Belshazzar's Feast

For a full description of the historical events, see Belshazzar

Belshazzar's Feast is described in the Book of Daniel. The Babylonian king Belshazzar profanes the sacred vessels of the enslaved Israelites. As prophesied by the writing on the wall, and interpreted by Daniel, Belshazzar is killed and Darius the Mede succeeds to his kingdom.

There are many depictions of Belshazzar's Feast in the arts. These include, in chronological order:

Visual arts

• 1635: The painting Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt
• 1821: The painting Belshazzar's Feast by the English artist John Martin
• 1817-1843: The painting Belshazzar's Feast by the American artist Washington Allston
• 1983-1984: Belshazzar's Feast, the Writing on Your Wall, installation artwork by artist Susan Hiller

Music

• 13th-15th century: The Play of Daniel from Beauvais Cathedral
• 1745: The oratorio Belshazzar by George Frideric Handel
• 1860: The cantata Belshazzar's Feast. The Fall of Babylon: A Dramatic Cantata in Ten Scenes by Civil War-era songwriter George Frederick Root
• 1906: The incidental music to Hjalmar Procopé's play by Jean Sibelius
• 1931: The choral work Belshazzar's Feast by the English composer William Walton
• 1957: A song by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two (also covered but unreleased by Bob Dylan & The Band during the 1967 Basement Tapes sessions)
• 1998: The song God's Magic Finger by The Residents, released on the album Wormwood
• 2007: Belsatzar after Heine for Speaking Voice and Cello by Graham Waterhouse

Literature

• 1815: The poem Vision of Belshazzar by Lord Byron in his Hebrew Melodies
• 1820s: The poem Belsazar by Heinrich Heine
• 1906: The play by Hjalmar Procopé

References