Chaldeans take the Babylonian throne

Assyrian power in the region of Mesopotamia had been in decline for many years. In 783BC the Assyrian king Adad-Nirari III died leaving a political vacuum in which the Chaldean's were able to take the thrown of Babylon. They had long been an ever increasing political force in southern Mesopotamia and the decline of Assyria were able to become the principle political force in the region.

The Chaldeans

The Chaldeans originally lived along the southern Tigris-Euphrates among the swamps and lakes. They were tribal, with each bitu (house) under the leadership of a shaikh who sometimes referred to himself as the king.

Increased Political Stability

The name of the first Chaldean king of Babylon is not known, but in around 770BC he was succeeded by Eribu-Marduk who was the founder of the Caldean dynastic line. Unfortuantely much of the work done by the first two kings was undone when the third Chaldean king succeeded the thrown. Anarchy and civil war broke out and ran rife through the kingdom until Nabunasar (Nabu-nasir) succeeded to the thrown in 747BC. Under his reign there were many advances in the region, due mainly to the increased political stability. Precise records of historical events began to be made, as well as astronimical observations.

Babylon Destroyed

In 734BC Nabonassar was removed from the thrown (he may have died) leaving Babylon once again without a king until 729BC. After defeating the Chaldean and Armanaean chiefs the Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser III proclaimed himself king. He was succeeded to the Assyrian and Babylonian thrown by Sargon II, during who's reign a Chaldean prince called Marduk-apal-iddina (known in the bible as Merodach-baladan) was able to seize the thrown in 721BC. He allied himself with Elam and resisted Assyria until 709BC. The conflict between Assyria and Babylon continued until it reached its climax in 689BC resulting in Babylon being destroyed and the statue of Marduk being carried off to Assyria as a sign of the victory. The son of Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, rebuilt it and by 650BC it was once again prosperous.

The City is Re-Built but yet again Destroyed

The Assyrian king Esarhaddon favoured Babylon and set about rebuilding it and restored its privaledges as a city of his empire, but before his death the empire once again became divided. Ashurbanipal ruled over Assyria while his brother, Shamash-shum-ukin ruled Babylonia. Civil war broke out. In 648BC Babylon was left devastated.

Chaldean (or Neo-Babylonian) Dynasty Founded

Under the rule of Kandalanu Babylon was politically unimportant in the region, but Assyrian power grew weaker. With the death of the Assyrian king Assurbanipal in 627BC and the Assyrian empire's power nearing the point of collapse a Chaldean Shaikh was able to seize the thrown. He didn't come to the thrown easily however. On the death of Assurbanipal fighting broke out between factions in Babylonia and Assyria for the respective throwns. For over a year there was no king recognised in Babylon as the struggle for power raged. In November of 626BC, Nabopoassar (Nabu-apla-usir) seized the thrown, marking the start of what is today known as the Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean Dynasty.

Nabopolassar's Position as King Strengthens

Nabopolassar would succeed in establishing the wealthy and politically astute Chaldeans as successors to the Assyrians as the principle power in western Asia. This, however did not come easily or immediately as the early years of his reign was disrupted by continued struggle with Assyria. There were many long seiges, particularly in Nippur and Uruk. In 620BC the inhabitants of Nippur were reduced to selling their children to buy food for themselves. This was a time of much instability with many Babylonian cities passing from party to party as much by political coup as by military action. However, Nabopolassar remained as king of Babylon and in 616BC his position was finally secure.

Former Enemies join to hold back Babylon

Nabopolassar marched his army up the Euphrates into terrritory that had long been under Assyrian rule but immediately withdrew to Babylon when the Egyptian's joined the Assyrians. Such was the power of Babylon that less than half a century after the Assyrian king Assurbanipal sacked the Egyptian city Thebes, the former enemies joined in an alliance to maintain their respective powers in the region. In 615BC Nabopolassar made a bold attack on the ancient capital of Assur but was forced southward where he took refuge in Tikrit and was beseiged by the Assyrian army.

The Medes enter Mesopotamia

A new power entered Mesopotamia at this time, the Medes were the heirs to Elamite power in western Iran. They were originally a number of separate Indo-Egyptian tribes that were loosely associated. They were brought together into a single kingdom by Havakshatra, commonly known as Cyaxares.

Treaty between Babylon and the Medes

In 614BC Cyaraxes marched on Nineveh, he sacked Nimrud and was able to capture and loot Assur after breaching the city walls. Nabopolassar marched north to try and take Assur himself but arrived after the city had fallen. Near the ruins he met with Cyaraxes. They drew up a formal treaty that was ratified by the marriage of Naboplassar's son, Nebuchadnezzar II with Amyitis, the grand daughter of Cyaraxes.

Nineveh Falls

Despite their defeats, the Assyrians were still confident. In 613BC they took the offensive and marched into Babylonia when there was a civil revolt. So confident were they that they had dismantled the defenses of Numrud for repair (they had been damaged by the Median attack in 614BC ). In 612BC a coalition of Babylonians, Medes and Scythians laid seige to Nineveh. After 3 months the city fell. The Assyrian king Sin-sharra-ishkun died in the burning city. The Assyrian empire collapsed almost completely. A nominal empire survived in Harran, southern Turky but in 610BC the city fell to Babylon and Nabopolassar established a garrison there. Nabopolassar also undertook several campaigns into the hill country north of Assyria.

Assyria Dissapears

The last Assyrian king , Assur-uballit II (ruled 611-609BC) fled south to await his Egyptian allies who were now Babylons only major threat in the region. Under Pharaoh Necho II Egyptian troops marched into Syria who, having defeated the small army of Josiah at Megiddo (c.608BC) on the way, joined the remnants of the Assyrian army at Carchemist. In the spring of 605BC Babylonian crown prince Nebuchadnezzar II attacked. The slaughter was heavy on both sides, ( "for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both of them together" Jeremiah 46,12 ) but the Egyptians were decisively defeated, their troops bolted in disorder, pursued through Syria by the Babylonian army in a victorious chase. In the battle Assyria had disappeared without a trace, leaving Egypt and Babylon the two remaining great powers in the region.

Nebuchadnezzar Succeeds his Father to the Babylonian Throne

The victory was cut short by the death of Nabapolassar, Nebuchadnezzar II and a few supporters hastened back to Babylon to claim the thrown. Nebuchadnezzar II(Nabu-kudurri-usur) succeeded to the thrown in 604BC, beginning the most illustrious reign in Babylon's history. A statesman, general of exceptional talents, also a builder of ambition and imagination whose monuments became without rival in Mesopotamia.

Syria

After accession Nebuchadnezzar II moved into Syria for a lengthy campaign which was little more than an unopposed display of military might, designed to facilitate the collection of tribute.

The Biblical Daniel

At this time, Jehoiakim, king of Judah, made a voluntary submission to Nebuchadnezzar II, and a number of Jews including the biblical Daniel were taken as hostages to Babylon.

Battles with Egypt

In 601 Nebuchadnezzar II marched against Egypt. Both sides incurred heavy losses in a battle somewhere near the Egyptian frontier. The Babylonian army recorded their passing on the cliffs of the mouth of the famous Dig river (Nahr-el-Kelb) where Ramesses II had previously done the same. Nebuchadnezzar II withdrew to Babylon where he re-equipped his army. The Egyptian Pharaoh Necho however, made no further attempt to advance into Syria.

Jerusalem Changes its Allegiance to Egypt

News of Babylonian losses were sufficient to encourage Jehoiakim, undeterred by the warnings of Jeremiah, to stop payment of tribute to Babylon and return his allegiance to Egypt. In 597BC Nebuchadnezzar II sent troops and besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died, perhaps in the siege, but certainly before the main Babylonian army arrived. His son, Jehoiachin, his family, leading state and military officials, craftsmen and troops were taken captive to Babylon when on March 16 597BC the city was captured. In all the number of captives was about 10,000. Jerusalem was spared but 'heavy tribute' was taken including treasure from Solomon's temple and the royal palace. An uncle of Jehoiachin , Zedekiah, was appointed to rule over the surviving population. Jewish exiles were settled in Babylonia. Jehoiachin and his family were detained in the palace at Babylon, some, like the prophet Ezekiel were settled in the region of Nippur.

Jerusalem Besieged

Despite Nebuchadnezzar II's popularity with Babylonians the Chaldeans claim to the thrown was still contested, in his 10th year (595BC) there was a serious rebellion which was only suppressed after the slaughter of many of his troops.

Jerusalem Destroyed

Meanwhile, renewed Egyptian activity in Palestine persuaded Zedekiah to change sides, Nebuchadnezzar II reacted strongly and dispatched his powerful army westward. The Egyptians quickly abandoned their erstwhile vassals, Achish and a number of other towns were recovered by the Babylonians who then laid siege to Jerusalem. After 18 months and with severe famine rampant in the city the walls were breached in 586BC. Zedekiah escaped, but was captured near Jericho, he was then taken to Nebuchadnezzar II's headquarters in Orontes, Syria. His sons were killed before his eyes, then he was blinded and taken captive to Babylon. Jerusalem was looted, it's walls dismantled, temples and palaces burnt to the ground, leaders of anti-Babylonian factions were executed, and a large portion of the surviving population was deported to Babylonia. It was at this time that the Hebrew scriptures known in the Christian bible as the book of Ezekiel were written.

Babylonia and the Medes

The Median king Cyaxares overran Uraru and pushed into Asia minor, towards the kingdom of Lydia, a flourishing trade centre that had grown considerable in importance since the elimination of Assyria. A bitter struggle between these two states ended in the famous battle interrupted by a solar eclipse, 28 May 585BC after which an armistice was agreed to. The mediator who represented the Medes was the Babylonian Nabonidus, previously one of Nebuchadnezzar's generals. Babylonian relations with the Medes continued to be friendly but Nebuchadnezzar began to become suspicious of Median intentions and built a great defensive wall north of Babylon which ran from Sippar to Opis. Called the Median wall, it was designed to keep out barbarian tribes and to make attack from the north more difficult.