Editing Belshazzar (section)

=== Conspiracy and accession of Nabonidus ===
Belshazzar's father was proclaimed as king in May 556 BC,{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=|pp=87–88}} and by the end of June, tablets recognising Nabonidus are known from across Babylonia.{{Sfn|Wiseman|1991|p=243}} Belshazzar's father came to the throne as a result of a conspiracy that saw the deposition and murder of the previous king, [[Labashi-Marduk]].{{Sfn|Beaulieu|2006|p=139}} The sources suggest that while he was part of the conspiracy, Nabonidus had not intended, nor expected, to become king himself and he was hesitant to accept the nomination.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=89}} After the accession of his father, Belshazzar emerges in the sources as a prominent businessman and the head of a wealthy household, a role that was typically not picked up by members of the royal family in the Neo-Babylonian period. The only other similar case is Neriglissar, though Neriglissar lacked royal blood and had not been the intended successor to the throne, and abandoned his estates upon becoming king, seemingly entrusting them to Labashi-Marduk, his crown prince, and a figure of unclear connections called Nabu-sabit-qate. Whereas Neriglissar's career as a businessman prior to becoming king can be followed through a trail of surviving business documents, Belshazzar appears to have become a prominent member of the Babylonian oligarchy overnight{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=91}} (Belshazzar, in contrast to his co-conspirators was notably not a member of the old Babylonian aristocracy),{{sfn|Albertz|2003|p=63}} not being mentioned in any business documents or private transactions prior to Nabonidus becoming king.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=92}}

By examining surviving documents from Belshazzar's time as crown prince, it appears that the estates of Neriglissar's family were confiscated after Labashi-Marduk's death and that they were claimed and taken over by Belshazzar.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=92}} This is supported by documents describing business transactions of Belshazzar mentioning the same locations, and even the same household and servants, as similar earlier documents of Neriglissar. Since there is little change in the prominent members of Neriglissar's and Labashi-Marduk's former household under Belshazzar, it is probable that Belshazzar becoming the master of the household was met with relatively little opposition. Through the deposition of Labashi-Marduk, Belshazzar had positioned himself to become the heir of one of Babylonia's wealthiest families.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=95}} Belshazzar is recorded as owning lands throughout Babylonia, for instance owning an agricultural settlement near Uruk.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=155}}

As he was clearly the main beneficiary of the coup, Belshazzar was likely the chief orchestrator of the conspiracy ended in the deposition and death of Labashi-Marduk. Because he could hardly proclaim himself as king while his father was still alive, Belshazzar proclaimed Nabonidus as king. As Nabonidus was relatively old at the time, his reign could be expected to be brief and transitional, meaning that Belshazzar could expect to inherit the throne within a few years.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=98}}