<strong>BILSHAN</strong> (bĭl’shăn). One of the eleven or twelve leaders of the Jews who returned from captivity in 536 <span class="small-caps">b.c.</span> (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.2">Ezra.2.2</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.7.7">Neh.7.7</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<strong>BILSHAN</strong> <strong>bĭl’ shăn</strong> (<span class="hebrew">בִּלְשָׁ֛ן</span>, meaning perhaps <em>inquirer</em>, or <em>their lord</em>). One of the eleven or twelve leaders of those Jews who returned from captivity under leadership of Jeshua and Zerubbabel as a result of the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.2">Ezra 2:2</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.7.7">Neh 7:7</bibleref>). In <bibleref ref="1Esd.5.8">1 Esdras 5:8</bibleref> he is called Belsarus, bĕl sä’ rŭs (<span class="greek">Βεελσάρος</span>; perhaps from Akkad. <em>Belshar, Bel is king</em>; KJV, ASV Beelsarus, bē ěl’ se rŭs).<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

An Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.2">Ezr 2:2</bibleref> = <bibleref ref="Neh.7.7">Ne 7:7</bibleref>). The name may be explained as the "inquirer" (new Hebrew and Aramaic), balash, the ("b" being an abbreviation of ben, as in bidhqar, and bimhal. Bilshan would then be a compound of ben, and lashon. J. Halevy (Revue etudes juives, X, 3)) translates the name "pere de la langue," ’abh lashon. In 1 Esdras 5:8, he is called "Beelsarus," which is akin to the form "Belshar" = "Belshar-uccur" or "O Bel, protect king." Bilshan points to "Belsun," "his lord." The rabbis take Bilshan as a surname to the preceding

Mordecai. H. J. Wolf<br /><br />