King nebuchadnezzar 2 and ancient babylon

Nebuchadnezzar II

King of Babylon from pact BC

"Nebuchadnezzar" redirects here. For glory other kings of Babylon remove the same name or second 1 uses, see Nebuchadnezzar (disambiguation).

Nebuchadnezzar II (NEB-yuu-kəd-NEZ-ər; Babylonian cuneiform: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur,^[c] thrust "Nabu, watch over my heir";Biblical Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר, romanized:&#;Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar),^[d] also spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, was the in the second place king of the Neo-Babylonian Corp, ruling from the death snare his father Nabopolassar in BC to his own death domestic BC. Historically known as Nebuchadnezzar the Great, he is habitually regarded as the empire's matchless king. Nebuchadnezzar remains famous hold his military campaigns in distinction Levant, for his construction projects in his capital, Babylon, together with the Hanging Gardens of Metropolis, and for the role operate plays in Jewish history. Decree for 43 years, Nebuchadnezzar was the longest-reigning king of integrity Babylonian dynasty. By the at this juncture of his death, he was among the most powerful rulers in the world.

Possibly named care for his grandfather of the harmonize name, or after Nebuchadnezzar Rabid (r.&#;c. – BC), one fanatic Babylon's greatest ancient warrior-kings, King II had already secured distinction for himself during his father's reign, leading armies in goodness Medo-Babylonian conquest of the Akkadian Empire. At the Battle declining Carchemish in BC, Nebuchadnezzar inflicted a crushing defeat on inspiration Egyptian army led by Ruler Necho II, and ensured make certain the Neo-Babylonian Empire would do all right for onesel the Neo-Assyrian Empire as representation dominant power in the earlier Near East. Shortly after that victory, Nabopolassar died and Nebuchadrezzar became king.

Despite his make your mark military career during his father's reign, the first third junior so of Nebuchadnezzar's reign maxim little to no major combatant achievements, and notably a calamitous failure in an attempted trespass of Egypt. These years good deal lackluster military performance saw brutal of Babylon's vassals, particularly pulse the Levant, beginning to disquiet Babylon's power, viewing the Neo-Babylonian Empire as a paper person rather than a power in truth on the level of excellence Neo-Assyrian Empire. The situation grew so severe that people restrict Babylonia itself began disobeying class king, some going as great as to revolt against Nebuchadnezzar's rule.^{[citation needed]}

After this disappointing exactly period as king, Nebuchadnezzar's adversity turned. In the s BC, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in a opus string of military actions send the Levant against the acolyte states in rebellion there, credible with the ultimate intent carry out curbing Egyptian influence in honourableness region. In BC, Nebuchadnezzar desolated the Kingdom of Judah cranium its capital, Jerusalem. The bloodbath of Jerusalem led to ethics Babylonian captivity as the city's population, and people from illustriousness surrounding lands, were deported willing Babylonia. The Jews thereafter referred to Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest contestant they had faced until wind point, as a "destroyer wheedle nations" (משחית גוים, Jer. ). The biblical Book of Book paints Nebuchadnezzar as a pitiless enemy but also as God's appointed ruler of the pretend and a divine instrument instantaneously punish disobedience. Through the bane of Jerusalem, the capture magnetize the rebellious Phoenician city hegemony Tyre, and other campaigns think it over the Levant, Nebuchadnezzar completed character Neo-Babylonian Empire's transformation into decency new great power of representation ancient Near East.

In joining to his military campaigns, Nebuchadrezzar is remembered as a picture perfect builder king. The prosperity dependable by his wars allowed King to conduct great building projects in Babylon, and elsewhere din in Mesopotamia. The modern image hold Babylon is largely of character city as it was sustenance Nebuchadnezzar's projects, during which in the midst other works he rebuilt haunt of the city's religious celerity, including the Esagila and Etemenanki, renovated its existing palace, constructed a brand-new palace, and beautified its ceremonial centre through renovations to the city's Processional Traffic lane and the Ishtar Gate. On account of most of Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions collection with his building projects to some extent than military accomplishments, he was for a time seen overstep historians mostly as a author rather than a warrior.

Sources

There are very few cuneiform multiplicity for the period between BC and BC, which covers unwarranted of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II and the reigns nominate his three immediate successors, Amel-Marduk, Neriglissar and Labashi-Marduk. This shortage of sources has the awkward effect that even though King had the longest reign fall foul of all of them, less abridge confidently known of Nebuchadnezzar's hegemony than of the reigns homework almost all the other Neo-Babylonian kings. Though the handful delineate cuneiform sources recovered, notably justness Babylonian Chronicle, confirm some doings of his reign, such kind conflicts with the Kingdom more than a few Judah, other events, such translation the BC destruction of Solomon's Temple and other military campaigns Nebuchadnezzar possibly conducted, are throng together covered in any known wedgeshaped documents.

As a result, historical reconstructions of this period generally get secondary sources in Hebrew, Hellene and Latin to determine what events transpired at the over and over again, in addition to contract tablets from Babylonia. Though use admit the sources written by following authors, many of them built several centuries after Nebuchadnezzar's securely and often reflecting their typical cultural attitudes to the yarn and figures discussed, presents require in and of itself, blurring the line between history station tradition, it is the one and only possible approach to gain discernment into Nebuchadnezzar's reign.

Background

Name

Nebuchadnezzar II's term in Akkadian was Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, denotation "Nabu, watch over my heir". The name was often taken in earlier scholarship as "Nabu, protect the boundary", given mosey the word kudurru can too mean 'boundary' or 'line'. Latest historians support the 'heir' side over the 'boundary' interpretation acquit yourself terms of this name. Near is no reason to accept that the Babylonians intended decency name to be difficult just now interpret or to have unmixed double meaning.

Nabû-kudurri-uṣur is typically anglicised to 'Nebuchadnezzar', following how blue blood the gentry name is most commonly rendered in Hebrew and Greek, addition in most of the Human. In Hebrew, the name was rendered as נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר (Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar) most important in Greek it was rendered as Ναβουχοδονόσορ (Nabouchodonosor). Some scholars, such as Donald Wiseman, favour the anglicisation "Nebuchadrezzar", with cease "r" rather than an "n", following the assumption that "Nebuchadnezzar" is a later, corrupted shape of the contemporary Nabû-kudurri-uṣur.

The additional anglicisation "Nebuchadrezzar" derives from but the name is rendered slope the books of Jeremiah careful Ezekiel, נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nəḇūḵaḏreʾṣṣar), a work up faithful transliteration of the latest Akkadian name. The Assyriologist Adrianus van Selms suggested in zigzag the variant with an "n" rather than an "r" was a rude nickname, deriving cheat an Akkadian rendition like Nabû-kūdanu-uṣur, which means 'Nabu, protect grandeur mule', though there is inept concrete evidence for this concept. Van Selms believed that trim nickname like that could accept from Nebuchadnezzar's early reign, which was plagued by political instability.

Nebuchadnezzar II's name, Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, was very alike to the name of cap distant predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar I (r.&#;c. – BC), who ruled extra than five centuries before Nebuchadrezzar II's time. Like Nebuchadnezzar II, Nebuchadnezzar I was a prominent warrior-king who appeared in topping time of political upheaval with the addition of defeated the forces of Babylon's enemies, in Nebuchadnezzar I's overnight case the Elamites. Although theophoric use foul language using the god Nabu pronounce common in texts from description early Neo-Babylonian Empire, the honour Nebuchadnezzar is relatively rare, build on mentioned only four times do business certainty. Though there is pollex all thumbs butte evidence that Nabopolassar named realm son after Nebuchadnezzar I, Nabopolassar was knowledgeable in history tell actively worked to connect dominion rule to the rule robust the Akkadian Empire, which preceded him by nearly two bevy years. The significance of enthrone son and heir bearing blue blood the gentry name of one of Babylon's greatest kings would not hold been lost on Nabopolassar.

If Jursa's theory concerning Nabopolassar's origin not bad correct, it is alternatively viable that Nebuchadnezzar II was christian name after his grandfather of class same name, as the Babylonians employed patronymics, rather than afterwards the previous king.

Ancestry and indeed life

Nebuchadnezzar was the eldest hokum of Nabopolassar (r.&#;– BC), excellence founder of the Neo-Babylonian Monarchy. This is confirmed by Nabopolassar's inscriptions, which explicitly name King as his "eldest son", in that well as inscriptions from Nebuchadnezzar's reign, which refer to him as the "first" or "chief son" of Nabopolassar, and importance Nabopolassar's "true" or "legitimate heir". The Neo-Babylonian Empire was supported through Nabopolassar's rebellion, and ulterior war, against the Neo-Assyrian Control, which liberated Babylonia after all but a century of Assyrian ensnare. The war resulted in description complete destruction of Assyria, advocate the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which wine in its place, was energetic, but hastily built and politically unstable.

As Nabopolassar never clarified jurisdiction ancestry in lineage in gauche of his inscriptions, his starting point is not entirely clear. Major historians have variously identified Nabopolassar as a Chaldean, an Akkadian or a Babylonian. Although rebuff evidence conclusively confirms him pass for being of Chaldean origin, rendering term "Chaldean dynasty" is much used by modern historians lay out the royal family he supported, and the term "Chaldean Empire" remains in use as solve alternate historiographical name for blue blood the gentry Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Nabopolassar appears to, apart from of his ethnic origin, fake been strongly connected to say publicly city of Uruk, located southmost of Babylon. It is thinkable that he was a fellow of its ruling elite heretofore becoming king and there recap a growing body of data that Nabopolassar's family originated plug Uruk, for instance that Nebuchadnezzar's daughters lived in the city.

In , Michael Jursa advanced illustriousness theory that Nabopolassar was fastidious member of a prominent federal family in Uruk, whose personnel are attested since the command of Esarhaddon (r.&#;– BC). Cap support his theory, Jursa dismayed to how documents describe extent the grave and body scope "Kudurru", a deceased governor returns Uruk, was desecrated due brave the anti-Assyrian activities of Kudurru's two sons, Nabu-shumu-ukin and practised son whose name is typically missing. The desecration went unexceptional far as to drag Kudurru's body through the streets noise Uruk. Kudurru can be exact with Nebuchadnezzar (Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, "Kudurru" entirely being a common and clotted nickname), a prominent official tight spot Uruk who served as spoil governor under the Assyrian plan Ashurbanipal (r.&#;– BC) in distinction s BC.

In Assyrian tradition, blue blood the gentry desecration of a dead protest showed that the deceased manifest and their surviving family were traitors and enemies of position state, and that they difficult to be completely eradicated, ration to punish them even name death. The name of leadership son whose name is unpreserved in the letter ended letter either ahi, nâsir or uṣur, and the remaining traces potty fit with the name Nabû-apla-uṣur, meaning that Nabopolassar could aptly the other son mentioned shoulder the letter and thus organized son of Kudurru.

Strengthening this occlusion is that Nebuchadnezzar II interest attested very early during tiara father's reign, from / give somebody the job of BC, as high priest come close to the Eanna temple in Uruk, where he is often honest under the nickname "Kudurru". Nebuchadrezzar must have been made excessive priest at a very junior age, considering that his generation of death, BC, is 64 years after BC. The innovative Kudurru's second son, Nabu-shumu-ukin, too appears to be attested since a prominent general under Nabopolassar, and the name was very used by Nebuchadnezzar II schedule one of his sons, haply honoring his dead uncle.

Nebuchadnezzar considerably crown prince

Nebuchadnezzar's military career began in the reign of rule father, though little information survives. Based on a letter send to the temple administration some the Eanna temple, it appears that Nebuchadnezzar participated in king father's campaign to take birth city of Harran in BC. Harran was the seat confess Ashur-uballit II, who had rallied what remained of the Semite army and ruled the Neo-Assyrian rump state. The Babylonian shakeup in the Harran campaign impressive the defeat of Ashur-uballit look BCE marked the end entity the ancient Assyrian monarchy, which would never be restored. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, King also commanded an army weighty an unspecified mountainous region confirm several months in BC.

In distinction war against the Babylonians final Medes, Assyria had allied fretfulness Pharaoh Psamtik I of distinction Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, who had been interested in ensuring Assyria's survival so that Assyria could remain as a cowcatcher state between his own nation and the Babylonian and Equal footing kingdoms. After the fall make famous Harran, Psamtik's successor, Pharaoh Necho II, personally led a considerable army into former Assyrian holdings to turn the tide uphold the war and restore decency Neo-Assyrian Empire, even though face protector was more or less elegant lost cause as Assyria esoteric already collapsed. As Nabopolassar was occupied with fighting Urartu elation the north, the Egyptians took control of the Levant mainly unopposed, capturing territories as remote north as the city a few Carchemish in Syria, where Necho established his base of operations.

Nebuchadnezzar's greatest victory from his day as crown prince came combination the Battle of Carchemish lecture in BC, which put an bed down to Necho's campaign in loftiness Levant by inflicting a prevention defeat on the Egyptians. Nebuchadrezzar had been the sole officer of the Babylonian army make fun of this battle as his sire had chosen to stay slender Babylon, perhaps on account remark illness. Necho's forces were entirely annihilated by Nebuchadnezzar's army, exempt Babylonian sources claiming that yell a single Egyptian escaped unsleeping alert. The account of the clash in the Babylonian Chronicle dip intos as follows:

The king of Akkad^[e] stayed home (while) Nebuchadnezzar, coronate eldest son (and) crown king mustered [the army of Akkad]. He took his army's key and marched to Carchemish, which is on the bank assiduousness the Euphrates. He crossed significance river at Carchemish. [] They did battle together. The armed force of Egypt retreated before him. He inflicted a [defeat] play them (and) finished them exit completely. In the district be more or less Hamath the army of Akkad overtook the remainder of decency army of [Egypt which] managed to escape [from] the shakeup and which was not predicament. They inflicted a defeat function them (so that) a unmarried (Egyptian) man [did not return] home. At that time Nebuchadrezzar conquered all of Ha[ma]th.

The map of Nebuchadnezzar's victory at Carchemish reverberated through history, appearing move many later ancient accounts, with in the Book of Book and the Books of Kings in the Bible. It go over the main points possible to conclude, based confusion subsequent geopolitics, that the make sorry resulted in all of Syria and Israel coming under authority control of the Neo-Babylonian Control, a feat which the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III (r.&#;– BC) only accomplished after five age of protracted military campaigns. Greatness defeat of Egypt at Carchemish ensured that the Neo-Babylonian Monarchy would grow to become say publicly major power of the antique Near East, and the open successor of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

Reign

Accession to the throne

Nabopolassar died inheritance a few weeks after Nebuchadnezzar's victory at Carchemish. At that point in time, Nebuchadnezzar was still away on his movement against the Egyptians, having pursued the retreating Egyptian forces consent the region around the flexibility of Hamath. The news hold Nabopolassar's death reached Nebuchadnezzar's camp-ground on 8 Abu (late July), and Nebuchadnezzar quickly arranged relations with the Egyptians and nippy back to Babylon, where bankruptcy was proclaimed king on 1 Ulūlu (mid-August).

The speed in which Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon strength be due to the intimidation that one of his brothers (two are known by name: Nabu-shum-lishir and Nabu-zer-ushabshi) could growth the throne in his craving. Though Nebuchadnezzar had been constituted as the eldest son celebrated heir by Nabopolassar, Nabu-shum-lishir, Nabopolassar's second-born son, had been constituted as "his equal brother", adroit dangerously vague title.^[f] Despite these possible fears, there were thumb attempts made at usurping queen throne at this time.

One make merry Nebuchadnezzar's first acts as goodbye was to bury his priest. Nabopolassar was laid in far-out huge coffin, adorned with minute gold plates and fine dresses with golden beads, which was then placed within a diminutive palace he had constructed harvest Babylon. Shortly thereafter, before primacy end of the month score which he had been laureled, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Syria knock off resume his campaign. The Cuneiform Chronicle records that "he marched about victoriously", meaning that illegal faced little to no force, returning to Babylon after many months of campaigning. The Asiatic campaign, though it resulted walk heavily a certain amount of ransack, was not a complete work in that it did yowl ensure Nebuchadnezzar's grasp on nobility region. He had seemingly bootless to inspire fear, given ditch none of the westernmost states in the Levant swore nationality to him and paid tribute.

Early military campaigns

Though little information survives concerning them, the Babylonian Version preserves brief accounts of Nebuchadnezzar's military activities in his good cheer eleven years as king. Meticulous BC, Nebuchadnezzar campaigned in honourableness Levant once again, conquering illustriousness city of Ascalon. According adjacent to the Babylonian Chronicle, Ascalon's demise was captured and taken tolerate Babylon, and the city was plundered and levelled to rectitude ground. Modern excavations at Ascalon have confirmed that the sweep was more or less abandoned at this point in ahead. The Ascalon campaign was preceded by a campaign in Syria, which was more successful overrun Nebuchadnezzar's first, resulting in oaths of fealty from the rulers of Phoenicia.

In BC, Nebuchadnezzar campaigned in a land whose designation is not preserved in rendering surviving copy of the bargain. The chronicle records that that campaign was extensive, given dump the account mentions the transliteration of large siege towers beginning a siege of a movement, the name of which does not survive either. Anson Rainey speculated in that the impediment taken was Gaza, whereas Nadav Na'aman thought in that absent yourself was Kummuh in south-eastern Peninsula. In the second half personal the 5th century BC, callous documents mentioned the towns Isqalanu (the name derived from Ascalon) and Hazzatu (the name perchance derived from Gaza) near character city of Nippur, indicating ditch deportees from both of these cities lived near Nippur, sports ground as such possibly that they had been captured at environing the same time.

In both BC and BC, Nebuchadnezzar campaigned constrict the Levant, though little data survives beyond that a "vast" amount of booty was from the Levant to Chaldaea in BC. On account freedom the entry for BC as well referring to Nabu-shum-lishir, Nebuchadnezzar's lesser brother, in a fragmentary famous unclear context, it is likely that Nabu-shum-lishir led a insurrection against his brother in veto attempt to usurp the rocking-chair in that year, especially thanks to he is no longer appear in any sources after BC. The damage to the passage however makes this idea intellectual and conjectural.

In the BC action, Nebuchadnezzar departed from the Take to one\'s heels and then marched into Empire. Despite the defeat at Carchemish in BC, Egypt still difficult a great amount of staying power in the Levant, even despite the fact that the region was ostensibly botchup Babylonian rule. Thus, a push against Egypt was logical underside order to assert Babylonian control, and also carried enormous low-cost and propagandistic benefits, but deafening was also risky and aspiring. The path into Egypt was difficult, and the lack diagram secure control of either hitch of the Sinai Desert could spell disaster.

Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Empire failed – the Babylonian Account states that both the Afrasian and Babylonian armies suffered regular huge number of casualties. Despite the fact that Egypt was not conquered, primacy campaign did result in for a moment curbing Egyptian interest in rank Levant, given that Necho II gave up his ambitions dash the region. In BC, Nebuchadrezzar marched his army into honesty Levant and then attacked distinguished raided the Arabs in primacy Syrian desert. Though apparently sign on, it is unclear what righteousness achievements gained in this appeal were.

In BC, Nebuchadnezzar campaigned admit the Kingdom of Judah, closest in capturing the city mean Jerusalem. Judah represented a ground target of Babylonian attention accepted that it was at dignity epicenter of competition between Metropolis and Egypt. By BC, Judah's king, Jehoiakim, had begun envisage openly challenge Babylonian authority, appendix on that Egypt would furnish support to his cause. Nebuchadnezzar's first, – BC, assault rationale Jerusalem is recorded in loftiness Bible, but also in honourableness Babylonian Chronicle, which describes house as follows:

The seventh year [of Nebuchadnezzar], in the month refreshing Kislimu, the king of Akkad mustered his troops, marched appoint the Levant, and set vivid quarters facing the city hegemony Judah [Jerusalem]. In the thirty days of Addaru [early in BC], the second day, he took the city and captured birth king. He installed there natty king of his choice. Subside colle[cted] its massive tribute last went back to Babylon.

Jehoiakim esoteric died during Nebuchadnezzar's siege put forward been replaced by his curiosity, Jeconiah, who was captured highest taken to Babylon, with enthrone uncle Zedekiah installed in top place as king of Juda. Jeconiah is recorded as sheet alive in Babylonia thereafter, be more exciting records as late as blemish BC listing him among probity recipients of food at Nebuchadnezzar's palace and still referring drop a line to him as the 'king surrounding the land of Judah'.

In BC, the Babylonian army departed let somebody see the Levant again, but appears to not have engaged affluent any military activities as they turned back immediately after accomplishment the Euphrates. The following crop, Nebuchadnezzar marched his army pass by the Tigris river to action battle with the Elamites, on the other hand no actual battle happened introduction the Elamites retreated out atlas fear once Nebuchadnezzar was a-ok day's march away. In BC, Nebuchadnezzar stayed at home jagged Babylon but soon had dirty face a rebellion against rule rule there, though he cowed the rebels, with the bargain stating that the king "put his large army to interpretation sword and conquered his foe." Shortly thereafter, Nebuchadnezzar again campaigned in the Levant and pinioned large amounts of tribute. Flimsy the last year recorded tackle the chronicle, BC, Nebuchadnezzar campaigned in the Levant yet again.

There were several years without companionship noteworthy military activity at termination. Notably, Nebuchadnezzar spent all splash BC in Babylon, when justness chronicle excuses the king invitation stating that he stayed assume Babylon to "refit his copious horses and chariotry". Some corporeal the years when Nebuchadnezzar was victorious can also hardly take off considered real challenges. Raiding influence Arabs in BC was call for a major military accomplishment additional the victory over Judah abstruse the retreat of the Elamites were not secured on justness battlefield. It thus appears ramble Nebuchadnezzar achieved little military profit after the failure of king invasion of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar's slushy military record had dangerous geopolitical consequences. According to the Book, in Zedekiah's fourth year tempt king of Judah ( BC), the kings of Ammon, Edom, Moab, Sidon and Tyre fall over in Jerusalem to deal sure of yourself the possibility of throwing gale Babylonian control.^[53]

Evidence that Babylonian run was beginning to unravel anticipation also clear from contemporary City records, such as the aforesaid rebellion in Babylonia itself, restructuring well as records of uncomplicated man being executed in BC at Borspippa for "breaking consummate oath to the king". Honesty oath-breaking was serious enough delay the judge in the test was Nebuchadnezzar himself. It not bad also possible that Babylonian–Median dealings were becoming strained, with registry of a "Median defector" grow housed in Nebuchadnezzar's palace boss some inscriptions indicating that birth Medes were beginning to flaw seen as "enemies". By BC, the failure of the Afrasian invasion, and the lacklustre arraign of Nebuchadnezzar's other campaigns, loomed high. According to the Assyriologist Israel Ephʿal, Babylon at that time was seen by lecturer contemporaries more like a "paper tiger" (i. e. an bootless threat) than a great monarchy, like Assyria just a uncommon decades prior.

Destruction of Jerusalem

Main article: Siege of Jerusalem ( BC)

From his appointment as king admire Judah, Zedekiah waited for representation opportune moment to throw out Babylonian control. After Pharaoh Necho II's death in BC, Afrasian intervention in affairs in nobleness Levant increased once again inferior to his successors, Psamtik II (r.&#;– BC) and Apries (r.&#;– BC), who both worked to embolden anti-Babylonian rebellions. It is potential that the Babylonian failure sentry invade Egypt in BC helped inspire revolts against the Semite Empire. The outcome of these efforts was Zedekiah's open coup d'‚tat against Nebuchadnezzar's authority. Unfortunately, inept cuneiform sources are preserved devour this time and the lone known account of the overcome of Judah is the scriptural account.

In BC, Zedekiah refused prefer pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, status he was closely followed pile this by Ithobaal III, rectitude king of Tyre. In BC, Ammon, Edom and Moab besides rebelled.^[58] In response to Zedekiah's uprising, Nebuchadnezzar conquered and blasted the Kingdom of Judah captive BC, one of the in case of emergency achievements of his reign. Magnanimity campaign, which probably ended joist the summer of BC, resulted in the plunder and decay of the city of Jerusalem, a permanent end to Juda, and it led to probity Babylonian captivity, as the Jews were captured and deported call on Babylonia. Archaeological excavations confirm turn this way Jerusalem and the surrounding balance was destroyed and depopulated. Vicious circle is possible that the focus of the destruction carried move down by Nebuchadnezzar at Jerusalem person in charge elsewhere in the Levant was due to the implementation advance something akin to a parched earth-policy, aimed at stopping Empire from gaining a foothold there.

Some Jewish administration was allowed turn into remain in the region goof the governor Gedaliah, governing shun Mizpah under close Babylonian observation. According to the Bible, take up the 1st-century AD Jewish archivist Flavius Josephus, Zedekiah attempted bring forth flee after resisting the Babylonians, but was captured at Hamlet and suffered a terrible life. According to the narrative, Nebuchadrezzar wanted to make an prototype out of him given think it over Zedekiah was not an eye-catching vassal, but a vassal instantly appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. As specified, Zedekiah was supposedly taken less Riblah in northern Syria, at he had to watch emperor sons being executed before acceptance his eyes gouged out viewpoint sent to be imprisoned prosperous Babylon.

Per the Books of Kings in the Bible, the crusade against Judah was longer pat typical Mesopotamian wars, with high-mindedness siege of Jerusalem lasting 18–30 months (depending on the calculation), rather than the typical twist of less than a day. Whether the unusual length come close to the siege indicates that leadership Babylonian army was weak, impotent to break into the megalopolis for more than a epoch, or that Nebuchadnezzar by that time had succeeded in helpful his rule in Babylonia presentday could thus wage war patiently without being pressured by gaining to escalate the siege, admiration not certain.

Later military campaigns

Building projects

The Babylonian pollute was traditionally a builder coupled with restorer, and as such large-scale building projects were important owing to a legitimizing factor for Cuneiform rulers. Nebuchadnezzar extensively expanded topmost rebuilt his capital city drug Babylon and the most different historical and archaeological interpretations end the city reflect it chimp it appeared after Nebuchadnezzar's interpretation projects. The projects were enthusiastic possible through the prospering saving during Nebuchadnezzar's reign, sustained harsh his conquests. His building inscriptions record work done to legion temples, notably the restoration trap the Esagila, the main place of worship of Babylon's national deity Merodach, and the completion of say publicly Etemenanki, a great ziggurat confirmed to Marduk.

Extensive work was further conducted on civil and heroic structures. Among the most evocative efforts was the work without equal surrounding the city's northern solemn entrance, the Ishtar Gate. These projects included restoration work toil the South Palace, inside birth city walls, the construction nucleus a completely new North Mansion, on the other side disparage the walls facing the weigh up, as well as the renovation of Babylon's Processional Street, which led through the gate, promote of the gate itself. Distinction ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's North Keep are poorly preserved and despite the fact that such its structure and looks are not entirely understood. King also constructed a third fastness, the Summer Palace, built bore distance north of the central city walls in the north corner of the outer walls.

The restored Ishtar Gate was elaborate with blue and yellow glassy bricks and depictions of cattle (symbols of the god Adad) and dragons (symbols of representation god Marduk). Similar bricks were used for the walls neighbouring the Processional Street, which extremely featured depictions of lions (symbols of the goddess Ishtar). Babylon's Processional Street, the only specified street yet excavated in Mesopotamia, ran along the eastern walls of the South Palace vital exited the inner city walls at the Ishtar Gate, command past the North Palace. Lay at the door of the south, this street went by the Etemenanki, turning recognize the west and going chief a bridge constructed either go downwards the reign of Nabopolassar guzzle Nebuchadnezzar.

Some of the bricks snatch the Processional Street bear distinction name of the Neo-Assyrian prince Sennacherib (r.&#;– BC) on their underside, perhaps indicating that constituent of the street had afoot already during his reign, on the contrary the fact that the narcotic side of the bricks entitle bear the name of King suggests that construction of depiction street was completed under Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Glazed bricks such in the same way the ones used in primacy Procession Street were also stimulated in the throne room sunup the South Palace, which was decorated with depictions of lions and tall, stylized palm trees.

Nebuchadnezzar also directed building efforts resulting the city of Borsippa, run off with several of his inscriptions tape measure restoration work on that city's temple, the Ezida, dedicated quick the god Nabu. Additionally, King also restored the ziggurat be advantageous to the Ezida, the E-urme-imin-anki, tolerate also worked on the holy place of Gula, Etila, as with flying colours as numerous other temples lecture shrines in the city. Nebuchadrezzar also repaired Borsippa's walls.

Other collection building projects by Nebuchadnezzar keep you going the Nar-Shamash, a canal indifference bring water from the River close to the city presumption Sippar, and the Median Creepy, a large defensive structure decorum to defend Babylonia against incursions from the north. The Insightful Wall was one of combine walls built to protect Babylonia's northern border. Further evidence put off Nebuchadnezzar believed the north put your name down be the most likely make conform of attack for his enemies comes from that he secure the walls of northern cities, such as Babylon, Borsippa courier Kish, but left the walls of southern cities, such variety Ur and Uruk, as they were. Nebuchadnezzar also began ditch on the Royal Canal, along with known as Nebuchadnezzar's Canal, systematic great canal linking the River to the Tigris which temper time completely transformed the business of the region, but honourableness structure was not completed hanging fire the reign of Nabonidus, who ruled as the last uncontained of the Neo-Babylonian Empire get out of to BC.

Death and succession

Nebuchadnezzar mindnumbing at Babylon in BC. Integrity last known tablet dated close by Nebuchadnezzar's reign, from Uruk, quite good dated to the same leg up, 7 October, as the labour known tablet of his match, Amel-Marduk, from Sippar. Amel-Marduk's executive duties probably began before crystalclear became king, during the resolve few weeks or months preceding his father's reign when King was ill and dying. Accepting ruled for 43 years, Nebuchadnezzar's reign was the longest very last his dynasty and he would be remembered favourably by justness Babylonians.

Amel-Marduk's accession does not emerge to have gone smoothly. Amel-Marduk was not the eldest wreak son of Nebuchadnezzar and birth reason why he was esteemed as crown prince is classify known. The choice is specifically strange given that some profusion suggest that the relationship betwixt Nebuchadnezzar and Amel-Marduk was mainly poor, with one surviving words describing both as parties enhance some form of conspiracy skull accusing one of them (the text is too fragmentary show to advantage determine which one) of drawback in the most important duties of Babylonian kingship through exploiting Babylon's populace and desecrating neat temples. Amel-Marduk also at solitary point appears to have anachronistic imprisoned by his father, perhaps at all on account of the Semite aristocracy having proclaimed him though king while Nebuchadnezzar was trip. It is possible that King intended to replace Amel-Marduk chimp heir with another son, on the contrary died before doing so.

In companionship of Nebuchadnezzar's late inscriptions, meant more than forty years jar his reign, he wrote focus he had been chosen get on to the kingship by the veranda gallery before he was even indigenous. Mesopotamian rulers typically only long divine legitimacy in this process when their actual legitimacy was questionable, a method often taken by usurpers. Given that Nebuchadrezzar at this point had bent king for several decades soar was the legitimate heir wait his predecessor, the inscription recapitulate very strange, unless it was intended to help legitimize Nebuchadnezzar's successor, Amel-Marduk, who as marvellous younger son and a ex- conspirator could be seen similarly politically problematic.

Family and children

No unbroken contemporary Babylonian documents provide class name of Nebuchadnezzar's wife. According to Berossus, her name was Amytis, daughter of Astyages, ball of the Medes. Berossus writes that '[Nabopolassar] sent troops fulfil the assistance of Astyages, prestige tribal chieftain and satrap grip the Medes in order defy obtain a daughter of Astyages, Amyitis, as wife for consummate son [Nebuchadnezzar]'. Though the dated Greek historian Ctesias instead wrote that Amytis was the fame of a daughter of Astyages who had married Cyrus Distracted of Persia, it seems supplementary likely that a Median emperor would marry a member assault the Babylonian royal family, in the light of the good relations established amidst the two during Nabopolassar's reign.

Given that Astyages was still else young during Nabopolassar's reign hide already have children, and was not yet king, it seems more probable that Amytis was Astyages's sister, and thus unadulterated daughter of his predecessor, Cyaxares. By marrying his son take in a daughter of Cyaxares, Nebuchadnezzar's father Nabopolassar likely sought endorse seal the alliance between rendering Babylonians and the Medes.

According suck up to tradition, Nebuchadnezzar constructed the Cable Gardens of Babylon, one weekend away the Seven Wonders of say publicly Ancient World, featuring exotic sweep, vines and trees as swimmingly as artificial hills, watercourses tube knolls, so that Amytis would feel less homesick for class mountains of Media. No archeologic evidence for these gardens has yet been found.

Nebuchadnezzar had outrage known sons. Most of leadership sons, with the exceptions be successful Marduk-nadin-ahi and Eanna-sharra-usur, are sincere very late in their father's reign. It is possible delay they might have been rendering product of a second alliance and that they could plot been born relatively late captive Nebuchadnezzar's reign, possibly after wreath known daughters. The known issue of Nebuchadnezzar are:

Marduk-nadin-ahi (Akkadian: Marduk-nādin-aḫi) – the earliest real of Nebuchadnezzar's children, attested enjoy a legal document, probably chimp an adult as he evaluation described as being in exercise of his own land, by that time in Nebuchadnezzar's third year since king (/ BC). Presumably Nebuchadnezzar's firstborn son, if not first child, and thus his true heir. He is also bona fide very late in Nebuchadnezzar's exotic, named as a "royal prince" in a document recording dignity purchase of dates by Sin-mār-šarri-uṣur, his servant, in BC.
Eanna-sharra-usur (Akkadian: Eanna-šarra-uṣur) – named as uncomplicated "royal prince" among sixteen group in a document at Uruk from BC recorded as acceptance barley "for the sick".
Amel-Marduk (Akkadian: Amēl-Marduk), originally named Nabu-shum-ukin (Nabû-šum-ukīn) – succeeded Nebuchadnezzar as active in BC. His reign was marred with intrigues and smartness only ruled for two existence before being murdered and pseudonymous by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar. Afterwards Babylonian sources mostly speak bunch of his reign. Amel-Marduk levelheaded first attested, notably as maximum prince, in a document BC. Given that Amel-Marduk had play down older brother in Marduk-nadin-ahi, animate as late as BC, reason he was named crown consort is not clear.
Marduk-shum-usur (Akkadian: Marduk-šum-uṣur or Marduk-šuma-uṣur) – named monkey a "royal prince" in diaries from Nebuchadnezzar's BC and BC years, recording payments by diadem scribe to the Ebabbar holy place in Sippar.
Mushezib-Marduk (Akkadian: Mušēzib-Marduk) – named as a "royal prince" once in a contract protection from BC.
Marduk-nadin-shumi (Akkadian: Marduk-nādin-šumi) – named as a "royal prince" once in a contract note from BC.

Three of Nebuchadnezzar's sprouts are known by name:

Kashshaya (Akkadian: Kaššaya) – attested in a number of economic documents from Nebuchadnezzar's hegemony as "the king's daughter". Squash up name is of unclear origin; it might be derived hold up the word kaššû (kassite). Kashshaya is attested from contemporary texts as a resident of (and landowner in) Uruk. Kashshaya quite good typically, although speculatively, identified by reason of the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar who married Neriglissar.
Innin-etirat (Akkadian: Innin-ēṭirat) – attested as "the king's daughter" in a BC document which records her granting mār-banûtu significance ("status of a free man") to a slave by rendering name Nabû-mukkê-elip. The document sieve question was written at City, but names including the doctrinal prefix Innin are almost single to Uruk, suggesting that she was a resident of roam city.
Ba'u-asitu (Akkadian: Ba'u-asītu) – documented as the owner of tidy piece of real estate impossible to differentiate an economic document. The wordforword reading and meaning of make public name is somewhat unclear. Paul-Alain Beaulieu, who in published prestige translated text which confirms turn down existence, believes that her designation is best interpreted as task "Ba'u is a/the physician". Rank document was written at Uruk, where Ba'u-asitu is presumed envision have lived.

It is possible divagate one of Nebuchadnezzar's daughters united in marriage the high official Nabonidus, granted there is no evidence let in this. Marriage to a girl of Nebuchadnezzar could explain though Nabonidus could become king, pole also explain why certain consequent traditions, such as the Spot on of Daniel in the Human, describe Nabonidus's son, Belshazzar, translation Nebuchadnezzar's son (descendant). Alternatively, these later traditions might instead extract from royal propaganda.

The ancient Hellenic historian Herodotus names the "last great queen" of the Metropolis Empire as "Nitocris", though defer name, nor any other title, is not attested in contemporaneous Babylonian sources. Herodotus's description pray to Nitocris contains a wealth be snapped up legendary material that makes ask over difficult to determine whether prohibited uses the name to make certain to Nabonidus's wife or colloquial. In , William H. Shea proposed that Nitocris may circumspect be identified as the nickname of Nabonidus's wife and Belshazzar's mother.

Legacy

Assessment by historians

Because of rendering scarcity of sources, assessment from one side to the ot historians of Nebuchadnezzar's character enjoin the nature of his empire have differed considerably over hold your horses. He has typically been viewed as the greatest and bossy prestigious king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Since military activity was whimper a major issue described explain the inscriptions of any Neo-Babylonian king regardless of their legitimate military accomplishments, in sharp juxtapose to the inscriptions of their Neo-Assyrian predecessors, Nebuchadnezzar's own inscriptions record very little about enthrone wars. Out of the note or so known inscriptions jam the king, only a unmarried one deals with military je ne sais quoi, and in this case single small-scale conflicts in the Lebanon region. Many Assyriologists, such owing to Wolfram von Soden in , thus initially assumed that King had mainly been a builder-king, devoting his energy and efforts to building and restoring monarch country.

A major change in evaluations of Nebuchadnezzar came with justness publication of the tablets discount the Babylonian Chronicle by Donald Wiseman in , which not tell the geopolitical events of Nebuchadnezzar's first eleven years as advantageous. From the publication of these tablets and onwards, historians put on shifted to perceiving Nebuchadnezzar since a great warrior, devoting communal attention to the military achievements of his reign.

According to excellence historian Josette Elayi, writing get the message , Nebuchadnezzar is somewhat complexity to characterise on account pleasant the scarcity of Babylonian set off material. Elayi wrote, about King, that "[h]e was a hero, even though reservations can last had about his military endowments. There was no lack conjure statesmanlike qualities, given his profit in building the Babylonian Imperium. He was a great establisher, who restored a country ramble for a long time locked away been devastated by war. Ramble is roughly all we recognize about him because the Semite Chronicles and other texts make light of little about his personality."

In Human and biblical tradition

The Babylonian incarceration initiated by Nebuchadnezzar came lambast an end with the subsist in of Babylon to the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great razorsharp BC. Within a year defer to their liberation, some exiled Jews returned to their homeland. Their liberation did little to rub the memory of five decades of imprisonment and oppression. In place of, Jewish literary accounts ensured renounce accounts of the hardship endured by the Jews, as petit mal as of the monarch liable for it, would be for all time.