Introduction
Belshazzar was a prince in Babylon (near what is now Baghdad, Iraq) in the 6th century BC. While his father King Nabonidus was away, Belshazzar had the government of the Empire in his father’s stead.
BELSHAZZAR threw a sumptuous feast for his noblemen; and being short of golden cups for his wine, he had his servants bring the sacred vessels stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem years before, and bade his lords toast their own gods from them.
At that, a ghostly hand appeared, and began writing on the wall. The terrified King could make nothing of it: it was a list of three measures of currency and weight, a mina, a shekel, and a half-mina. So he called for the Jewish prophet Daniel.
And Daniel spelt it out for him. Belshazzar had been weighed in God’s scales, and found wanting.
The days of his realm, said Daniel, were numbered, and it would be soon divided between the Medes and the Persians. And that very night, the Medes and Persians overran Babylon, and slew Belshazzar.
So it is that ‘the writing is on the wall’ means that the end is just around the corner.
Précis
Belshazzar threw a party for his court, using sacred vessels plundered from the Temple at Jerusalem. When a mysterious message appeared on the wall, the Jewish prophet Daniel explained that it foretold the destruction of Belshazzar’s kingdom, a prophecy which was fulfilled the same night. (45 / 60 words)
Belshazzar threw a party for his court, using sacred vessels plundered from the Temple at Jerusalem. When a mysterious message appeared on the wall, the Jewish prophet Daniel explained that it foretold the destruction of Belshazzar’s kingdom, a prophecy which was fulfilled the same night.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 40 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, despite, just, not, unless, until, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 End. Slough. Temple.
2 Overrun. Soon. Three.
3 Before. Servant. Wine.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding dis-.
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Divide. 2 Scale. 3 Call. 4 Number. 5 Hand. 6 Make. 7 Spell. 8 End. 9 Bid.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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