Nebuchadnezzar
The greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, known for his military campaigns and building projects.
Nebuchadnezzar II, more correctly spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning 'Nabu, watch over my heir', was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar the Great, he is regarded as the empire's greatest king, famous for his military campaigns in the Levant and their role in Jewish history, and for his construction projects in his capital of Babylon. Ruling for 43 years, Nebuchadnezzar was the longest-reigning king of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty. By the time of his death, he was among the most powerful rulers in the world.
Quick Facts
- Carried away jeconiah (jehoiachin)
- 2 Kings 24:15 or 2 Chronicles 36:10
Lore & Background
Nebuchadnezzar II had already secured renown for himself during his father's reign, leading armies in the Medo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire. At the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, he inflicted a crushing defeat on an Egyptian army led by Pharaoh Necho II and ensured that the Neo-Babylonian Empire would succeed the Neo-Assyrian Empire as the dominant power in the ancient Near East. Shortly after this victory, Nabopolassar died and Nebuchadnezzar became king. Inheriting a powerful empire from his father, he expanded its reach through a series of campaigns. After putting down insurrections in the east, Nebuchadnezzar turned his attention to the Levant and in the 580s BC engaged in a string of campaigns against his rebellious vassal states. In 587 BC Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it and the Kingdom of Judah, deporting much of its population in what became known as the Babylonian captivity. This episode earned Nebuchadnezzar a position of notoriety in Jewish history. Through this conquest, the subsequent capture of the Phoenician city of Tyre, and other campaigns in the Levant, Nebuchadnezzar solidified the Neo-Babylonian Empire's dominance in the ancient Near East. Beyond his military campaigns, he is remembered as a great builder who erected many of Babylon's religious buildings, including the Esagila and Etemenanki, embellished its palaces and beautified its ceremonial centre through renovations to the city's processional street and the Ishtar Gate.
Reader's Guide
It notes that there are few cuneiform sources for the period between 594 BC and 557 BC, which covers much of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and that historical reconstructions often follow secondary sources in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, as well as contract tablets from Babylonia. The article also discusses the name's spelling and meaning, and notes that Nebuchadnezzar II was possibly named after his grandfather of the same name or after Nebuchadnezzar I.
Elsewhere in Figures of Scripture
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