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8 - Empire

Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar II, 625–5621

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2021

Stephanie Dalley
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

Nabopolassar fought with an Assyrian-style army and took the throne of Babylon. Thirteen years later, Nineveh fell despite Egyptian help. Babylon took over much of the Assyrian empire. Later he defeated the last Assyrian king at Harran. His success was seen as Marduk’s revenge. Captured wealth from Assyrian royal cities allowed major building work at Babylon, which was continued by Nabopolassar’s son Nebuchadnezzar II. Neither king left statues of themselves, and cylinder seals represent gods by their symbols. Major subsidence in the citadel required frequent rebuilding on the Southern Palace. The names of temples and gates were compiled on to a clay tablet as a literary work. Colour-glazed bricks adorned the Processional Way leading to the temple of the New Year festival outside the citadel walls. That festival is described. Some of his creations Nebuchadnezzar described as a Wonder, but he made no mention of the Hanging Garden. In a separate part of the citadel, Nebuchadnezzar built a Summer Palace. His conquests included Tyre and Ashkelon but not Egypt or Lydia. He sacked the Temple in Jerusalem and deported its royal family to Babylon. Other captives settled on land nearby. Business archives of long duration continue into the Achaemenid period.

Type
Chapter
Information
The City of Babylon
A History, c. 2000 BC – AD 116
, pp. 214 - 247
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Empire
  • Stephanie Dalley, University of Oxford
  • Book: The City of Babylon
  • Online publication: 23 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479728.009
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  • Empire
  • Stephanie Dalley, University of Oxford
  • Book: The City of Babylon
  • Online publication: 23 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479728.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Empire
  • Stephanie Dalley, University of Oxford
  • Book: The City of Babylon
  • Online publication: 23 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479728.009
Available formats
×