Balthazar (also spelled Balthasar, Balthassar, or Baltazar), from Akkadian 𒂗𒈗𒋀 ''Bel-shar-uzur'', meaning "

Bel Bel can mean: Mythology * Belenus or Bel, a Celtic deity * Bel (mythology), a title (meaning "lord" or "master") for various gods in Babylonian religion People * Bel (name) * Annabel Linquist, known as Bel, American artist, musician, and entrepr ...

protects the King" is the name commonly attributed to

Balthazar (magus) Balthazar, also called Balthasar, Balthassar, and Bithisarea, was, according to Western Christian tradition, one of the three biblical Magi along with Caspar and Melchior who visited the infant Jesus after he was born. Balthazar is traditiona ...

, one of the

Three Wise Men 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

, at least in the west. Though no names are given in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...

, this was one of the names the Western church settled on in the 8th century, based on the original meaning, though other names were used by Eastern churches. It is an alternate form of the Babylonian king ''

Belshazzar Belshazzar ( Babylonian cuneiform: ''Bēl-šar-uṣur'', meaning " Bel, protect the king"; ''Bēlšaʾṣṣar'') was the son and crown prince of Nabonidus (), the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Through his mother, he might have been ...

'', mentioned in the ''

Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and Prophecy, prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish Babylonian captivity, exile in Babylon ...

''. The

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

variation of the name is Baghdasar.Patrick Hanks. Bagdassarian // Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2013. p. 83,

People with the name

Balthazar Alvarez Balthazar Alvarez (April 1534 – July 25, 1580) was a Spanish Catholic mystic and was the spiritual director of Saint Teresa. Life Alvarez was born in Cervera del Río Alhama, Spain, in April 1534 to a noble family. He studied philosophy ...

(1533–1580), Spanish Catholic mystic *

Balthasar Bekker Balthasar Bekker (20 March 1634 – 11 June 1698) was a Dutch minister and author of philosophical and theological works. Opposing superstition, he was a key figure in the end of the witchcraft persecutions in early modern Europe. His best kno ...

(1634–1698), Dutch philosopher *

Baltasar Brum Baltasar Brum Rodríguez, GCTE (18 June 1883 – 31 March 1933) was a Uruguayan political figure. He was President of Uruguay from 1919 to 1923. Background Brum was born in the Department of Artigas near the city of Salto, where he began his ...

(1883–1933), Uruguayan president *

Baldassare Castiglione Baldassare Castiglione, Count of Casatico (; 6 December 1478 – 2 February 1529),Dates of birth and death, and cause of the latter, fro, ''Italica'', Rai International online. was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissan ...

(1478–1529), Italian Renaissance author *

Baltasar Corrada del Río Baltasar Corrada del Río (April 10, 1935 – March 11, 2018) was a Puerto Rican politician. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner (1977–198 ...

(1935–2018), Puerto Rican politician *

Balthasar Eggenberger Balthasar Eggenberger (died 1493), was an Austrian entrepreneur in the early days of mercantilism. He was master of the imperial mint at Graz in the Duchy of Styria and financier to Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. He was a man cut of the same ...

(died 1493), Austrian entrepreneur and financier in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

Baltasar Garzón Baltasar Garzón Real (; born 26 October 1955) is a Spanish former judge in Spain's central criminal court, the '' Audiencia Nacional'' responsible for investigation the most serious criminal cases, including terrorism, organised crime, crimes ...

(born 1955), Spanish judge *

Balthasar Gérard Balthasar Gérard (alternative spellings Gerards or Gerardts; c. 1557 – 14 July 1584) was the assassination, assassin of the Dutch revolt's leader, William the Silent of the House of Orange-Nassau, House of Orange (William the Silent, and lat ...

(c. 1557–1584), assassin of William I of Orange *

Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician, and a member of the Getty family. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurrin ...

(born 1975), American actor and great-grandson of J. Paul Getty *

Balthasar Glättli Balthasar Glättli (born 12 February 1972) is a Swiss politician. He is a member of the National Council and, was the president of the Green Party of Switzerland from June 2020 until April 2024. Early life and education Glättli was born 12 ...

(born 1972), Swiss politician *

Baltasar Gracián y Morales Balthazar, Balthasar, Baltasar, or Baltazar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian animated TV series, ...

(1601–1658), Spanish Baroque prose writer *

Balthasar Hubmaier Balthasar Hubmaier (1480 – 10 March 1528) was an influential German Anabaptist leader. He was one of the most well-known and respected Anabaptist theologians of the Reformation. Early life and education He was born in Friedberg, Bavaria, in ...

(c. 1480–1528), German Anabaptist leader * Balthazar Klossowski de Rola (1908–2001), birth name of twentieth-century artist

Balthus Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), known as Balthus, was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of pubescent girls, but also for the refined, dreamlike quality of his ima ...

Baltasar Lopes da Silva Baltasar Lopes da Silva (23 April 1907 – 8 May 1989) was a writer, poet and linguist from Cape Verde, who wrote in both Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. With Manuel Lopes and Jorge Barbosa, he was the founder of '' Claridade''. In 1947 ...

(1907–1989), Cape Verdean writer *

Balthazar P. Melick Balthazar P. Melick (also known as Baltus) (October 26, 1770 – November 20, 1835), an American merchant and banker, was the founder of Chemical Bank in 1823. Melick served as the first president of Chemical from 1823 to 1831. Biography Me ...

(1770–1835), founder of Chemical Bank *

Baltazar Maria de Morais Júnior Baltazar Maria de Morais Júnior (born 27 July 1959), known simply as Baltazar, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. During an 18-year professional career he played, other than in his country, in Spain, Port ...

(born 1959), Brazilian footballer *

Balthasar Ferdinand Moll Balthasar Ferdinand Moll (Innsbruck, Tirol 4 January 1717 – Vienna 3 March 1785) was an Austrian sculptor. Biography He came from a Tyrolean family of sculptors. His first training was from his father . He went to the Vienna Academy in 1738, ...

(1717–1785), Baroque sculptor *

Balthasar de Monconys Balthasar de Monconys (1611–1665) was a French traveller, diplomat, physicist and magistrate, who left a diary, which was published by his son as ''Journal des voyages de Monsieur de Monconys, Conseiller du Roy en ses Conseils d’Estat & Priv� ...

(1611–1665), French magistrate *

Balthasar Moncornet Balthasar Moncornet (1600, Rouen – 1668, Paris) was a French painter, Engraving, engraver, and Tapestry, tapissier revered for his depictions of around 45 different prominent figures of the 17th century. Gallery of selected portraits File:He ...

(c. 1600–1668), French engraver *

Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; c. 27 January 1687 – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...

(1687–1753) German engineer and architect *

Balthasar Oomkens von Esens Balthasar Oomkens von Esens (c. 1500 – 1540) was an East Frisian nobleman who died during the siege of his castle in Esens by the Bremen army. He was described by his partisans as the last true Frisian freedom fighter, although some decried hi ...

(died 1540), 16th century Frisian rebel (two of whose brothers were named Caspar and Melchior) *

Balthasar Regis Balthasar Regis (died 1757) was a Canon of Windsor from 1751 to 1757.''Fasti Wyndesorienses'', May 1950. S. L. Ollard. Published by the Dean and Canons of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Family He was born in the province of Dauphiné, and fl ...

(died 1757), Canon of Windsor *

Balthasar Russow Balthasar Russow (1536–1600) was one of the most important Livonian and Estonian chroniclers. Russow was born in Reval, Livonia (now Tallinn, Estonia). He was educated at an academy in Stettin, Pomerania (now Szczecin, Poland). He was the Lut ...

(1536–1600), Estonian chronicler * Balthasar van Lemens (1637–1704), Flemish painter *

Balthazar Johannes Vorster Balthazar Johannes "B. J." Vorster (; 13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983), better known as John Vorster, was a South African politician who served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and the fourth state president of So ...

(1915–1983), apartheid-era South African Prime Minister and President * McLeod John Baltazar Bethel-Thompson (born 1988), American football quarterback *

Hans Urs von Balthasar Hans Urs von Balthasar (; 12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered one of the most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century. With Joseph Ratzinger and Henri de Lubac, he founded the th ...

(1905–1988), Swiss Roman Catholic theologian and priest

Fictional characters with the name

Film

* Balthazar, the donkey in the French film ''

Au hasard Balthazar ''Au hasard Balthazar'' (; meaning "Balthazar, at Random"), also known as ''Balthazar'', is a 1966 tragedy film directed by Robert Bresson. Believed to be inspired by a passage from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1868–69 novel ''The Idiot'', the film foll ...

'' (1966) * Balthasar, a demon in the film ''

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

'' (2005) played by Gavin Rossdale * Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp, a pseudonym of the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond novel ''

On Her Majesty's Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service may refer to: * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (novel), a 1963 James Bond novel by Ian Fleming * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (film), a 1969 film adaptation of the novel by Peter R. Hunt ** ''On Her Maj ...

'' and the film of the same name * Balthasar, a supporting character in the film ''

The Scorpion King ''The Scorpion King'' is a 2002 action adventure film directed by Chuck Russell. The film stars Dwayne Johnson (credited as The Rock) as the lead, with Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan in supporting roles. It ...

'' (2002) played by actor Michael Clarke Duncan * Balthazar Blake, a thousand-year-old sorcerer, protagonist of the film ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" () is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old sorcerer departs his workshop, leaving his apprentice with chores to perform. Tired of ...

'' (2010) played by Nicolas Cage * Balthazar Bratt, a supervillain and former child star, main antagonist of the film ''

Despicable Me 3 ''Despicable Me 3'' is a 2017 American animated comedy film produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination, and distributed by Universal. It is the sequel to '' Despicable Me 2'' (2013), the third main installment, and the fourth overall ent ...

'' (2017) voiced by Trey Parker * Edgar Balthazar, a butler, main antagonist of the film ''

The Aristocats ''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American Animated film, animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. It is directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and written by Ken Anderson (animator), Ken Ander ...

'' (1970) voiced by Roddy Maude-Roxby * Balthazar M. Edison, male human who became the villain Krall in the film ''

Star Trek Beyond ''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...

'' (2016)

Gaming

* Balthazar, the god of war and fire in the online game ''

Guild Wars ''Guild Wars'' is an online role-playing game franchise developed by ArenaNet and published by NCSoft. The games were critically well received and won many editor's choice awards, as well as awards such as "D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing Game ...

'' * Balthazar, a fictional monk from '' Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'' * Balthasar (Old Man Bal), Nikolai Balthasar and Maria Balthasar, characters from the Square game ''Xenogears'' * The primary antagonist in the Xbox game '' Azurik: Rise of Perathia'' * The name of a minotaur and a lair in '' Might and Magic VIII'' * Belthasar, one of the three Gurus who assist the main party in the RPG ''Chrono Trigger''

Novels

* Balthazar Cherbonneau, a physician and magician in the novella ''

Avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

'' by

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

. * Balthasar, a character in ''

The Death Gate Cycle ''The Death Gate Cycle'' is a seven-part series (heptalogy) of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The main conflict is between two powerful races, the Sartan and the Patryns, which branched off from humans following a nuc ...

'' books * Balthazar More, a character in the ''Evernight'' series introduced in the '' Evernight'' series * Bastian Balthazar Bux, the main character in the book ''

The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...

'' * Balthazar, The Hound of Count Kaliovzky in the book '' The Red Necklace'' * Jacob Balthazar, the wood sculptor murdered in the story '' Tintin and the Broken Ear'' * Balthasar, a Tiger tank gunner in ''The Last Citadel: A Novel of the Battle of Kursk'' by David L. Robbins * Balthasar, a supporting character in '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', and its various adaptations * Balthazar Claes, the main character of Honore de Balzac's ''The Quest of the Absolute'' in the series ''

La Comédie humaine (; English: ''The Human Comedy'') is Honoré de Balzac's 1829–48 multi-volume collection of interlinked novels and stories depicting French society in the period of the Restoration (1815–30) and the July Monarchy (1830–48). ''La Com� ...

'' *

Balthazar (comics) Bagheera Bagheera is a black panther, based upon ''The Jungle Book'' character of the same name. Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend ...

, a character in the Marvel Comics universe * Balthazar Abrabanel, a character in ''

1632 Events January–March * January 8 – University of Amsterdam is established at the site of the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam. * January 31 – The dissection of a body for the benefit of medical students is carried o ...

Plays

* Balthasar, a minor character in ''Romeo and Juliet'' * Balthazar, Portia's masculine alter-ego, as well as a minor character in Shakespeare's ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' * Balthasar, a singer and a follower of Don Pedro in Shakespeare's comedy ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' * Balthazar, a merchant in Shakespeare's comedy ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...

'' * Prince Balthazar, son of the Portuguese Viceroy, in Thomas Kyd's ''

The Spanish Tragedy ''The Spanish Tragedy'', or ''Hieronimo is Mad Again'' is an Elizabethan tragedy written by Thomas Kyd between 1582 and 1592. Highly popular and influential in its time, ''The Spanish Tragedy'' established a new genre in English theatre: the re ...

'' (1592) * Baalthazar Macaw, an opera singing macaw in Robert J. Sherman's '' Love Birds'' (2015)

Television

* Birk Balthazar, the father of Sofia Balthazar in ''

Sofia the First ''Sofia the First'' is an American animated fantasy children's television series created and developed by Craig Gerber (creator), Craig Gerber for Disney Television Animation and Disney Jr. The series follows a young peasant girl named Sofia, ...

'' * Balthazar, a demon in the episode " Bad Girls" of the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' * Lord Balthazar, the godfather of

Gargamel Gargamel is the main antagonist of the '' Smurfs'' show and comic books. He is a wizard and the sworn enemy of the Smurfs. The character was originally meant to appear only once in a short story of the Smurfs. Since he was an established adv ...

and one of the main antagonists in ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (; ) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was created and introduced as a series of comic characters by ...

'' * Belthazor, alternate name of the character Cole Turner in the TV series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Julian McMahon * Balthazar, an angel in the TV series ''

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

'', portrayed by Sebastian Roché * Balthasar, one of three cooperating supercomputers in the anime series ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production, and directed by Hideaki Anno. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from October 1995 to March 1 ...

'' * Balthazar, the dog on the British sitcom '' Vicious'' * Baltazar, the main villain in the CGI ''Doctor Who'' story ''

The Infinite Quest ''The Infinite Quest'' is an animated serial based on the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was made by BBC Television, but does not share the same producers as the live-action series. It was aired in twelve weekly pa ...

'' * Balthazar, a stuffed bear who was the leader on Jim Henson's '' The Secret Life of Toys'' * Balthazar Cavendish, friend of Vinnie Dakota in ''

Milo Murphy's Law ''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016, on Disney XD. It revolves around the title charact ...

References

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