ANSWERS: 3
  • The oldest reference in literature stems back to the Book of Daniel in which handwriting appeard on the King of Babylon's wall and foretold the end of the King's reign shortly before he was murdered. So, as time has passed, the phrase has taken on the conotation of a portent of ill fortune.
  • There is no such phrase. There is no such word as "handwritting".
  • 1-6-2017 In Daniel chapter 5, Belshazzar throws a party and a strange hand appears and writes a message on the wall. Daniel is called to interpret it. Daniel gives a long lecture on what a jerk the king has been, and then gives the interpretation: "25 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." That night the Medes and Persians stopped the river that flowed under the city walls and invaded by walking down the dry riverbed. Do you know how to stop a river? You spend a year or so digging ditches and building gates. Then you open all the gates and the river drains into the ditches. And this dingbat king never noticed. Yes, you could say he was found wanting. He had no clue until the handwriting on the wall.

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