The Neo-Babylonian Empire
- After the fall of Nineveh, the Babylonians regained control over Mesopotamia
- They established a new empire, the Neo-Babylonians (Neo means “new”)
- The new empire’s most famous king was Nebuchadnezzar II
- A ruthless military leader, he reigned from 605 to 562 B.C.E
- He expanded his empire whenever he could
- He drove the Egyptians out of Syria.
- He also conquered part of Canaan (present-day Israel), the home of the Hebrews
- When the Hebrews rebelled he took most of them captive and carried them off into Babylonia, many of them never returned.
- As a military leader, Nebuchadnezzar knew it was important to keep his city, Babylon, safe.
- He built an inner wall and an outer wall around the city
- The walls were so thick that two chariots could pass each other on top of them.
- Towers were placed on the walls for archers to stand on
- A moat was dug around the outer wall and filled with water
- During peacetime, people used bridges to cross the moat and enter the city. In times of war the bridges were taken down.
- From 605 to 562 Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt the city’s ziggurat,
- This huge structure was several stories high
- The Babylonians called it the “House of the Platform Between Heaven and Earth”
- Nebuchadnezzar decorated his palace with famous gardens
- they became famous as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- The gardens were planted on rooftops and tall terraces so that lush greenery hung down over the walls.
- A watering system kept the gardens fresh and green.
- They were one of the great wonders of the ancient world
- The Babylonians were also skilled in mathematics and astronomy
- They created the first sundial, a device for telling time using the sun
- they made discoveries that led us to the 60-minute hour and 7-day week.
- The Neo-Babylonian Empire lasted only 75 years.
- In 539 B.C.E., a new conqueror swept into Babylon from the east.
- His name was Cyrus, and he was the leader of the Persian Empire.
- The Persians came from the land we now call Iran. For about 200 years, they ruled the most powerful empire in the world.