# Nabonidus at Tayma, Belshazzar in Babylon (c. 553 BCE)

URL: https://allhistories.com/iraq/timeline/-553-nabonidus-at-tayma-belshazzar-in-babylon
Themes: Key Events

Around 553 BCE Nabonidus left Babylon and campaigned into north-western Arabia, where he established his residence at the oasis of Tayma. He remained there for about ten years, taking control of other oases along the incense trade route, such as Dedan and Yathrib (later Medina). In his absence his son Belshazzar governed Babylon as regent. According to the Nabonidus Chronicle, the king's absence meant that the New Year festival, which required his presence, was not celebrated for years, to the dismay of Babylonian priests. Inscriptions found at Tayma in recent decades confirm Nabonidus's presence there. Nabonidus returned to Babylon around 543 BCE, while the Persian king Cyrus II was expanding his empire eastward and westward.

## Why it matters
Nabonidus's long absence weakened support for his rule in Babylon, and Belshazzar became famous through the Book of Daniel's story of the writing on the wall.

Ruler at the Time: [Nabonidus](https://allhistories.com/iraq/rulers/nabonidus)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Nabonidus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabonidus)
- [Wikipedia — Belshazzar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belshazzar)
- [Wikipedia — Tayma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tayma)
- [Wikipedia — Nabonidus Chronicle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabonidus_Chronicle)