Baltasar

BALTASAR

bal-ta'-sar (Baltasar; the King James Version Balthasar):

(1) The Greek of Hebrew, belTesha'tstsar, or belTe'shatstsar, perhaps corresponding to BalaT-sar-ucur, "protect the life of the king," the Babylonian cognomen of Daniel. Compare Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7; 2:26; 4:8, et al.).

(2) Baltasar is also the Greek of the Hebrew belsha'tstsar, or bel'shatstsar, the name of the last king of Babylon (corresponding to the Babylonian Bel-sar-ucur; Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament, III, 396; Syriac Blitshazzar; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A. D.) Baltassar). Compare Baruch 1 11 and Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1; 7:1; 8:1).

(3) The name of one of the Magi who according to the legend visited Jesus at Bethlehem:

Melchior from Nubia, Balthasar from Godolia, Caspar from Tharsis.

A. L. Breslich