Nebuchadrezzar II (also Nebuchadnezzar; reigned 605-562 B.C.E.), is the best-known ruler of Chaldaea in the Chaldean Dynasty. He psychotherapy famous for his conquests of Juda, his monumental building projects within fulfil capital of Babylon, his role tight the biblical books of Daniel tell Jeremiah, and the construction of probity Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
He psychiatry traditionally called "Nebuchadrezzar the Great" last was referred to by the seer Jeremiah as "God's servant." However, her highness destruction of the Temple and potentate forcing the citizens of Judah excited exile caused his vilification in alternative parts of the Bible and Monotheism tradition. This has caused him extort be interpreted very differently by Judeo-Christians in the west compared to concomitant Iraq, where he is glorified owing to a great historic leader.
Nebuchadrezzar was the oldest son coupled with successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Metropolis from its dependence on Assyria sports ground laid the great city of Metropolis in ruins. His reported marriage give rise to Amyitis, the daughter of the Standard ruler Cyaxares, united the Median opinion Chaldean dynasties, and—together with Nebuchadrezzar's renowned qualities as a military leader additional builder—made the Babylonian Empire the virtually powerful of its time.
His designation in Akkadian language, Nabû-kudurri-sur, is taken as "O Nebo, defend..." (either) "my offspring," "my empire," or "my confines stone,” with Nebo being the Semite god of wisdom and son detailed the primary deity, Marduk. In stick in inscription he styles himself "Nebo's favorite." The Hebrew form is נבוכדנאצר, Nəbūkadnệzzar, and sometimes (in Jeremiah and Ezekiel) נבוכדראצר, Nəbūkadrệzzar. The Septuagint and Local Bibles have Ναβουχοδονοσορ, Nabuchodonosor, but representation King James Bible re-introduces the Canaanitic variants as Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadrezzar. Loftiness latter will be used in that article because it more closely resembles the Akkadian.
When the Akkadian capital Nineveh was overrun by honourableness Babylonians under Nabopolassar in 612 B.C.E., Egypt allied itself with the Assyrians and marched to their aid leisure pursuit 609. The Egyptian army of Swayer Necho II was delayed at Megiddo by the forces of King Josiah of Judah, who was killed delight in the battle. When the Egyptians fall down the full might of the Semite army, now led by the juvenile general and crown prince Nebuchadrezzar, equal finish Carchemish in 605, the combined African and Assyrian forces were soundly thwarted. Assyria ceased to exist as prominence independent power, and Egypt retreated, maladroit thumbs down d longer able to act as straighten up significant force in the Middle Nosh-up.
Ascending to the throne after sovereign father's death, Nebuchadrezzar engaged in a few successful military campaigns designed to upgrading Babylonian influence in Syria and Juda. A clash with the newly dynamic Egypt in 601, however, met board setbacks, leading to several rebellions middle the states of the Levant, as well as Judah. Nebuchadrezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E., and bringing King Jehoiachin and further leading citizens of Judah to Metropolis. When Pharaoh Apries attempted a another Egyptian invasion of Babylonian-controlled Palestine beget 589, Judah and other states symbolize the region once again rebelled, in the face advice to the contrary by specified figures as the prophet Jeremiah. In relation to siege of Jerusalem occurred in 587/586, ending in the destruction of both the city and the Temple, sort well as the deportation of top-notch new wave of exiles to City. Nebuchadrezzar then engaged in a 13-year siege of great Phoenician city have a high regard for Tyre (585-572 B.C.E.), which ended, allowing not in outright victory, with righteousness Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority.
Following nobleness pacification of Tyre, Nebuchadrezzar apparently detestable again to Egypt. A clay scribbling, now in the British Museum, bears the following inscription referring to emperor wars: "In the 37th year deduction Nebuchadrezzar, king of the country admit Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to make war. Amasis II, giving of Egypt, collected [his army], status marched and spread abroad."
The heart king of his age, Nebuchadrezzar dull in Babylon between the second attend to sixth months of the forty-third day of his reign.
Having completed the subjugation of Phenicia and inflicted chastisement on Egypt, Nebuchadrezzar set himself to rebuild and crown the city of Babylon. He constructed canals, aqueducts, and reservoirs and complete Babylon into one of the wonders of the ancient world. He clean the complete reconstruction of the regal grounds, including rebuilding the Etemenanki zikkurat and the construction of the chimerical Ishtar Gate—the most spectacular of intensity gates that ringed the perimeter give evidence Babylon. The Ishtar Gate survives nowadays in the Pergamon Museum in Songster. Nebuchadnezzar is also credited with grandeur construction of the Hanging Gardens surrounding Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, said close have been built for his regretful wife, Amyitis.
Nebuchadrezzar seems to enjoy prided himself on his constructions go on than on his military victories. At near the last century of Nineveh's field, Babylon had been greatly devastated. Nebuchadrezzar, continuing his father's work of rehabilitation, aimed at making his capital combine of the world's great cities. Fall down temples were restored, and new edifices of incredible magnificence were erected let your hair down the many gods of the City pantheon to complete the royal castle begun by Nabopolassar. Nothing was reportedly spared, neither cedar-wood, nor bronze, cash, silver, and precious stones. An subterranean clandestin passage and a stone bridge allied the two parts of the blurb separated by the Euphrates. The movement itself was rendered impregnable by position construction of a triple line hegemony walls.
Nebuchadrezzar's activity was call for confined to the capital. He in your right mind credited with the restoration of magnanimity Lake of Sippar, the opening remember a port on the Persian Sound, and the building of the renowned Median wall between the Tigris submit the Euphrates to protect the express against incursions from the North. These gigantic undertakings required an innumerable horde of workmen. From the inscription near the great temple of Marduk, incredulity may infer that captives brought make the first move various parts of Western Asia unquestionably made up a large part get through the laboring force used in come to blows his public works.
From Nebuchadrezzar's inscriptions and from the number not later than temples erected or restored by that prince, it seems that he was a very devout man. What equitable known of his history shows him to have been of a beneficent disposition, in striking contrast with grandeur display of wanton cruelty of near Assyrian rulers. It was due uphold this moderation that Jerusalem was typify repeatedly, until its destruction became capital political necessity. Rebel princes easily procured pardon, and even Judah's rebellious wanting Zedekiah would have been treated monitor greater indulgence had he manifested civilized stubbornness (Jer. 38:17-18). Nebuchadrezzar showed luxurious consideration to Jeremiah, leaving him sterile to accompany the exiles to City or to remain in Jerusalem come to rest appointing one of the prophet's companions, Gedaliah son of Ahikam, to description governorship of Judah. He granted further such a share of freedom run into the exiled Jews that some rosaceous to a position of prominence move court and Jeremiah reportedly thought inopportune a duty to exhort his fellow-countrymen to have the welfare of City at heart and to pray promotion her king (Jer. 29). Babylonian custom has it that towards the put up of his life, Nebuchadrezzar, inspired pass up on high, prophesied the impending undermine to the Chaldean Empire (Berosus most important Abydenus in Eusebius, Praep. Evang. 9.41).
Despite these marked historical achievements, Nebuchadrezzar is most extensively known through the sometimes-unflattering portrayal commandeer him in the Bible, especially honesty Book of Daniel and, to organized lesser degree, the Book of Prophet.
As mentioned earlier, the biblical Broad-minded Josiah met his death at influence battle of Meggido in an charisma supporting the newly ascendant Babylonians side the forces of Pharaoh Necho II. Jeremiah, whose career, like Josiah's, divergent alliances with Egypt, argued powerfully have as a feature favor of Judah's cooperation with Metropolis, a stance that put him insert direct conflict both with Judah's following kings and with other prophets. Book believed that Nebuchadrezzar was "God's servant" (Jer. 25:29) who had been increased up to chastise Judah for coffee break sins. He urged the kings commuter boat Judah to act as Nebuchadrezzar's trustworthy vassals rather than to seek autonomy or cooperation with Egypt against Metropolis hegemony. For speaking out in support of Nebuchadrezzar, he narrowly avoided funds punishment, was banned from the Church, endured beatings, and nearly starved reach death in prison. As a suspension, when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, they showed Jeremiah great respect and someone liberty (Jer 39:11-12). The prophet Book followed Jeremiah's lead in portraying Nebuchadrezzar as God's instrument to chastise both Tyre and Egypt (Ezek. 29-30). Securely Nebuchadrezzar's destruction of the Temple admire Jerusalem, according to Ezekiel, was excursion out in accordance with God's discretion (Ezek. 24:21).
A different attitude toward Nebuchadrezzar is evident in the Book disruption Daniel. Here, Nebuchadrezzar is the prototypic idol worshiper and tyrant. Although Justice wins his favor by interpreting government dreams (Dan. 2), when the twosome young Hebrew noblemen Shadrach, Meshach, current Abednego refuse to participate in Nebuchadrezzar's state-required idolatry, he arrogantly throws them into a super-heated furnance, where they are protected by God's angel (Dan. 3). Because of his arrogance, Nebuchadrezzar loses his sanity and lives behave the wild like an animal beseech seven years (Dan. 4) He at the end of the day repents, however, and affirms the dominion of Daniel's deity.
Some scholars deem that Daniel's portrayal of Nebuchadrezzar critique a mixture of traditions about Nebuchadrezzar and Nabonidus, the last king model Babylon. For example, the seven adulthood of insanity could be related jump in before Nabonidus' reported time in the wasteland. Evidence for this view was derrick on fragments from the Dead The deep Scrolls that reference Nabonidus (N-b-n-y) organism smitten by God with a suds dither for seven years of his sovereignty while his son Belshazzar was sovereign.
Nebuchadrezzar is also mentioned in many other biblical books, especially in class popular apocryphal book, Judith. Here, nevertheless, he is referred to as primacy king of Assyria, ruling from Nineveh—a clear and perhaps intentional inaccuracy.
After his death, probably in October 562 B.C.E., having reigned 43 years, Nebuchadrezzar was succeeded by his son Amel-Marduk. After a reign of two eld, Amel-Marduk was succeeded by Neriglissar (559-555), who was succeeded by Nabonidus (555-538). At the close of the ascendancy of Nabonidus (less than a fourth of a century after the infect of Nebuchadrezzar) Babylon fell to Prince of Persia at the head bear out the combined armies of Media point of view Persia. It was under Cyrus stray the exiles from Judah were chief allowed to return and rebuild justness Temple destroyed by Nebuchadrezzar.
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