Born in 634 BC in what is now called Neo-Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar II would one day become one of the greatest ancient Babylonian kings. The first-born son of his predecessor Nabopolassar, from a young age Nebuchadnezzar showed promise as the future leader of Babylon, defeating the Egyptian armies at Carchemish (605 BC) and thereby subduing both Syria and Phoenicia to Babylonian rule before he had even taken the throne himself.
Despite his unquestioned accomplishments, Nebuchadnezzar II is also known as one of the Bible’s greatest villains. In the book 2 Kings in the Old Testament, the Babylonian king laid siege to Jerusalem, stole valuable treasures from the temple, abducted the Judean king and his court, and seized and deported 10,000 officers, craftsmen and and other skilled workers into exile in Babylon. A decade later, Nebuchadnezzar sent his forces back to destroy Solomon's temple, cementing his reputation as the scourge of the ancient Jewish people.
And yet he was also one of the most committed architectural patrons of his time. His magnificent construction projects are recognized as archaeological and historical treasures and still evoke a sense of wonder today, 2,600 years after the end of his infamous reign.
A Worthy Heir to Nabopolassar
Nebuchadnezzar began his life in the strong and stable city-state of his father, Nabopolassar. A great military man, Nabopolassar rose to power in Babylonia during a period of instability, and was himself an Assyrian official, not a blood-born native.
- Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Most Magnificent Monuments of Antiquity
- The Magnificent Ishtar Gate of Babylon
When Nabopolassar died, he left behind immense stores of wealth and a strong Babylonian city within which his son could thrive. Having freed Babylonia from the rule of the Assyrians, Nebuchadnezzar's father set the groundwork for the impressive Neo-Babylonian Empire, leaving Nebuchadnezzar with ideal circumstances to bring Babylonia to the forefront of ancient society. And that is exactly what Nebuchadnezzar II did.
Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (1917). (W.A. Spicer/Public Domain).
Nebuchadnezzar Marries the Beautiful Amytis
Prior to his succession to the throne, Nebuchadnezzar married Amytis of Media, the purported daughter or granddaughter of King Cyaxares of Media, Nabopolassar's accomplice in the Babylonian fight against Assyrian rule. This marriage was intended to ensure that the alliance forged between the Medes and Babylonians would continue strong and unwavering in years to come. Nebuchadnezzar's relationship with the beautiful Amytis would later result in one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
A Great War Leader
Nebuchadnezzar was considered within his time to be one of the greatest war leaders in the known world. In his quest to make Babylon the most powerful city-state in the east, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in numerous wars with the aim of increasing the influence and reach of Babylonia.
It is he who is said to have driven the Jews out of Babylon, later capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC and then destroying the First Temple (also known as Solomon's Temple) and the city itself in 587 BC.
The Burning of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar’s Army (1630-1660).(Google Art Project/Public Domain).
He and his armies went up against the Egyptians and the Assyrians once again, defeating both, then successfully managed to control all the trade routes in Mesopotamia, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, by subduing the Syrians and Palestinians.
Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible
Although Nebuchadnezzar's military and political accomplishments were great, he was not always portrayed in the good light with which many scholars describe him. The Bible in particular, in the text through which Nebuchadnezzar is quite widely recognized, describes the Babylonian king in a much more barbaric fashion, most evidently in the text's account of Nebuchadnezzar's capture of Jerusalem.
Furthermore, it is within the Book of Daniel that the mention of Nebuchadnezzar's bout of insanity first arises—a streak of seven years in which the king lives in the wild, having supposedly been driven mad by his greed and pride.
"He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird" (Daniel 4:33).
Nebuchadnezzar (1795/1805, by William Blake. (Gift of Mrs. Robert Homans/Public Domain).
Though this is another anecdote for which Nebuchadnezzar is highly known, scholars are uncertain whether this tale is genuine or metaphorical, or even if it truly happened to Nebuchadnezzar and not one of his successors. Regardless, this bout of insanity did nothing to quell Nebuchadnezzar's kingship, as after these seven years, Nebuchadnezzar returned to his place as the leader of Neo-Babylonia.
Celebrating Nebuchadnezzar II’s Monumental Achievements
Nebuchadnezzar II remains known as the leader of one of the most powerful ancient empires to have preceded that of the Athenians in Greek's Classical period. However, aside from his military prowess, Nebuchadnezzar showed his leadership in other, more lasting ways.
Through a rigorous and intense construction endeavor that lasted from before Nebuchadnezzar's reign to its end in 562 BC, Babylonia was transformed into the height of a powerful ancient civilization. Not only were temples restored to their former glory, but Nebuchadnezzar began two of the most prominent projects of ancient Mesopotamia: the Ishtar Gate and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Great Ishtar Gate
Constructed in 575 BC by the order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Ishtar Gate was one of the many thresholds that surrounded and protected Babylonia from outside forces. The eighth gate of the inner city, the creation of the colossal structure was as much a defensive maneuver as a political one. Forged from exquisite glazed bricks ornamented in lapis lazuli and gold, the gate glowed as vibrantly and as powerfully as the sun. Lapis lazuli was revered in the ancient world for its strong color, and its extensive use in the gate serves as a symbol to both citizens of Babylonia and visitors alike that this is a city state of incredible wealth and strength.
Replica of Babylon’s Ishtar Gate, at two-thirds original size, in Iraq. (David Stanley/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0).
The decorations upon the gate further promote this ideal as it was covered in depictions of the various Mesopotamian gods and goddesses, both in human forms and as animals indicated by the golden dragons, slim necked creatures that appear to resemble elongated dogs, and aurochs, the predecessors of the horse. The perimeter of the gate was designed with blooming flowers to signify the fertileness of Babylon, and the trail of lions was indicative of the status of King Nebuchadnezzar II as the mighty leader of the mightiest city.
Details of the lions and flowers of the Ishtar Gate, Pergamon Museum, Berlin. (Josep Ranalias/CC BY-SA 3.0).
However, one of the greatest feats of the Ishtar Gate, was the lengthy inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II. It dictates his hand in the creation of the gate and the designs chosen to adorn it, serving as both proof of his work as well as a statement to all those who dared pass through the gate to be wary of the magnificent ruler who forged it.
- The Ancient Akitu Festival and the Humbling of the King
- The Mysterious Gardens of Babylon may not have been in Babylon at All!
The inscription by Nebuchadnezzar II, Pergamon Museum, Berlin. (Gryffindor/Public Domain).
The Hanging Gardens: One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The other prominent endeavor believed to have been constructed under Nebuchadnezzar's direction was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Consisting of tiered gardens of trees, vines, and all manner of flowers, the Hanging Gardens were a feat within the Neo-Babylonian world as an oasis in the center of the capital city. Most scholars believe that, if in fact Nebuchadnezzar II was the one who planned the creation of the Hanging Gardens, it was for his wife Amytis, his queen from Media, located near ancient Persia.
Illustration of the “Mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon (1901). (Public Domain).
One of the reasons the credit cannot be assuredly given to Nebuchadnezzar for the creation of the gardens is the lack of Babylonian evidence from his life, and indeed the gardens themselves. The earliest description of the gardens comes from 290 BC, centuries after Nebuchadnezzar's death, from the work of a Babylonian priest, Berossus. However, Berossus' work had by then long been lost, and his words are only recorded secondhand, by other authors writing even later. Thus it is not known if Berossus even laid eyes upon the gardens, or if he too heard of them secondhand, as such a long time had passed between his writings to be certain.
Records that survive give no certain description of the specifics of the gardens, but rather an overall picture of a green paradise that "sloped like a hillside and…resembled that of a theater" and that was the widely believed basis on which Greek and Roman authors such as Strabo later built.
Miniature reconstruction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. (Bridget McKinney/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)
Two Exceptional Works, One Famous King
Fascinating as King Nebuchadnezzar II's life was, it is undoubtedly safe to say that his fame in the non-scholarly world stems from these two prominent works of construction: the Ishtar Gate and, most significantly, the Hanging Gardens. Both once had a place as part of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and though only the Hanging Gardens remain on that list, the Ishtar Gate remains a point of fascination and admiration. Nebuchadnezzar ensured his name was immortalized on the lapis structure, his name engraved in everlasting gold, carving into history one of his most astounding political successes.
Top image: Hand-colored engraving of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (19th century).
Source: Public Domain.
References
Clayton, Peter A. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Routledge: United Kingdom, 1990.)
Henze, Matthias. The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar: The Ancient Near Eastern Origins and Early History of Interpretation of Daniel 4 (Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism) (Brill: Leiden, 1999.)
Herodotus. Herodotus (Penguin Classics: NY, 1996.)
Roller, Duane W. The Geography of Strabo: An English Translation, with Introduction and Notes (Cambridge University Publishing: Cambridge, 2014.)
Verbrugghe, Gerald and John Wickersham. Berossos and Manetho, Introduced and Translated: Native Traditions in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt (University of Michigan Press: Michigan, 2001.)
Wiseman, D.J. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon (Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology) (British Academy: UK, 1991.)
"Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon (605-562 BC)." British Museum. Accessed August 8, 2015. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/n/nebuchadnezzar_ii.aspx
"Cyaxares." Livius.org. August 4, 2015. Accessed August 13, 2015. http://www.livius.org/articles/person/cyaxares/
"Nebuchadnezzar II." Livius.org. August 8, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015. http://www.livius.org/articles/person/nebuchadnezzar-ii/
"The Uruk King List." Livius.org. August 6, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015. http://www.livius.org/sources/content/uruk-king-list/
