The writing on the wall is a portent predicating the end of civilization, a type of behavior or of any large company or human organization. The writing on the wall is usually a negative association with an idea that “the end is near.” A modern version of the writing on the wall might be the numerous people in large cities wearing signboards that specifically state, “The end is near.” While this is not the writing on the wall, rather, on a signboard, it is still a means by which people try to convince others that civilization is rapidly coming to an end.

The Book of Daniel in the Old Testament contains the first known reference to the writing on the wall. In Daniel 5:1-31, Belshazzar, the King of Babylon, holds a drunken feast where he displays holy items stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem. When the King and his subjects hold the items, writing begins to appear on the wall, and Daniel is brought in to interpret the words, which seem to have little meaning. Daniel warns the King that his days are numbered, and his kingdom will soon be destroyed.

Daniel’s interpretation is, of course, correct. King Belshazzar is killed that same night and the country is sent into disorder as Darius of the Medes takes over the kingship. As Daniel predicts from the writing on the wall, the kingdom is split between the Medes and the Persians, and signifies the end of Babylonian supremacy.

The specific writing on the wall in Daniel are the following words: Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. Mene translates as toll, the price the Babylonians will pay. Tekel means weight, or judgment, and Parsin means division and is also a corruption of the word Persians, the race that will claim part of the Babylonian kingdom.

In modern usage, people often see the writing on the wall prompting action. For example, you could use the phrase in the following sentences. “She knew she had to get a new job immediately. She had seen the writing on the wall and didn’t want to wait until the company started their downsizing efforts.”