The Book of Daniel Page #4

I've made with mortar

and brick its foundations.

I've placed upon the very bosom

of the underworld, its top.

I've raised mountain high.

Is this not

the great Babylon...

that I have built

as my royal palace...

with my mighty power

for the glory of my majesty?

His words

were still on his lips...

when a voice

came down from heaven,

Nebuchadnezzar, for your arrogance...

and your failure

to give glory to the Most High,

your authority

is stripped from you.

Go now from this kingdom

which you claim.

Your mind shall be reduced

to that of an animal,

and you will wander the land...

until you acknowledge the

glory of God as above your own.

Immediately what had

been said about Nebuchadnezzar...

was fulfilled.

The greatest

of those below heaven,

he sought to make

himself as great as he...

who rules above heaven,

and the Lord

would not have it.

Because he insisted on being

more than he was made,

he became less

than he was made.

Because he aspired

to be more than a man,

he became

less than a man.

He became

like the wild beasts.

How did he survive

alone in the wilds?

Even in his insanity...

neither the lion

nor the bear disturbed him...

though he wandered

alone and unarmed...

and slept naked in the places

where they found their food...

because it

had been prophesied...

that one day he would

honor the Most High.

For 7 years he ranged

the wild lands of Babylon,

but it was not until the full

time of his exile was completed...

that he turned his

eyes toward heaven...

and declared...

Praise be

to the Most High.

Honor and glory

to him who lives forever.

Rise, Nebuchadnezzar.

For he is to be given

his eternal dominion.

Before him all the people of the

earth are regarded as nothing.

He may do as he pleases...

with the powers of heaven

and all the people of the earth,

and no one, no one,

may say him, "Nay."

No one may say him,

"Nay"

Beware your place,

for I am not as I was.

Let it be recorded

that I, Nebuchadnezzar,

do praise, exalt,

and glorify the King of heaven...

because everything

he does is right,

and all his ways are just,

and those who walk in pride

he is able to humble.

And so Nebuchadnezzar

returned to his throne,

but eventually he was

gathered to his fathers,

and a series of new kings

came to the throne,

none fasting more

than a short time.

You're about to tell

about the downfall of Babylon,

are you not?

I am.

Well, at last we come

to the part of the tale...

where I have some

knowledge to share.

For though I had conquered

from east to west,

Babylon was

the last to resist me,

and I dreaded its siege,

for Babylon's wealth had allowed

her to lay in enough grain...

to last for years,

and her towers, walls,

and gates were so formidable...

that even untrained men

could defend them with ease,

walls too high to scale,

with parapets wide enough

for chariots to patrol them,

and a river-fed moat to cross

before even getting there.

It was enough

to freeze the heart...

of even an old soldier

such as I am.

Then one night

as I lay on the ground...

courting sleep

that would not come,

a thought came to me.

From whence it came

I do not know,

like some spirit of God

whispered it in my ear.

But the River Euphrates

which flowed down to Babylon...

raised above its natural level

hemmed in by dams and dikes,

but if dams were opened full

and the dikes were broken,

the river which ran straight

through the heart of the city...

would fall to nothing.

An army poised

and ready to strike...

could march into the city

on its dry riverbed...

underneath the gates

designed to repel ships...

when the river

was at its normal level.

And I suddenly realized

I'd been given a key...

to defeat

the mighty Babylon.

It was as though

in all the world,

throughout all of history,

I was the only one

that had the thought.

All it required was

the right moment to act.

A night when

every man in Babylon,

from the least

to the king himself,

would drink himself ill

in honor of their gods...

who were naught

but worthless idols...

and could not protect them.

Listen, oh king,

and I will tell of the

second king of my story,

Belshazzar,

king of Babylon,

both foolish and wicked

of equal measure.

But, king.

Enough!

We still have our threefold

walls with their battlements,

and within our granaries

we have grain enough to endure...

a seed of 10 years.

Our watchmen have seen

the Persians digging, my lord.

They seem quite

concerned about this, my king.

Yes, yes, they will

look to build a siege ramp...

against the city.

First, they must build

a causeway across the moat.

That alone will take months.

In the meantime,

let us feast and toast Marduk,

patron god of Babylon.

To Marduk!

These cups have a taste,

and I will not have it so.

Bring me the golden vessels

from the temple of Jerusalem.

But, my king,

is it wise to use the vessels?

My king, these cups

are considered sacred,

are they not, my king?

Perhaps in Jerusalem by that

pathetic desert deity of Judah,

but here they are

spoil for our gods,

and they would have you

use them as I see fit.

Bring them!

Yes, you see these vessels?

In Jerusalem, they were used

for the worship of their God.

Now, instead of the blood

of bulls and rams,

let them flow

with foaming wine,

for I am not

a devourer of blood.

I am a devourer of drink

and choice fare.

To Marduk,

the god of our city!

To Marduk!

And to our

idols of gold and silver,

bronze and iron,

wood and stone,

partake of our pleasures,

and protect our city.

Whoever reads this

and tells me what it means...

shall be clothed in purple...

and have a gold chain

placed around his neck...

and be made third highest ruler

in the kingdom.

And all the

king's wise men came in,

but they could not

interpret the inscription...

or tell the king

what it meant,

so Belshazzar became

even more terrified.

A Judean once told

Nebuchadnezzar, your forefather,

of his dreams.

He succeeded

when everyone else had failed.

This man, Daniel, whom

the king called Belteshazzar,

he could tell you

what this writing means.

Does he still live?

He does.

Bring him to me quickly,

but do not harm him.

We shall soon learn if this

Hebrew can do as you say.

Nothing it would seem is

too sacred not to be profaned...

under the influence of wine.

Nothing, oh king.

How can I be

of service, highness?

Are you Daniel,

one of the exiles my father

brought back from Judah?

I am he.

I am told you are able

to give interpretations...

and solve difficult problems.

If you can read

the writing on that wall,

you will be

clothed in purple,

have a chain of gold

placed around your neck,

and be made third highest

ruler in the kingdom.

Long ago I told your forefather,

Nebuchadnezzar,

that I would speak to him

only the truth...

and that if he

rather not hear it,

he should ask me nothing.

Perhaps it would be better

if you asked me nothing.

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