Belshazzar A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by Davis, William Stearns - 1902

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: The Copp Clark Co. Limited, 1902. First Canadian Edition . Leather Bound. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Lee Woodward Ziglar; J. Elaub. FRONTISPIECE 7 B/W PLATE ILLUSTRATIONS "William Stearns Davis (April 30, 1877 - February 15, 1930) was an American educator, historian, and author. He has been cited as one who contributed to history as a scholarly discipline, . . . but was intrigued by the human side of history, which, at the time, was neglected by the discipline. After first experimenting with short stories, he turned while still a college undergraduate to longer forms to relate, from an involved (fictional) character's view, a number of critical turns of history. This faculty for humanizing, even dramatizing, history characterized Davis' later academic and professional writings as well, making them particularly suitable for secondary and higher education during the first half of the twentieth century in a field which, according to one editor, had lost the freshness and robustness . . . the congeniality that should mark the study of history. Both Davis' fiction and non-fiction are found in public and academic libraries today. Belshazzar; sometimes called Balthazar, was a 6th century BC prince of Babylon, the son of Nabonidus and the last king of Babylon according to the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible. In Daniel 5 and 8, Belshazzar is the King of Babylon before the advent of the Medes and Persians. Although there is evidence that Belshazzar existed, his famous narrative and its details are only recorded in the Book of Daniel, which tells the story of Belshazzar seeing the writing on the wall. Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, who after ruling only three years, went to the oasis of Tayma and devoted himself to the worship of the moon god Sin. He made Belshazzar co-regent in 553 BC, leaving him in charge of Babylon's defense. In 540 BC, Nabonidus returned from Tayma, hoping to defend his kingdom from the Persians who were planning to advance on Babylon. Belshazzar was positioned in the city of Babylon to hold the capital, while Nabonidus marched his troops north to meet Cyrus. On October 10, 539 BC, Nabonidus surrendered and fled from Cyrus. Two days later the Persian armies overthrew the city of Babylon." Wikipedia Scarce Bound in limp brown leather with decoration and leather tie. Gilt top. Some wear. (1902), 8vo, vii, [1], 427pp. [1]