Question: 

My question concerns the book of Daniel. You said in a recorded audio message I heard (a speech you gave at Harvard) that Belteshazzar was a king who honored Daniel; however, when I read the book of Daniel (in a lot of verisons) they say that Daniel is Belteshazzar. Is there something I am not understanding correctly? or was there some mistake made in your speech or in the many different verisons of the Bible?  

Answer:

This mistake is an easy one to make.  Actually, there are two different names at play here.  Daniel was also known by his Babylonian name Belteshazzar.   Then there was another person in Daniel, which was Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus, who was the Babylonian king in the scene in Daniel 5.   Belteshazzar and Belshazzar are quite similar names, so it is easy to see how one might get them mixed up.  Now, it is possible that in the recording you heard, I called the king Belteshazzar, in which case I was mistaken.  It is Belshazzar.  Or possibly you mis-heard me as the two names are so similar.

John Oakes