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Nebuchadnezzar....
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perhaps the best known ruler of Babylon in the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty.
He is (in) famous for his conquests of Judah and
Jerusalem, in addition to
his monumental building within his capital of Babylon. He is sometimes
called "Nebuchadrezzar the Great", but because of his destruction of
temples in Jerusalem and the conquest of
Judah, he was vilified in the
Bible and the appellation of "Great" did not survive in western contexts.
In the Arabic world, and especially in
Iraq, he is often considered to be
the greatest king of Babylon,
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His name, in Akkadian Nabû-kudurri-uur, means "Nebo,
protect the boundary-stone". In an inscription he styles himself "Nebo's
favourite." The Hebrew form typically used in the
Bible is
Nbhûkhadhnệşşar, In some places, such as
Jeremiah 21:2, the form is used (Nbhûkhadhrệşşar), which is closer to the original Akkadian.
Nebuchadrezzar was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, who
delivered Babylon from its dependence on
Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins.
He married the daughter of Cyaxares, and thus the Median and
Babylonian
dynasties were united. |
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Necho II, the king of Egypt, had gained a victory over the
Assyrians at Carchemish. This secured Egypt the possession of
Phoenician provinces of the
Neo-Assyrian Empire, including parts of Palestine. The remaining
Assyrian
provinces were divided between Babylonia and Media. Nabopolassar was intent
on reconquering from Necho the western provinces of Syria,
however, and to
this end dispatched his son with a powerful army westward. In the ensuing
Battle of Carchemish in 606 BC, the Egyptian army was defeated and driven
back, and Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the sway of
Babylon. Nabopolassar died on August 15, 605 BC and Nebuchadrezzar quickly returned
to Babylon to ascend to the throne. |
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Nebuchadrezzar subsequently engaged in several military
campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Syria
and Judah, capturing Jerusalem
in 597 BC, bringing King Jehoiachin to Babylon.
Another siege of Jerusalem occurred in 586 BC, ending in the destruction
of both the city and the Temple and the deportation of many prominent
citizens to Babylon. These events are described in the
Bible. |
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