It was our leader Nebuchadnezzar who ENHANCED the glory of babylon, it was he who DESTROYED the assyrians and shamed the egyptians. Nebuchadnezzar was the man who showed the gods of judah what would happen if they opposed him.
Babylonian Conquest
The Neo Babylonian period was one filled with warfare and conquests, as with all Near Eastern empires at the time the Babylonian experienced uprisings within their empire and also external threats. After the fall of Syria the main power opposing the Babylonians was the Egyptians, who wanted to regain power in Syria and the Levant.
The are really few sources on the Babylonian military but it is very likely that they copied the Assyrian style of Warfare. Their armies would have included infantry, archers and chariots. The purpose of their Babylonian conquests lay with holding onto their empire, especially the western coast as this give them control over important resources and trade routes. Finally the Babylonians copied the Assyrian method of spreading a conquered population throughout the empire to avoid them rising again. |
Battle of Carchemish
The battle of Carchemish occurred in 605 BCE when the armies of Babylon lead by the crown prince Nebuchadnezzar II faced a combined Egyptian and Assyrian army led by the Pharaoh Necho. What remained of the Assyrian empire had retreated to the city of Carchemish in Northern Syria and were supported by their allies the Egyptian. In order to secure their empire and also the important trade routes and resources the Babylonians would need to finish off the Assyrians and also engage the powerful Egyptian empire.
The battle and fighting were fierce and resulted in a major victory for the Babylonians. The results of this victory meant that Assyria was beaten into "non existent" and the majority of the Egyptian Army fled to Hamath were the Babylonian's slaughtered them until "not one man remained". This meant that Babylon would emerge as the dominant power in the region and would solidify their claims to the coastal regions. The main source for the battle comes from the Nebuchadnezzar chronicle, which is the fifth chronicle in the Babylonian series, it is also mentioned in the book of Chronicles within the Hebrew Bible. |
Siege of Jerusalem
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Following the Battle of Carchemish Babylon emerged as the sole force in the Ancient Near East. It was at this time that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah which forced the king of Judah, Jehoiakim to change his allegiance and pay tribute to the Babylonians. After the successful annexation of Judah Nebuchadnezzar tried to take Egypt but failed and suffered heavy losses, this defeat led to rebellions along the Levant including the Kingdom of Judah.
Nebuchadnezzar sieged the city in 597 BCE and was successful in retake it, the siege resulted in the death of Jehoiakim, this allowed Nebuchadnezzar to place Zedekiah on the throne and receive tribute from him. As a result of this siege ten thousand of the most prominent civilians in Judah were deported back to Babylon. This siege is mentioned briefly in the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicles.
However Zedekiah did eventually rebel against Nebuchadnezzar with support from the Egyptians and this resulted in another siege in 587 BCE. This siege resulted in the mass deportations of the population and also the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its most important buildings. This period became know as the Babylonian Exile and would leaving a lastly impact on Jewish religious beliefs and also allow Babylonian culture to influence Jewish culture.
Nebuchadnezzar sieged the city in 597 BCE and was successful in retake it, the siege resulted in the death of Jehoiakim, this allowed Nebuchadnezzar to place Zedekiah on the throne and receive tribute from him. As a result of this siege ten thousand of the most prominent civilians in Judah were deported back to Babylon. This siege is mentioned briefly in the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicles.
However Zedekiah did eventually rebel against Nebuchadnezzar with support from the Egyptians and this resulted in another siege in 587 BCE. This siege resulted in the mass deportations of the population and also the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its most important buildings. This period became know as the Babylonian Exile and would leaving a lastly impact on Jewish religious beliefs and also allow Babylonian culture to influence Jewish culture.
Resources
References
The Chronicle of Nebuchadnezzar: Grayson, A. (1975). Assyrian and Babylonian chronicles. Locust Valley, N.Y.: J.J. Augustin. (scanned to PDF)
Evidence for the fall of Jerusalem: Nebo-Sarsekim Found in Babylonian Tablet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015. http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/04/28/Nebo-Sarsekim-Found-in-Babylonian-Tablet.aspx.
Biblical Evidence for the Destruction of Jerusalem: 2 Kings Chapter 25 מְלָכִים ב. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09b25.htm#1
Evidence for the fall of Jerusalem: Nebo-Sarsekim Found in Babylonian Tablet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015. http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/04/28/Nebo-Sarsekim-Found-in-Babylonian-Tablet.aspx.
Biblical Evidence for the Destruction of Jerusalem: 2 Kings Chapter 25 מְלָכִים ב. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09b25.htm#1