What is the meaning of the phrase "Men, Tequel, Fares"? Roman: Olesya Nikolaeva, "Mene, Tekel, Fares"

"Mene, Tekel, Fares" are mysterious words that excite people for millennia. What is in them? The answer is found in the Bible. This fascinating story is set forth in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel, which is contained in the records of the Old Testament.

History of Prophecy

The Babylonian king named Belshazzar arranged a grand feast for his nobles. Drinking wine, he ordered the servants to deliver the golden and silver bowls that his father Nebuchadnezzar once stole from the Temple of Jerusalem and was profaned by pagan use. Of the holy things, the approximate lords drank wine. During the bacchanalia, the whole community tirelessly glorified pagan idols. At that very moment an incredible event happened, which frightened Belshazzar in jest, - a hand appeared in the air, writing on the calcareous wall incomprehensible words to the king.

Belshazzar was embarrassed, he was seized with tremendous trembling, he immediately called to himself the crows and fortunetellers, so that they read and interpret the written words. To the one who will cope with it, the lord has promised greater authority. But none of those who came could read or even explain the meaning of what was written. Then the queen reminded her of the divine man Daniel, who was brought by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, along with other captive Jews from Jerusalem. Daniel was known for his high spirit, divine wisdom and ability to express dreams.

The prisoner refused Belshazzar's rewards, and read the words and interpreted them. But before he reminded the king of the story of his father, whom God had once bestowed honor and greatness, but he misused these gifts. Nebuchadnezzar was arrogant and became a despot and a tyrant; for this the Lord took away his human intelligence from him and gave him an animal in exchange, until the ruler realized that all the kingdoms and kings were dominated by the Almighty alone.

Daniel rebuked Belshazzar in the fact that his father's story, although known to him, did not teach him anything. Belshazzar forgot God and, together with his whole company, glorified idols. For this, the Lord sent the fingers, who wrote a sentence to the king: "Mene, mene, tekel, uparsin."

Symbolic meaning of the phrase

In the Elizabethan Bible, the word "uparsin" is written as "phares". So in the Church Slavonic interpretation this phrase sounds somewhat different: "Mene, tekel, fares (uparsin)." A literal translation from the Aramaic language reads: "mine, mine, shekel and polmini" are weight measures used in the ancient Eastern countries. The mine is approximately 500 grams, half a millimeter, respectively, 250 grams, and the shekel is about 11.5 grams. But what was important was not the exact measurement, but the symbolic meaning of this mysterious phrase: "Mene, tekel, fares." Translation of the verbal formula may sound like this: "Calculated, calculated, weighed, divided". Daniel interpreted them as follows: God calculated (understood) the significance of the kingdom and put an end to it, weighed and found very light (insignificant) and Belshazzar himself. His possessions are divided and given to other rulers - Persians and Medes. That night, Belshazzar was destroyed by Darius of Medes, Babylon passed to the Persians, the prophecy was fulfilled.

In world culture

The phrase "Mene, Tekel, Fares" has become a landmark in world culture. Just like in the Bible, it is used allegorically today to "weigh" the deeds, actions and intentions of a person. Let's not forget that these words were a prediction of the close end of a person with power and privileges who exaggerated himself and went beyond the reasonable. Therefore, the formula "Mene, Tekel Fares" is used even when they want to predict the collapse of the ruler and satrap. It is not by chance that the revolutionary mourning anthem ("You fell a victim in a fatal battle"), which accompanied the funeral of the dead Bolsheviks, ominously hints that while a despot, they say, is feasting in a luxurious palace, the fateful hand of history displays a formidable omen on the wall.

In a similar vein, the mention of the inscription "Mene, Tekel, Fares" in the musical composition "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd, adopted by black students in Africa as a protest against racism, sounds in the same vein.

You can hear immortal words in the films of domestic and foreign filmmakers ("Stalker", "The History of the Knight", etc.).

In painting and graphics

The painting of the great Rembrandt "The Feast of Belshazzar", created in 1635, is also dedicated to the words "Mene, Tekel, Fares". Their meaning is revealed with the help of expressive pictorial techniques. Special attention is given by the master to the emotional impact of a formidable and wonderful inscription on the canvas characters.

Not inferior to the power of artistic influence on the viewer and the painting "Beltesasar's Feast" by Vasily Surikov, created in 1874. This epic painting conveys the taste of the epoch, the tension and the symbolic meaning of the events that are taking place.

The French engraver and cartoonist James Gilray used a plot about Belshazzar for a satirical drawing dedicated to the self-deception of Emperor Napoleon.

In literature

This phrase, which has become winged, is found in many literary works. This is the name of the novel of the Russian writer-emigrant Ivan Nazhivin, who comprehends the imminent danger of the 1905 revolution. A peculiar warning is these words in the subtitles of the sarcastic collection "B. Babylonian "by Michael Weller. The mention of the phrase is in the novel "The Name of the Rose", written by Umberto Eco, in the fantasy "Tirmen" of Ukrainian writers who create under the pseudonym Henry Oldie, in the work of V. Erofeev "Moscow-Petushki", in the ironic poems of Dmitry Prigov and other works.

The book by Olesya Nikolayeva

At the beginning of the new millennium, she created a work with the eloquent title "Mene, Tekel, Fares" Olesya Nikolaeva, Russian writer and poet. In 2010, she was awarded the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Princess Olga for her enlightenment activities, and in 2012 she received the Patriarchal Literary Prize. With great love, humor and sadness, the writer recreates the world of Russian monasticism and features of relationships among Christians. It can be said that with the lips of such authors as Olesya Nikolaeva, the Lord calls on believing people to stop, look at themselves from outside and objectively assess whether they are fulfilling the main commandment of Christ: "Love one another." Being loved is the natural need of every person. From the fact that love on earth has cooled, the world fears evil without fear. Intrigue, hatred, mutual persecution among Christians is something that poisons a pure and passionate love for God and people and incredibly weakens the spiritual and moral mission of the children of God. The words "Mene, tekel, fares", which are entitled the novel, sound in it in the context of the experiences of a young monk, "wounded" by the lack of love, understanding and forgiveness among the most precious people of the Christian world. And here it is - the call to stop and think.