongs to the famous Dead Sea scrolls: four scraps of parchment from Cave 4, usually called 4Q242, copied from an older original in the second half of the first century BCE. The story is similar to the preceding one: a king of Babylon is ill, lives isolated for seven years and becomes convinced of the truth of the monotheistic creed.There must have circulated a Jewish story about the mad king Nabonidus who went to Temâ to recover his wits, and recognized the supreme God. Two people reworked this original: one of the authors of Daniel changed the name of the monarch, the author of the Prayer changed the illness (to make the story fit Leviticus 13?). The reconstructed story independently confirms two points made by the author of the Verse account: Nabonidus suffered from a mental disease and insulted the Babylonian clergy by his monotheistic ideas . This does not prove that Nabonidus was mad, but it makes it extremely plausible that the accusation was very old.
Words of the prayer, said by Nabonidus, king of
Babylonia,
[the great] king, [when afflicted] with an ulcer on command of the most
high God in Temâ:
[ 'I, Nabonidus,] was afflicted [with an
evil ulcer]
for seven years, and far from [men] I [was driven, until I prayed to
the most high God.] And an exorcist pardoned my sins. He was a Jew from
[among the children of the exile of Judah, and said:] "Recount this in
writing to glorify and exalt the name of [the most high God." Then I
wrote this:] "When I was afflicted for seven years [by the most high
God] with an evil ulcer during my stay at Temâ, I prayed [to]
the
gods of silver and gold, [bronze and iron,] wood, stone and lime,
because [I thought and considered] them gods [..."']
[the end is missing]
(It is interesting to notice that the line 'have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone' returns in Daniel, just twenty-two lines below the story of the madness of Nebuchadnezzar.)