Hannah MacFarlane

© Hannah MacFarlane 2011First published 2011ISBN 978 1 84427 618 9

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Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see

For Anja, Charis and Becky

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Chapter Forty-three

Babylon

Raucous laughter filled the air in the palace courtyard.Belshazzar had exhausted the potential of his countlessnew estates. He had partied hard and enjoyed thecompany of the pre-eminent members of Babyloniansociety, but he felt his influence waning. People weretiring of the monotony. It seemed that even ultimateluxury to the point of decadence became tiresome overtime. Belshazzar’s notoriety was fading, slipping throughhis grasp, and he was becoming desperate. He had tomake this evening different. It had to be unforgettable.The palace was the only appropriate venue forsomething on this scale and Belshazzar was about tocause a scandal. He’d always loved a touch of drama – itwas just what was needed now. But Belshazzar hadn’tbargained for the dramatic turn of events this eveningwould provide.

Babylon’s best musicians played lively tunes. Thepace and dynamic was increasing as the evening woreon. Noblemen and officials danced and swaggered,putting aside all their usual decorum, and bellowed toair inane thoughts over the hubbub. The space wascrammed with bodies. There were more in attendance

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than at any previous event Belshazzar had hosted. Athousand nobles were present. A thousand wouldwitness Belshazzar’s premeditated spectacle. He wasback at the top and loving every moment. He tipped hiscup to his mouth and poured the wine in, allowing it tospill out of the sides of the cup and dribble down hischin. He wove his way through the crowd, smiling andlaughing jovially, receiving the admiration of the noblesfor the success of the entertainment, monitoring themood. As Belshazzar watched inhibitions drop,lewdness spread like an infection and all pretence ofcivilisation and politeness fade away, he could hardlycontain his excitement. Belshazzar was deliberatelybiding his time.

This was it, Belshazzar thought. The time wasperfect. The sun was low in the sky, the crowd were atthe peak of their wine-induced euphoria, and hecouldn’t wait another moment. He leapt onto theplatform at one end of the courtyard. The musiciansbroke off abruptly in the middle of an energetic melody,causing temporary confusion in the crowd. Belshazzarwaited. Eyes turned to him; chatter turned to hushedwhispering and faded until all that remained was theoccasional drunken giggle.

‘Let’s feast!’ Belshazzar signalled for his guests tomake their way to the interior of the palace where tableshad been prepared. Torches burned brightly in stands

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around the perimeter and lavish arrangements deckedthe walls. When everyone was seated, Belshazzar stoodat the head of the foremost table and raised his glass.

‘The vessels from which you will be drinking tonighthave been liberated. They have spent too long in darkand dingy storage and have not been put to proper use.’A cheer erupted, echoing from the walls. When therowdy applause had died down, Belshazzar continued ina stage whisper. ‘In confidence, these vessels are bestsuited for this purpose – the drinking of wine – but thatwas not their original one.’ He paused, allowing thequestion to form in the minds of his guests, building thesuspense and loving the attention. He leant forward. ‘Tome a sacred vessel – one that might be used in a temple– should be more… In Babylon, our gods receiveinfinitely better. Our craftsmen spare no detail, ourtreasury denies no price for the service of our gods.’Nods of agreement and national pride greeted thecrown prince in response to his words. ‘Hold your vesselin you hand. Look at it, closely. Is this sufficient? Is thisthe best?’ He paused again as many followed hisinstructions.

‘In Jerusalem, the answer was apparently “yes”!’ Ahush descended in the room. Every eye was fixed onBelshazzar and there was a discernible collective intakeof breath. ‘In Babylon, they will hold the wine andsatisfy the appetite of mortals. So drink!’ Belshazzar sat.

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There was a nervous pause as his words sank in and thenobility pondered whether this was some kind of trap.Did Belshazzar really expect them to do this? And thensomebody laughed and broke the tension and suddenlythe golden chalices from the Temple in Jerusalem werebeing raised and clinked and used as if it were perfectlynormal practice.

‘To Marduk, supreme ruler of the gods!’Another voice echoed, ‘And to Ishtar, may she grant

us love and fertility.’ A chorus of agreement erupted.‘May Baal cause the sun to rise in the morning, when

our feasting is over.’‘And we praise Shulpae for the feast!’The shouts were coming faster and louder.‘Ninatta, bring us more music.’The noblemen were working their way through the

gods of Babylon, who stood on ceremony around theroom. They’d begun with those fashioned from gold,adorning the front wall, the focal point, but they weremoving down through those made of silver, bronze andiron. Even the simplest, made from wood or stone, werenot overlooked. No god was excluded for fear ofincurring their wrath and spoiling the party. Thetoasting had become a game, and laughter accompaniedevery new suggestion.

‘To Siduri, we thank you for this excellent wine.’Belshazzar’s feast was under way. He smiled.

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As the co-regent ate the food that had been offered tothe gods in Babylon’s temples – the finest and best theearth could produce and a privilege enjoyed only byroyalty – the atmosphere changed. Belshazzar stoppedchewing. The room was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Helooked up from his plate. His guests had stopped eating.They were staring.What was wrong? His plan had goneso well. But now they looked worried. Fearful. His pulsequickened. He turned to see what held their attention.Belshazzar swallowed. He doubled over. He waschoking.The meat he’d forgotten to chew was lodged inhis throat. He could feel it there, like a huge boulder inthe tiniest stream. He coughed. He couldn’t breathe.His eyes were wide and his face was pale. He coughedagain. He felt a hand clap hard between his shoulderblades. Once. Twice. It was still there. And a third time.The meat leapt into the back of his mouth andBelshazzar expunged it onto the floor. He gasped forbreath. His throat felt odd – as if the lump were stillthere – but he could breathe again. He uncurled fromthe waist, raised his head and looked again. It was stillthere. He hadn’t imagined it. In front of the plaster wallof the palace, looming large, strangely disembodied,transparent and yet unmistakably clear, alive butotherworldly, hovered the back of a hand. Everyonecould see it. The hand was perfectly formed. Belshazzarglanced at the back of his own and then back again.The

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texture of its skin was real, lined and creased anddarkened by the sun. He stared. Swallowed. Felt himselfsweating. Its veins protruded as its fingers moved,curving round as if to hold something. What did thismean? What was it doing? Belshazzar stepped back andcollided with the table. Golden chalices tipped andspilled their contents. Wine ran to the floor in streams.He clutched the edge of the table for support. He wasshaking now.The hand moved up the wall.The suspensewas agonising. Uncertainty consumed Belshazzar andhe felt exposed. The hand continued moving. It driftedover the surface in smooth lines like the hand of acraftsman. It left its mark. Strange letters wereappearing. Belshazzar had seen something like thembefore – another language – but…

‘Is it the hand of Nabu? Is it a message from thegods?’ The voice shook, afraid of the words it spoke.Belshazzar felt his knees give way and braced his armsharder against the table to support his weight. Beads ofsweat gathered on his face. He shook.

The message was complete. Four words were writtenon the wall, in large, perfectly formed lettering. Thetorches burning in the stands beneath it illuminated thewords for all to see. But Belshazzar was perplexed. Hecould not read the words. And nobody was forthcomingto help him. He looked foolish. Anger rose up withinBelshazzar; his forehead burned with the passion of his

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feeling. His event had been interrupted, underminedand taken over. He’d been publicly wronged. Hepropelled himself to his feet and spun around to face thecowering guests.

‘Any man who can read this inscription and explainits interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple andhave a necklace of gold around his neck, and haveauthority as third ruler in the kingdom.’

His offer was generous, but his voice betrayed histhreat. Belshazzar’s face glowered with barely concealedrage.

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Note for the readerThe events depicted in Babylon are based on the storiesrecorded in Daniel 1–6 (together with episodes fromJeremiah). The author has woven these stories togetherwith historical and archeological evidence of life inBabylon to help you explore the difficult questions thatthe Bible text raises. The author has used the spellingNebuchadrezzar, an alternative spelling ofNebuchadnezzar.

Read the Bible passages about Daniel, Nebuchadnezzarand the other rulers of Babylon and reflect on what theytell you about God. What is God saying to you throughthese stories? If you have any questions, find a Christianyou trust and chat through your ideas, thoughts andconcerns.

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What are Dark Chapters?What is the Christian response to the vast array ofhorror books aimed at young people? Is it to condemnthese titles and ban them from our shelves? Is it toignore this trend and let our young people get on withreading them? At Scripture Union, we believe thispresents a fantastic opportunity to help young peopleget into the pages of God’s Word and wrestle with someof the difficult questions of faith.

The text does not sensationalise the horrific aspects ofeach story for entertainment’s sake, and thereforetrivialise what the story has to say. On the contrary, eachretold account uses the more fantastic and gruesomeepisodes of each character’s story to grip the reader anddraw them into assessing why these events take place.

The reader is asked throughout the books to considerquestions about the nature of God, how we should liveas Christians, what value we place on things of thisworld – power, wealth, influence or popularity – andwhat God values.

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Noah has been called by the Holy One, called to build an ark to escape the Holy One’s judgement on the people of the earth. But Noah is the only person still faithful to the Holy One – who will believe that destruction is coming? They are toobusy worshipping theirown gods to listen toNoah – the Holy Onewill stand theirfaithlessness no longer.The storm is coming…

The OncomingStormAndrew R Guyatt

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A man rages on a hillside, driven mad by the voices in his head.

A man sits in a dungeon, plagued by doubt and fear.

Both are crushed by their demons. For one, freedom is only moments away, but for the other, it is only the end of his life that is near. Jesus is central to both their lives, but which one will live? And which one is about to face a terrible death?

Legion and the Dance of DeathAndrew Smith and Alex Taylor

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Slowly, slowly, slowly, Izevel Princess of Tyre, works her influence over her new husband, Ahav, and his kingdom Israel. Leading them away from Adonai, she encourages the unspeakable practices of Baal worship. But despite her best efforts, the Lord and his prophets will not be disposed of so easily. Increasingly driven mad by her own lifestyle, Izevel races headlong towards her own grisly downfall.

Izevel,Queen of DarknessKate Chamberlayne

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Pharaoh is ruler of all he surveys. His kingdom is prosperous and his monuments are being built at a fantastic rate by his Hebrew slaves. But suddenly, Moses and Aaron appear in his palace and demand the release of the God’s people. As events spiral out of his control and God strikes his country with terrifying plagues, Pharaoh’s desperate attempts to regain power only lead to his own destruction.

The EgyptianNightmareHannah MacFarlane

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Shimsom thought back over all he had achieved for the Lord. He was one of God’s judges, appointed by the Lord to guide his people and rid them of Philistine rule. But Shimsom’s methods – a donkey’s jawbone, pairs of foxes, a Philistine marriage – had led him here, tied to pillars in the Temple of Dagon. But if he was going to meet a gruesome end, then he would take everyone else with him…

The SkyWill FallDarren R Hill

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