Belshazzar (Hebrew: בֶּלְשַׁאצַּר, Modern: Belshatsar, Tiberian: Beleš'aṣṣar; Akkadian: 𒂗𒆷𒊭𒋫𒊒, Bēl-šar-uṣur, meaning "Bel protect the king") was the second-to-last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from 552 BC to 543 BC. He is best known from the biblical Book of Daniel, where he is depicted as the last king of Babylon, holding a great feast where the handwriting on the wall appears, foretelling the fall of Babylon. In historical records, Belshazzar is identified as the son of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, and served as co-regent, ruling the empire while his father was absent. The name Belshazzar is a variant of the Babylonian name Bēl-shar-uṣur, reflecting the influence of the god Bel in Babylonian religion. The name is also rendered as Baltasar in Spanish and Portuguese, and Balthasar in German and French.
Crown prince of Babylon
Belshazzar was the son and crown prince of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Through his mother, he might have been a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar II, though this is not certain and the claims to kinship with Nebuchadnezzar may have originated from royal propaganda.