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Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon
Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by William Stearns Davis holds 288 sentences, grouped into 58 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon contain?

Chapter 20 holds 288 sentences of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by William Stearns Davis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 288 sentences, grouped into 58 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon

Common questions about reading Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by William Stearns Davis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon?

Yes. All 6626 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66745 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66745, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon take to read?

About 552 minutes of reading across 1326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon section by section

How to work through Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon

Words and structures a reader meets early in Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Babylon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Month
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.
Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.
The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.
The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.
When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.
Line 2
Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.
Line 3
The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.
Line 4
The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.
Line 5
When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Against preposition US /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.”

Warden noun US /ˈwɔːr.dən/

The chief official or governor in charge of a prison institution.

From this reading “When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.”

Within preposition US /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.”

All words in this reading · 77

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

accustomed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

air

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

Avil-Marduk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

black

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

brawling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

ceiling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

cells

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

charged

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

chief

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

creaked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

damp

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

darkness

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

door

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

drifted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

dungeon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

enough

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

eyes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

galleries

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

grope

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

guard-house

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

hear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

Here

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

instant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

just

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

key

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

leading

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

light

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

lock

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

murk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

nethermost

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

odour

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

palace

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

pivots

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

place

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

ponderous

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

priest

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

put

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

quay

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

recoiled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

river

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

royal

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

sickening

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

slimy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

slits

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

stifling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

strange

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

suffer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

sunken

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

visited

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Avil-Marduk had visited a strange place for the chief priest,—the nethermost dungeon in the palace guard-house, by the royal quay.

walls

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Here one could hear the river brawling against the slimy walls.

wardennounUS /ˈwɔːr.dən/

The chief official or governor in charge of a prison institution.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

way

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The light from the slits against the ceiling was just enough to suffer one, with eyes accustomed to darkness, to grope his way.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

whiff

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The black murk of the sunken galleries leading to the cells had been charged with a damp and sickening odour.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.

wooden

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the chief warden put his key in the ponderous wooden lock of a door, the pivots creaked and a whiff of air drifted from within, but so stifling that for an instant the priest recoiled.