Editing Belshazzar (section)

=== Fate ===
Regardless of any potential animosity between Nabonidus and Belshazzar, Belshazzar retained the status of crown prince and intended successor, as a handful of documents still reference the "son of the king".{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=|pp=204–205}} Otherwise his status and position after Nabonidus's return is never made clear.{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=41–42}}{{sfn|Newsom|Breed|2014|p=164}} The sources also do not make Belshazzar's location clear, but it appears that he was stationed some distance away from Babylon, but that he also was no longer in Sippar, where he had stationed himself in 546 BC out of fear of Cyrus. One possibility, suggested by [[Paul-Alain Beaulieu]], is that Belshazzar was put in charge of Babylonia's defense and was moving with the army along the northern and eastern border.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=|pp=204–205}}

Belshazzar partook in Babylon's defense against the invasion by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. After a decisive victory at the [[battle of Opis]], the Persian army, on 12 October,{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=230}} led by [[Gobryas (general)|Ugbaru]], entered Babylon without a fight.{{Sfn|Wiseman|1991|p=249}} The last tablet dated to Nabonidus's reign is from Uruk and is dated to 13 October, which is considered the end date of his reign.{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=230}} Nabonidus was captured and possibly exiled to [[Carmania (region)|Carmania]]. Belshazzar's fate is not known, since none of the sources record it.''{{Sfn|Weiershäuser|Novotny|2020|p=13}}'' It is often assumed that Belshazzar was killed by the Persians at Babylon when the city fell, on 12 October.{{Sfn|Wiseman|1991|p=249}}{{Sfn|Beaulieu|1989|p=231}}{{sfn|Albertz|2003|p=69–70}} He may have alternatively been killed already at the [[battle of Opis]],{{sfn|Chavalas|2000|p=164}} captured and executed, or exiled together with his father.''{{Sfn|Weiershäuser|Novotny|2020|p=13}}''