“O Bel, who has no equal when angry,

O Bel, excellent king, lord of the countries,

Who makes the great gods friendly,

O Bel, who fells the mighty with his glance,

Lord of the kings, light of mankind, who divides the portions—”

“Who (does not speak) of you, does not speak of your valor?

Who does not speak of your glory, does not glorify your sovereignty?”—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, by James B. Pritchard, p. 331.

When one considers the high esteem in which Bel was held, it becomes evident why Jehovah’s prophets, under inspiration, made reference to him as one of the deities to be humiliated at Babylon’s fall. Almost two hundred years before Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Isaiah foretold that Bel would have to bend down and Nebo would have to stoop over in shameful defeat. Their idol images were for the wild beasts to carry off; and for the domestic animals, to be loaded on these like mere pieces of luggage, “a burden for the tired animals.” But Bel and Nebo would not escape. Their “own soul,” that is, they themselves, would go into captivity. (Isa. 46:1, 2; see also Jeremiah 50:2.) Jehovah would force Bel to give up what he had swallowed by means of his worshipers, who attributed their victories to him. Especially would Bel have to give up Jehovah’s exiled people and the sacred utensils of His temple. No more would the people of the nations whom Babylon had conquered stream to the worship of Bel or surrender to his worshipers as if to the chief god of the world.—Jer. 51:44; see MERODACH.

BELA

(Beʹla) [swallowing up; devouring; a thing swallowed].

1. The firstborn son of Benjamin, and one of Jacob’s household that “came to Jacob into Egypt.” He became the family head of the Belaites.—Gen. 46:8, 21; Num. 26:38; 1 Chron. 7:6; 8:1-5.

2. The son of Beor and the first-named king of Edom. Long before Israel had a king, Bela reigned in his capital city of Dinhabah.—Gen. 36:31, 32; 1 Chron. 1:43.

3. A son of Azaz of the tribe of Reuben.—1 Chron. 5:8.

4. A variant, and apparently earlier, name for the city of Zoar and mentioned along with other cities of the plain at Genesis 14:2, 8; see ZOAR.

BELAITES

(Beʹla·ites).

A family descended from Bela, Benjamin’s firstborn.—Num. 26:38.

BELIAL

(Beʹli·al) [worthlessness; a compound of b^eliʹ “not, without,” and yaʽalʹ, “worth, use, profit”].

The quality or state of being useless, base, good-for-nothing. The Hebrew term b^eli·yaʹʽal is applied to ideas, words and counsel (Deut. 15:9; Ps. 101:3; Nah. 1:11), to circumstances (Ps. 41:8), and, most frequently, to good-for-nothing men of the lowest sort. For example, men who induce worship of other gods (Deut. 13:13); those of Benjamin who committed the sex crime at Gibeah (Judg. 19:22-27; 20:13); the wicked sons of Eli (1 Sam. 2:12); insolent Nabal (1 Sam. 25:17, 25); opposers of God’s anointed, David (2 Sam. 20:1; 22:5; 23:6; Ps. 18:4); Rehoboam’s unsteady associates (2 Chron. 13:7); Jezebel’s conspirators against Naboth (1 Ki. 21:10, 13); and men in general who stir up contention. (Prov. 6:12-14; 16:27; 19:28) There will be a complete end of such creatures, for Jehovah promises: “No more will any good-for-nothing person pass again through you. In his entirety he will certainly be cut off.”—Nah. 1:15; see also 1 Samuel 1:16; 10:27; 30:22; Job 34:18.

By the time Bible writing resumed in the first century, “Belial” was used as a name for Satan. So when Paul wrote at 2 Corinthians 6:15 in his series of parallel contrasts, “what harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” the conclusion usually drawn is that “Belial” is Satan; the Syriac Peshitta so translates the passage.

BELL

A hollow metallic vessel. This instrument is usually pear-shaped or cuplike, and gives a dominant musical note when struck. The sizes and shapes of bells and the uses to which they have been put by peoples of all times are legion. Their ringing has assembled people for civic and social reasons, and for war.

The first mention of bells in the Bible is in connection with the tabernacle service. On the hem of the solid-blue coat of the high priest were attached golden bells alternated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet material.—Ex. 28:33-35; 39:25, 26.

Pagan worshipers have used the bell for a variety of superstitious reasons: to drive away evil spirits, to break the power of thunderstorms, to announce deaths, and for fertility purposes.

BELLOWS

A device that can be alternately expanded and contracted, first drawing in air through a valve, then forcibly expelling it out an exit tube. For giving furnaces a forced draft, the bellows are more efficient than mere fanning, or the antiquated lung-powered hollow reeds and blowtubes also used for this purpose. The construction of bellows was simple: A bag mounted on a frame or base was attached to a tube leading to the furnace, which tube may have been of iron, or reed tipped with fire-resistant clay. Hand-operated bellows were useful for small forges, but for large high-temperature furnaces dual foot-powered bellows were employed, one under each foot of the operator, who pumped down alternately, first one foot and then the other, each time pulling a cord to refill the compressed one. To give these big furnaces a constant draft, two men worked two pairs of bellows. This instrument is specifically mentioned only once in the Scriptures (Jer. 6:29), though perhaps alluded to at Isaiah 54:16 and Ezekiel 22:20, 21. In these texts the references are figurative and the illustrations are drawn from the methods used for refining metals.—See REFINE, REFINER.

[Picture on page 210]

Representation of foot-operated bellows, from Egyptian tomb

BELLY

[Heb., beʹten].

The front part of the human trunk not enclosed by the ribs, and containing the digestive system, and so forth; generally considered synonymous with the abdomen.

Besides being used to denote the general area of the abdomen (Judg. 3:21, 22; Prov. 13:25), the word is used several times in connection with the formation of a child in its mother’s body. (Gen. 25:23, 24; Job 1:21; Ps. 127:3; Eccl. 11:5; Isa. 44:2; Hos. 9:11) Children are the fruitage of the womb, located in the belly. However, another Hebrew word, reʹhhem (raʹhham), specifically refers to the womb, as can be noted at Job 31:15: “Did not the One making me in the belly make him, and did not just One proceed to prepare us in the womb?”—See also Genesis 49:25; Psalm 22:10; Proverbs 30:16.

“Belly” is also used as an architectural term at 1 Kings 7:20, referring to a protuberance, a “rounded projection.”

In the Christian Greek Scriptures the word koi·liʹa means a “cavity” and is variously rendered “belly” (1 Cor. 6:13; Phil. 3:19), “womb” (Luke 1:15, 41), “intestines” (Matt. 15:17) and “inmost part” (John 7:38), according to the context.

“Belly” is used figuratively to denote fleshly appetite or desire (Rom. 16:18; Phil. 3:19), and as a source of speech or argument. (Job 15:2; 32:19) Jonah referred to himself as being in the common grave of mankind when he said, in the fish’s belly, “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help,” because he was as good as dead unless Jehovah would deliver him miraculously.—Jonah 2:2; see BOWELS; WOMB.

BELSHAZZAR

(Bel·shazʹzar) [Akkad., Bel-shar-usur; Bel protect the king].

The firstborn son of Nabonidus, and coregent of Nabonidus in the last years of the Babylonian Empire. He is mentioned in the Bible account only by the prophet Daniel and for long his position as “king of Babylon” was denied by Bible critics. (Dan. 5:1, 9; 7:1; 8:1) However, archaeological evidence in the form of ancient texts has since demonstrated forcefully the historicity of the Bible account.

There is some historical evidence indicating that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus through his wife Nitocris, a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar’s being thus a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar would harmonize with the Biblical references to Nebuchadnezzar as the “father” of Belshazzar (the term “father” also being used to mean grandfather), and to Belshazzar as Nebuchadnezzar’s “son” (also used for grandson). (Dan. 5:11, 18, 22; compare the usage at Genesis 28:10, 13.) This was not only a Biblical practice but also a Neo-Babylonian custom. (Assyrian inscriptions refer to certain kings as ‘sons’ of their predecessors even though not actually related by blood.)

A cuneiform tablet dated as from the accession year of Neriglissar, who followed Amel-Marduk (Evil-merodach) on the Babylonian throne, refers to “Belshazzar, the chief officer of the king,” in connection with a money transaction. Some scholars believe this to refer to the Belshazzar of the Bible, thereby indicating that he attained to some prominence even before Nabonidus’ coming to the throne. The connection is by no means certain, however.

In 1924 publication was made of the decipherment of an ancient cuneiform text described as “A Persian Verse Account of Nabonidus” and through it valuable information was brought to light clearly corroborating Belshazzar’s kingly position at Babylon and explaining the manner of his becoming coregent with Nabonidus. Concerning Nabonidus, conquest of Tema in his third year of rule, a portion of the text says: “He entrusted a camp to his eldest, firstborn son; the troops of the land he sent with him. He freed his hand; he entrusted the kingship to him. Then he himself [Nabonidus] undertook a distant campaign; the power of the land of Akkad advanced with him; towards Tema in the midst of the Westland he set his face.” Thus, Belshazzar definitely exercised royal authority from Nabonidus’ third year on, and this event likely corresponds with Daniel’s reference to “the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon.”—Dan. 7:1.

In another document, the Nabonidus Chronicle, the statement: “The king (was) in the city of Tema. The son of the king, the princes (and) his troops (were) in the land of Akkad [Babylonia],” is repeated with regard to Nabonidus’ seventh, ninth, tenth and eleventh regnal years. The record concerning the intervening and the succeeding years of Nabonidus are lacking, but it is apparent that he spent much of his reign away from Babylon, and, while not relinquishing his position as supreme ruler, he entrusted administrative authority to his son Belshazzar to act during his absence. This is evident from a number of texts recovered from the ancient archives proving that Belshazzar exercised royal prerogatives, issuing orders and commands. Matters handled by Belshazzar in certain documents and orders were such as would normally have been handled by Nabonidus, as supreme ruler, had he been present. However, Belshazzar remained only second ruler of the empire and thus he could offer to make Daniel only “the third one in the kingdom.”—Dan. 5:16.

Those who wielded sovereign power in Babylonia were expected to be exemplars in reverencing the gods. There are six cuneiform texts concerning events from the fifth to the thirteenth years of Nabonidus’ reign that demonstrate Belshazzar’s devotion to Babylonian deities. As acting king in Nabonidus’ absence, Belshazzar is shown in the documents to have offered gold, silver and animals to the temples in Erech and Sippar, thereby comporting himself in a manner consistent with his royal position.

On the night of October 5-6, 539 B.C.E. (Gregorian calendar, or October 11-12, Julian), Belshazzar celebrated a great feast for a thousand of his grandees, as chapter 5 of Daniel relates. (Dan. 5:1) Babylon was then menaced by the besieging forces of Cyrus the Persian and his ally Darius the Mede. According to Jewish historian Josephus (who, in turn, quotes the Babylonian Berossus), Nabonidus had holed up in Borsippa after having been defeated by the Medo-Persian forces on the field of battle. If so, this would leave Belshazzar as the acting king in Babylon itself. The holding of a feast when the city was in state of siege is not so unusual when it is remembered that the Babylonians confidently regarded the city’s walls as impregnable. Historians Herodotus and Xenophon also state that the city had abundant supplies of necessary items and hence was not concerned with shortages. Herodotus describes the city as in a festive mood on that night, with dancing and enjoyment.

During the feast and under the influence of wine, Belshazzar called for the vessels from the temple of Jerusalem to be brought so that he and his guests and his wives and concubines might drink from them while praising the Babylonian gods. Obviously, this request was due to no shortage of drinking vessels, but, rather, it constituted a deliberate act of contempt by this pagan king in reproach of the God of the Israelites, Jehovah. (Dan. 5:2-4) He thereby expressed defiance of Jehovah, who had inspired the prophecies foretelling Babylon’s downfall. While Belshazzar seemed lighthearted about the siege set by the enemy forces, he was now severely shaken when a hand suddenly appeared and began writing on the palace wall. His knees knocking, he called upon all his wise men to provide an interpretation of the written message, but to no avail. The record shows that “the queen” now gave him sound counsel, recommending Daniel as the one able to give the interpretation. Basing their conclusions on the general tone of her conversation with Belshazzar and on her knowledge of things relating to the earlier times of Nebuchadnezzar, certain scholars consider “the queen” to be, not Belshazzar’s wife, but his mother, believed to be Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter, Nitocris.

Daniel, by inspiration, revealed the meaning of the miraculous message, predicting the fall of Babylon to the Medes and the Persians. Though Daniel’s interpretation was certainly not encouraging, and although the aged prophet had condemned Belshazzar’s