Chaldean Babylonian Empire - Revision history

Brightstar at 10:18, 20 July 2015

2015-07-20T10:18:13Z

Brightstar: Added image to page

2015-07-20T10:15:08Z

Added image to page

Test123 at 14:41, 16 July 2015

2015-07-16T14:41:35Z

Chaldean at 20:57, 5 May 2015

2015-05-05T20:57:40Z

Chaldean: /* Nabonidus 556 BC – 539 BC */

2015-05-05T20:52:05Z

‎Nabonidus 556 BC – 539 BC

Chaldean: /* Chaldean King Nabopolassar 626 BC – 605 BC */

2015-05-05T20:48:25Z

‎Chaldean King Nabopolassar 626 BC – 605 BC

Chaldean at 20:37, 5 May 2015

2015-05-05T20:37:25Z

Chaldean at 20:13, 5 May 2015

2015-05-05T20:13:22Z

Chaldean at 20:04, 5 May 2015

2015-05-05T20:04:49Z

Ian: assyrian clean up, replaced: Assyria → Chaldea (18)

2015-05-03T15:46:21Z

assyrian clean up, replaced: Assyria → Chaldea (18)

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 The '''Chaldean Neo-Babylonian Empire''' was a period of [[Mesopotamia]]n history which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC.<ref>Talley Ornan, ''The Triumph of the Symbol: Pictorial Representation of Deities in Mesopotamia and the Biblical Image Ban'' (Göttingen: Academic Press Fribourg, 2005), 4 n. 6</ref> During the preceding three centuries, [[Babylonia]] had been ruled by their fellow [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] speakers and northern neighbours, [[Assyria]]. A year after the death of the last strong Chaldean ruler, [[Assurbanipal]], in 627 BC, the Chaldean empire spiralled into a series of brutal civil wars. Babylonia rebelled under [[Nabopolassar]], a Chaldean member of the [[Chaldea]]n tribes in south Babylonia.  In alliance with the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], they sacked the city of [[Nineveh]] in 612 BC, and the seat of empire was transferred to [[Babylon]]ia for the first time since the death of [[Hammurabi]] in the mid 18th century BC. This period witnessed a general improvement in economic life and agricultural production, and a great flourishing of architectural projects, the arts and science.
-The Chaldean Neo-Babylonian period ended with the reign of [[Nabonidus]] in 539 BC. To the east, the Persians had been growing in strength, and eventually [[Cyrus the Great]] established his dominion over Babylon of the Chaldeans.
+The Chaldean Neo-Babylonian ruling period ended with the reign of [[Nabonidus]] in 539 BC. To the east, the Persians had been growing in strength, and eventually [[Cyrus the Great]] established his dominion over Babylon of the Chaldeans.  Native Chaldean s of Mesopotamia continued preserving the Chaldean civilization until today.
 ===Historical Revival of Chaldean Traditions===

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:15, 20 July 2015
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	[[File:Chaldean_Nation_2015-07-20_10-18.jpg\|thumbnail\|Chaldean Nation]]
		+
	{{Refimprove\|date=April 2010}}		{{Refimprove\|date=April 2010}}
	{{Infobox Former Country		{{Infobox Former Country

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 Ancient artworks from the heyday of Babylonia's imperial glory were treated with near-religious reverence and were painstakingly preserved. For example, when a statue of Chaldean [[Sargon of Akkad|Sargon the Great]] was found during construction work, a temple was built for it—and it was given offerings. The story is told of how Chaldean King [[Nebuchadnezzar]], in his efforts to restore the Temple at [[Sippar]], had to make repeated excavations until he found the foundation deposit of [[Naram-Sen of Akkad|Naram-Suen]], the discovery of which then allowed him to rebuild the temple properly. Neo-Babylonians Chaldeans also revived the ancient [[Akkadian Empire|Sargonid]] practice of appointing a royal daughter to serve as priestess of the [[moon-god]] [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]].
 ===Cultural and economic life===
 We are much better informed about Mesopotamian culture and economic life under the Neo-Babylonians Chaldeans than we are about the structure and mechanics of imperial administration. It is clear that for southern Mesopotamia the Neo-Babylonian Chaldean period was a renaissance. Large tracts of land were opened to cultivation. Peace and imperial power made resources available to expand the irrigation systems and to build an extensive canal system. The Babylonian countryside was dominated by large estates, which were given to government officials as a form of pay. These estates were usually managed through local entrepreneurs, who took a cut of the profits. Rural folk were bound to these estates, providing both labor and rents to their landowners.
@@ Line 92: / Line 92: @@
 By 572 Nebuchadnezzar was in full control of all of Mesopotamia, Babylonia Chaldea, Phoenicia, Israel, Philistinia, northern Arabia, and parts of Asia Minor. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Pharaohs [[Psammetichus II]] and [[Apries]] throughout his reign, and in 568 BC during the reign of Pharaoh [[Amasis II|Amasis]], invaded Egypt itself.<ref>"Nebuchadnezzar." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. 2004. Encyclopedia.com.</ref>
 ===Amel-Marduk 562 BC – 560 BC===

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 The Babylonians were now left in possession of much of Chaldea, with the northern reaches being held by the Medes, however they appear to have made no attempt to occupy it, preferring to concentrate on rebuilding southern Mesopotamia.
-===Nebuchadnezzar II 605 BC – 562 BC===
+===Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar II 605 BC – 562 BC===
-[[File:Nebukadnessar II.jpg|right|thumb|200px|An engraving on an eye stone of onyx with an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II]]
+[[File:Nebukadnessar II.jpg|right|thumb|200px|An engraving on an eye stone of onyx with an inscription of Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar II]]
-[[Nebuchadnezzar II]] became king after the death of his father.
+ [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] became Chaldean king after the death of his father.
-Nebuchadnezzar was a patron of the cities and a spectacular builder. He rebuilt all of Babylonia's major cities on a lavish scale. His building activity at Babylon was what turned it into the immense and beautiful city of legend. His city of Babylon covered more than three square miles, surrounded by moats and ringed by a double circuit of walls. The [[Euphrates]] flowed through the center of the city, spanned by a beautiful stone bridge. At the center of the city rose the giant [[ziggurat]] called [[Etemenanki]], "House of the Frontier Between Heaven and Earth," which lay next to the [[Marduk|Temple of Marduk]].
+Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar II was a patron of the cities and a spectacular builder. He rebuilt all of Babylonia's major cities on a lavish scale. His building activity at Babylon of Chaldeans was what turned it into the immense and beautiful Chaldean city of legend. His city of Babylon covered more than three square miles, surrounded by moats and ringed by a double circuit of walls. The [[Euphrates]] flowed through the center of the city, spanned by a beautiful stone bridge. At the center of the city rose the giant [[ziggurat]] called [[Etemenanki]], "House of the Frontier Between Heaven and Earth," which lay next to the [[Marduk|Temple of Marduk]].
-A capable leader, Nabuchadnezzar II, conducted successful military campaigns in Syria and [[Phoenicia]], forcing tribute from Damascus, Tyre and Sidon. He conducted numerous campaigns in Asia Minor, in the "land of the Hatti". Like the Chaldeans, the Babylonians had to campaign yearly in order to control their colonies.
+A capable Chaldean leader, King Nabuchadnezzar II, conducted successful military campaigns in Syria and [[Phoenicia]], forcing tribute from Damascus, Tyre and Sidon. He conducted numerous campaigns in Asia Minor, in the "land of the Hatti". Like the Chaldeans, the Babylonians had to campaign yearly in order to control their colonies.
-In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II was involved in a major, but inconclusive battle, against the Egyptians. In 599 BC, he invaded [[Arabia]] and routed the [[Arabs]] at Qedar. In 597 BC, he invaded [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] and captured [[Jerusalem]] and deposed its king [[Jehoiachin]]. Egyptian and Babylonian armies fought each other for control of the near east throughout much of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and this encouraged king [[Zedekiah]] of Judah to revolt. After an 18-month siege, Jerusalem was captured in 587 BC, and thousands of Jews were deported to Babylon, and [[Solomon's Temple]] was razed to the ground.
+In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II was involved in a major battle, against the Egyptians. In 599 BC, he invaded [[Arabia]] and routed the [[Arabs]] at Qedar. In 597 BC, he invaded [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] and captured [[Jerusalem]] and deposed its king [[Jehoiachin]]. Egyptian and Chaldean Babylonian armies fought each other for control of the near east throughout much of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and this encouraged king [[Zedekiah]] of Judah to revolt. After an 18-month siege, Jerusalem was captured in 587 BC, and thousands of Jews were deported to Babylon, and [[Solomon's Temple]] was razed to the ground.
-By 572 Nebuchadnezzar was in full control of Babylonia, Chaldea, Phoenicia, Israel, Philistinia, northern Arabia, and parts of Asia Minor. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Pharaohs [[Psammetichus II]] and [[Apries]] throughout his reign, and in 568 BC during the reign of Pharaoh [[Amasis II|Amasis]], invaded Egypt itself.<ref>"Nebuchadnezzar." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. 2004. Encyclopedia.com.</ref>
+By 572 Nebuchadnezzar was in full control of all of Mesopotamia, Babylonia Chaldea, Phoenicia, Israel, Philistinia, northern Arabia, and parts of Asia Minor. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Pharaohs [[Psammetichus II]] and [[Apries]] throughout his reign, and in 568 BC during the reign of Pharaoh [[Amasis II|Amasis]], invaded Egypt itself.<ref>"Nebuchadnezzar." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. 2004. Encyclopedia.com.</ref>
 ===Amel-Marduk 562 BC – 560 BC===

@@ Line 107: / Line 107: @@
 ===Nabonidus 556 BC – 539 BC===
-[[Nabonidus]]'s (Nabû-na'id in Babylonian) noble credentials are not clear, although he was not a Chaldean but from  [[Assyria]], in the city of Harran. He says himself in his inscriptions that he is of unimportant origins.<ref>M. Heinz and M.H. Feldman (eds.), ''Representations of political power: Case histories from times of change and dissolving order in the ancient Near East'' (Winona Lake IN: Eisenbrauns 2007), 137–66.</ref> Similarly, his mother, Adda-Guppi,<ref>[[Joan Oates]], ''Babylon'', revised ed., Thames & Hudson, 1986, p.132</ref> who lived to high age and may have been connected to the [[temple]] of the [[Akkadian]] moon god [[Sin (mythology)|Sîn]] in [[Harran]]; in her inscriptions does not mention her descent. His father was Nabû-balatsu-iqbi, a commoner.<ref>Georges Roux, ''Ancient Iraq'', 3rd ed., Penguin Books, London, 1991, p.381</ref>
+[[Nabonidus]]'s (Nabû-na'id in Babylonian) noble credentials are not clear, although he was a Chaldean from the city of Harran. He says himself in his inscriptions that he is of unimportant origins.<ref>M. Heinz and M.H. Feldman (eds.), ''Representations of political power: Case histories from times of change and dissolving order in the ancient Near East'' (Winona Lake IN: Eisenbrauns 2007), 137–66.</ref> Similarly, his mother, Adda-Guppi,<ref>[[Joan Oates]], ''Babylon'', revised ed., Thames & Hudson, 1986, p.132</ref> who lived to high age and may have been connected to the [[temple]] of the [[Akkadian]] moon god [[Sin (mythology)|Sîn]] in [[Harran]]; in her inscriptions does not mention her descent. His father was Nabû-balatsu-iqbi, a commoner.<ref>Georges Roux, ''Ancient Iraq'', 3rd ed., Penguin Books, London, 1991, p.381</ref>
 For long periods he entrusted rule to his son, Prince [[Belshazzar]]. He was a capable soldier but poor politician. All of this left him somewhat unpopular with many of his subjects, particularly the priesthood and the military class.<ref>John Haywood, ''The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations'', Penguin Books Ltd. London, 2005, p.49</ref>

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 *[[Nabonidus]] [[556 BC|556]] – 539 BC
-===Nabopolassar 626 BC – 605 BC===
+===Chaldean King Nabopolassar 626 BC – 605 BC===
 [[File:Fotothek df ps 0002470 Innenräume ^ Ausstellungsgebäude.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The [[Ishtar Gate]] of [[Babylon]] as reconstructed in the [[Pergamon Museum]] in [[Berlin]]]]
-After the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 BC, the Chaldean Empire began to disintegrate, riven by internal strife. [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] co-ruled with Ashurbanipal from 630 BC, while an Chaldean governor named [[Kandalanu]] sat on the throne of Babylon on behalf of his king. Babylonia seemed secure until both Ashurbanipal and Kandalanu died in 627 BC, and Chaldea spiralled into a series of internal civil wars which would ultimately lead to its destruction..  An Chaldean general, [[Sin-shumu-lishir]], revolted in 626 BC and declared himself king of Chaldea and Babylon, but was promptly ousted by the Chaldean Army loyal to king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] in 625 BC. Babylon was then taken by another son of Ashurbanipal [[Sin-shar-ishkun]], who proclaimed himself king. His rule did not last long however, and the native Babylonians revolted with the help of the migrant Chaldean tribe (Bit Kaldu), led by the previously unknown [[Nabopolassar]], who had made himself king of Chaldea in the far south east of Mesopotamia. Nabopolassar seized the throne amid the confusion, and the Neo-Babylonian dynasty was born.
+After the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 BC, the Nenivah began to disintegrate, riven by internal strife. [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] co-ruled with Ashurbanipal from 630 BC, while an Chaldean governor named [[Kandalanu]] sat on the throne of Babylon on behalf of his king. Babylonia seemed secure until both Ashurbanipal and Kandalanu died in 627 BC, and Nenivah spiraled into a series of internal civil wars which would ultimately lead to its destruction..  An Chaldean general, [[Sin-shumu-lishir]], revolted in 626 BC and declared himself king of Chaldea and Babylon, but was promptly ousted by the Chaldean Army loyal to king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] in 625 BC. Babylon was then taken by another son of Ashurbanipal [[Sin-shar-ishkun]], who proclaimed himself king. His rule did not last long however, and the native Chaldean Babylonians revolted with the help of the native Chaldean tribe (Bit Kaldu), led by the Chaldean King [[Nabopolassar]] of Mesopotamia. Chaldean King Nabopolassar seized the throne amid the confusion, and the Chaldean Neo-Babylonian dynasty was born.
 Babylonia as a whole then became a battle ground between king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] and his brother [[Sin-shar-ishkun]] who fought to and fro over the region. This anarchic situation allowed Nabopolassar to stay on the throne of the city of Babylon itself, spending the next three years undisturbed, consolidating his position in the city.<ref>Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq p. 373-374</ref>
-However in 623 BC, Sin-shar-ishkun killed his brother the king, in battle at [[Nippur]] in Babylonia, seized the throne of Chaldea, and then set about retaking Babylon from Nabopolassar.  Nabopolassar was forced to endure Chaldean armies encamped in Babylonia over the next seven years, however he resisted, aided by the continuing civil war in Chaldea itself which greatly hampered Sin-shar-ishkun's attempts to retake the parts of Babylonia held by Nabopolassar. Nabopolassar took [[Nippur]] in 619 BC, a key centre of ''pro-Assyrianism'' in Babylonia, and by 616 BC, he was still in control of much of southern Mesopotamia.  Chaldea, still riven with internal strife, had by this time lost control of its colonies, who had taken advantage of the various upheavals to free themselves. The empire had stretched from [[Cyprus]] to [[Persia]] and [[The Caucasus]] to [[Egypt]] at its height.
+However in 623 BC, Sin-shar-ishkun killed his brother the king, in battle at [[Nippur]] in Babylonia, seized the throne of Chaldea, and then set about retaking Babylon from Nabopolassar.  Nabopolassar was forced to endure foreign armies encamped in Babylonia over the next seven years, however he resisted, aided by the continuing civil war in Chaldea itself which greatly hampered Sin-shar-ishkun's attempts to retake the parts of Babylonia held by Nabopolassar. Nabopolassar took [[Nippur]] in 619 BC and by 616 BC, he was still in control of much of southern Mesopotamia.  Nenivah, still riven with internal strife, had by this time lost control of its colonies, who had taken advantage of the various upheavals to free themselves. The empire had stretched from [[Cyprus]] to [[Persia]] and [[The Caucasus]] to [[Egypt]] at its height.
-Nabopolassar attempted a counterattack, he marched his army into Chaldea proper in 616 BC and tried to besiege [[Assur]] and [[Arrapha]] ([[Kirkuk]]), but was defeated by Sin-shar-ishkun and driven back into Babylonia. A stalemate seemed to have ensued, with Nabopolassar unable to make any inroads into Chaldea despite its greatly weakened state, and Sin-shar-ishkun unable to eject Nabopolassar from Babylon due to the unremitting civil war in Chaldea itself.
+Nabopolassar attempted a counterattack, he marched his army into Nenivah proper in 616 BC and tried to besiege [[Assur]] and [[Arrapha]] ([[Kirkuk]]), but was defeated by Sin-shar-ishkun and driven back into Babylonia. A stalemate seemed to have ensued, with Nabopolassar unable to make any inroads into Nenivah despite its greatly weakened state, and Sin-shar-ishkun unable to eject Nabopolassar from Babylon due to the unremitting civil war in Nenivah itself.
 However the balance of power was decisively tipped when [[Cyaxares]], ruler of the [[Iranic]] peoples (the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]] and [[Parthians]]), and technically a vassal of Chaldea, attacked a war weary Chaldea without warning in late 615 BC, sacking Arrapha and [[Kalhu]] (the Biblical [[Calah]]/[[Nimrud]]). Then in 614 BC Cyaxares, in alliance with the [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], besieged and took [[Assur]], with Nabopolassar remaining uninvolved in these successes.<ref>Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq p. 375</ref>

@@ Line 137: / Line 137: @@
 Babylon remained a major city until [[Alexander the Great]] destroyed the Achaemenid Empire in 332 BC. After his death, Babylon passed to the [[Seleucid Empire]], and a new capital named [[Seleucia on the Tigris|Seleucia]] was built on the [[Tigris]] about 40 miles north of Babylon (10 miles south of [[Baghdad]]). Upon the founding of Seleucia, [[Seleucus I Nicator]] ordered the population of Babylon to be deported to Seleucia, and the old city fell into slow decline. The city of Babylon continued to survive until the 2nd or 3rd century AD. An adjacent town developed which is today the city of [[Hillah]] in [[Babylon Province]], [[Iraq]].
-Babylonia remained under the control of the [[Parthian Empire|Parthians]], and later, [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanians]] until about 640 AD, when it was conquered by the [[Islam]]ic [[Rashidun Caliphate]]. It continued to have its own culture and people, who spoke varieties of Aramaic, and who continued to refer to their country as [[Babylon]] (''Babeli'') or [[Uruk|Erech]] (''Iraq''). Some examples of their cultural products are often found in the [[Mandaean]] religion, and the [[Manichaeism|religion]] of the Babylonian prophet [[Mani (prophet)|Mani]]. From the 1st and 2nd centuries AD the Chaldeans and Babylonians began to adopt Christianity, and the province of Babylon became a seat of a bishopric of the [[Church of the East]] until the 17th century. [[Neo-Aramaic languages|Neo-Aramaic]]-speakers exist today as a small [[Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac people|minority]] only in northern Iraq ([[Assyria]]). Despite being the minority, the Chaldeans remained Christians and many were killed as a result. Arabic had become the main language in Babylonia by the 9th century, when the region was the capital of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].
+Babylonia remained under the control of the [[Parthian Empire|Parthians]], and later, [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanians]] until about 640 AD, when it was conquered by the [[Islam]]ic [[Rashidun Caliphate]]. It continued to have its own culture and people, who spoke varieties of Aramaic, and who continued to refer to their country as [[Babylon]] (''Babeli'') or [[Uruk|Erech]] (''Iraq''). Some examples of their cultural products are often found in the [[Mandaean]] religion, and the [[Manichaeism|religion]] of the Babylonian prophet [[Mani (prophet)|Mani]]. From the 1st and 2nd centuries AD the Chaldeans Babylonians began to adopt Christianity, and the Chaldean capital of Babylon became a seat of a Chaldean bishopric of the [[Church of the East]] until the 17th century. Chaldean [[Neo-Aramaic languages|Neo-Aramaic]]-speakers exist today as [[Chaldean  people|minority]] in Mesopotamia Iraq, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon ([[Chaldea]]). Despite being the minority, the Chaldeans remained Christians and many were killed as a result. Arabic language had been forced on the Babylonian Chaldean native people of Mesopotamia as the main language by the 9th century, when Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate of islam.
 ==See also==

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Infobox Former Country
 |native_name            =
-|conventional_long_name = Neo-Babylonian Empire
+|conventional_long_name = Chaldean Neo-Babylonian Empire
 |common_name            = Babylonia
 |continent              = Asia
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 |date_start             =
 |event_end              = [[Battle of Opis]]
-|p1                     = Neo-Assyrian Empire
+|p1                     =
-|flag_p1                = Map of Assyria.png
+|flag_p1                =
 |s1                     = Achaemenid Empire
 |flag_s1                = Standard of Cyrus the Great (Achaemenid Empire).svg
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 }}
 {{History of Iraq}}
-The '''Neo-Babylonian Empire''' was a period of [[Mesopotamia]]n history which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC.<ref>Talley Ornan, ''The Triumph of the Symbol: Pictorial Representation of Deities in Mesopotamia and the Biblical Image Ban'' (Göttingen: Academic Press Fribourg, 2005), 4 n. 6</ref> During the preceding three centuries, [[Babylonia]] had been ruled by their fellow [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] speakers and northern neighbours, [[Assyria]]. A year after the death of the last strong Chaldean ruler, [[Assurbanipal]], in 627 BC, the Chaldean empire spiralled into a series of brutal civil wars. Babylonia rebelled under [[Nabopolassar]], a member of the [[Chaldea]]n tribe which had migrated from [[The Levant]] to south eastern Babylonia in the early 9th century BC. In alliance with the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], they sacked the city of [[Nineveh]] in 612 BC, and the seat of empire was transferred to [[Babylon]]ia for the first time since the death of [[Hammurabi]] in the mid 18th century BC. This period witnessed a general improvement in economic life and agricultural production, and a great flourishing of architectural projects, the arts and science.
+The '''Chaldean Neo-Babylonian Empire''' was a period of [[Mesopotamia]]n history which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC.<ref>Talley Ornan, ''The Triumph of the Symbol: Pictorial Representation of Deities in Mesopotamia and the Biblical Image Ban'' (Göttingen: Academic Press Fribourg, 2005), 4 n. 6</ref> During the preceding three centuries, [[Babylonia]] had been ruled by their fellow [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] speakers and northern neighbours, [[Assyria]]. A year after the death of the last strong Chaldean ruler, [[Assurbanipal]], in 627 BC, the Chaldean empire spiralled into a series of brutal civil wars. Babylonia rebelled under [[Nabopolassar]], a Chaldean member of the [[Chaldea]]n tribes in south Babylonia.  In alliance with the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], they sacked the city of [[Nineveh]] in 612 BC, and the seat of empire was transferred to [[Babylon]]ia for the first time since the death of [[Hammurabi]] in the mid 18th century BC. This period witnessed a general improvement in economic life and agricultural production, and a great flourishing of architectural projects, the arts and science.
-−
-The Neo-Babylonian period ended with the reign of [[Nabonidus]] in 539 BC. To the east, the Persians had been growing in strength, and eventually [[Cyrus the Great]] established his dominion over Babylon.
 ===Historical Revival of Chaldean Traditions===

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 The Neo-Babylonian period ended with the reign of [[Nabonidus]] in 539 BC. To the east, the Persians had been growing in strength, and eventually [[Cyrus the Great]] established his dominion over Babylon.
-===Revival of old traditions===
+===Historical Revival of Chaldean Traditions===
-After Babylonia regained its independence, Neo-Babylonian rulers were deeply conscious of the antiquity of their kingdom, and pursued an arch-traditionalist policy, reviving much of the ancient [[Babylonia|Sumero-Akkadian]] culture. Even though [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] had become the everyday tongue, Akkadian was retained as the language of administration and culture. Archaic expressions from 1,500 years earlier were reintroduced in Akkadian inscriptions, along with words in the now-long-unspoken [[Sumerian language]]. Neo-Babylonian [[cuneiform script]] was also modified to make it look like the old 3rd-millennium BC script of [[Akkadian language|Akkad]].
+After Babylonia regained its independence, Neo-Babylonian []Chaldean]] rulers were deeply conscious of the antiquity of their [[Chaldean]] kingdom, and pursued an arch-traditionalist policy, reviving much of the ancient [[Babylonia|Sumero-Akkadian]] culture. Even though [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] had become the everyday tongue, Akkadian was retained as the language of administration and culture. Archaic expressions from 1,500 years earlier were reintroduced in Akkadian inscriptions, along with words in the now-long-unspoken [[Sumerian language]]. Neo-Babylonian [[cuneiform script]] was also modified to make it look like the old 3rd-millennium BC script of [[Akkadian language|Akkad]].
-Ancient artworks from the heyday of Babylonia's imperial glory were treated with near-religious reverence and were painstakingly preserved. For example, when a statue of [[Sargon of Akkad|Sargon the Great]] was found during construction work, a temple was built for it—and it was given offerings. The story is told of how [[Nebuchadnezzar]], in his efforts to restore the Temple at [[Sippar]], had to make repeated excavations until he found the foundation deposit of [[Naram-Sen of Akkad|Naram-Suen]], the discovery of which then allowed him to rebuild the temple properly. Neo-Babylonians also revived the ancient [[Akkadian Empire|Sargonid]] practice of appointing a royal daughter to serve as priestess of the [[moon-god]] [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]].
+Ancient artworks from the heyday of Babylonia's imperial glory were treated with near-religious reverence and were painstakingly preserved. For example, when a statue of Chaldean [[Sargon of Akkad|Sargon the Great]] was found during construction work, a temple was built for it—and it was given offerings. The story is told of how Chaldean King [[Nebuchadnezzar]], in his efforts to restore the Temple at [[Sippar]], had to make repeated excavations until he found the foundation deposit of [[Naram-Sen of Akkad|Naram-Suen]], the discovery of which then allowed him to rebuild the temple properly. Neo-Babylonians Chaldeans also revived the ancient [[Akkadian Empire|Sargonid]] practice of appointing a royal daughter to serve as priestess of the [[moon-god]] [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]].
 ===Cultural and economic life===
-We are much better informed about Mesopotamian culture and economic life under the Neo-Babylonians than we are about the structure and mechanics of imperial administration. It is clear that for southern Mesopotamia the Neo-Babylonian period was a renaissance. Large tracts of land were opened to cultivation. Peace and imperial power made resources available to expand the irrigation systems and to build an extensive canal system. The Babylonian countryside was dominated by large estates, which were given to government officials as a form of pay. These estates were usually managed through local entrepreneurs, who took a cut of the profits. Rural folk were bound to these estates, providing both labor and rents to their landowners.
+We are much better informed about Mesopotamian culture and economic life under the Neo-Babylonians Chaldeans than we are about the structure and mechanics of imperial administration. It is clear that for southern Mesopotamia the Neo-Babylonian Chaldean period was a renaissance. Large tracts of land were opened to cultivation. Peace and imperial power made resources available to expand the irrigation systems and to build an extensive canal system. The Babylonian countryside was dominated by large estates, which were given to government officials as a form of pay. These estates were usually managed through local entrepreneurs, who took a cut of the profits. Rural folk were bound to these estates, providing both labor and rents to their landowners.
-Urban life flourished under the Neo-Babylonians. Cities had local autonomy and received special privileges from the kings. Centered on their temples; the cities had their own law courts, and cases were often decided in assemblies. Temples dominated urban social structure, just as they did the legal system, and a person's social status and political rights were determined by where they stood in relation to the religious hierarchy. Free laborers like craftsmen enjoyed high status, and a sort of guild system came into existence that gave them collective bargaining power. This period witnessed a general improvement in economic life, agricultural production, and a significant increase in architectural projects, the arts and science.
+Urban life flourished under the Chaldeans Babylonians. Cities had local autonomy and received special privileges from the kings. Centered on their temples; the cities had their own law courts, and cases were often decided in assemblies. Temples dominated urban social structure, just as they did the legal system, and a person's social status and political rights were determined by where they stood in relation to the religious hierarchy. Free laborers like craftsmen enjoyed high status, and a sort of guild system came into existence that gave them collective bargaining power. This period witnessed a general improvement in economic life, agricultural production, and a significant increase in architectural projects, the arts and science.
 ==Neo-Babylonian dynasty==

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 ===Nabopolassar 626 BC – 605 BC===
 [[File:Fotothek df ps 0002470 Innenräume ^ Ausstellungsgebäude.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The [[Ishtar Gate]] of [[Babylon]] as reconstructed in the [[Pergamon Museum]] in [[Berlin]]]]
-After the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 BC, the Chaldean Empire began to disintegrate, riven by internal strife. [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] co-ruled with Ashurbanipal from 630 BC, while an Chaldean governor named [[Kandalanu]] sat on the throne of Babylon on behalf of his king. Babylonia seemed secure until both Ashurbanipal and Kandalanu died in 627 BC, and Assyria spiralled into a series of internal civil wars which would ultimately lead to its destruction..  An Chaldean general, [[Sin-shumu-lishir]], revolted in 626 BC and declared himself king of Assyria and Babylon, but was promptly ousted by the Chaldean Army loyal to king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] in 625 BC. Babylon was then taken by another son of Ashurbanipal [[Sin-shar-ishkun]], who proclaimed himself king. His rule did not last long however, and the native Babylonians revolted with the help of the migrant Chaldean tribe (Bit Kaldu), led by the previously unknown [[Nabopolassar]], who had made himself king of Chaldea in the far south east of Mesopotamia. Nabopolassar seized the throne amid the confusion, and the Neo-Babylonian dynasty was born.
+After the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 BC, the Chaldean Empire began to disintegrate, riven by internal strife. [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] co-ruled with Ashurbanipal from 630 BC, while an Chaldean governor named [[Kandalanu]] sat on the throne of Babylon on behalf of his king. Babylonia seemed secure until both Ashurbanipal and Kandalanu died in 627 BC, and Chaldea spiralled into a series of internal civil wars which would ultimately lead to its destruction..  An Chaldean general, [[Sin-shumu-lishir]], revolted in 626 BC and declared himself king of Chaldea and Babylon, but was promptly ousted by the Chaldean Army loyal to king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] in 625 BC. Babylon was then taken by another son of Ashurbanipal [[Sin-shar-ishkun]], who proclaimed himself king. His rule did not last long however, and the native Babylonians revolted with the help of the migrant Chaldean tribe (Bit Kaldu), led by the previously unknown [[Nabopolassar]], who had made himself king of Chaldea in the far south east of Mesopotamia. Nabopolassar seized the throne amid the confusion, and the Neo-Babylonian dynasty was born.
 Babylonia as a whole then became a battle ground between king [[Ashur-etil-ilani]] and his brother [[Sin-shar-ishkun]] who fought to and fro over the region. This anarchic situation allowed Nabopolassar to stay on the throne of the city of Babylon itself, spending the next three years undisturbed, consolidating his position in the city.<ref>Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq p. 373-374</ref>
-However in 623 BC, Sin-shar-ishkun killed his brother the king, in battle at [[Nippur]] in Babylonia, seized the throne of Assyria, and then set about retaking Babylon from Nabopolassar.  Nabopolassar was forced to endure Chaldean armies encamped in Babylonia over the next seven years, however he resisted, aided by the continuing civil war in Assyria itself which greatly hampered Sin-shar-ishkun's attempts to retake the parts of Babylonia held by Nabopolassar. Nabopolassar took [[Nippur]] in 619 BC, a key centre of ''pro-Assyrianism'' in Babylonia, and by 616 BC, he was still in control of much of southern Mesopotamia.  Assyria, still riven with internal strife, had by this time lost control of its colonies, who had taken advantage of the various upheavals to free themselves. The empire had stretched from [[Cyprus]] to [[Persia]] and [[The Caucasus]] to [[Egypt]] at its height.
+However in 623 BC, Sin-shar-ishkun killed his brother the king, in battle at [[Nippur]] in Babylonia, seized the throne of Chaldea, and then set about retaking Babylon from Nabopolassar.  Nabopolassar was forced to endure Chaldean armies encamped in Babylonia over the next seven years, however he resisted, aided by the continuing civil war in Chaldea itself which greatly hampered Sin-shar-ishkun's attempts to retake the parts of Babylonia held by Nabopolassar. Nabopolassar took [[Nippur]] in 619 BC, a key centre of ''pro-Assyrianism'' in Babylonia, and by 616 BC, he was still in control of much of southern Mesopotamia.  Chaldea, still riven with internal strife, had by this time lost control of its colonies, who had taken advantage of the various upheavals to free themselves. The empire had stretched from [[Cyprus]] to [[Persia]] and [[The Caucasus]] to [[Egypt]] at its height.
-Nabopolassar attempted a counterattack, he marched his army into Assyria proper in 616 BC and tried to besiege [[Assur]] and [[Arrapha]] ([[Kirkuk]]), but was defeated by Sin-shar-ishkun and driven back into Babylonia. A stalemate seemed to have ensued, with Nabopolassar unable to make any inroads into Assyria despite its greatly weakened state, and Sin-shar-ishkun unable to eject Nabopolassar from Babylon due to the unremitting civil war in Assyria itself.
+Nabopolassar attempted a counterattack, he marched his army into Chaldea proper in 616 BC and tried to besiege [[Assur]] and [[Arrapha]] ([[Kirkuk]]), but was defeated by Sin-shar-ishkun and driven back into Babylonia. A stalemate seemed to have ensued, with Nabopolassar unable to make any inroads into Chaldea despite its greatly weakened state, and Sin-shar-ishkun unable to eject Nabopolassar from Babylon due to the unremitting civil war in Chaldea itself.
-However the balance of power was decisively tipped when [[Cyaxares]], ruler of the [[Iranic]] peoples (the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]] and [[Parthians]]), and technically a vassal of Assyria, attacked a war weary Assyria without warning in late 615 BC, sacking Arrapha and [[Kalhu]] (the Biblical [[Calah]]/[[Nimrud]]). Then in 614 BC Cyaxares, in alliance with the [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], besieged and took [[Assur]], with Nabopolassar remaining uninvolved in these successes.<ref>Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq p. 375</ref>
+However the balance of power was decisively tipped when [[Cyaxares]], ruler of the [[Iranic]] peoples (the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]] and [[Parthians]]), and technically a vassal of Chaldea, attacked a war weary Chaldea without warning in late 615 BC, sacking Arrapha and [[Kalhu]] (the Biblical [[Calah]]/[[Nimrud]]). Then in 614 BC Cyaxares, in alliance with the [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]], besieged and took [[Assur]], with Nabopolassar remaining uninvolved in these successes.<ref>Georges Roux - Ancient Iraq p. 375</ref>
-Nabopolassar too then made active alliances with other former subjects of Assyria; the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]].
+Nabopolassar too then made active alliances with other former subjects of Chaldea; the [[Medes]], [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Scythians]] and [[Cimmerians]].
-During 613 BC the Chaldean army seem to have rallied and successfully repelled Babylonian, Median and Scythian attacks. However in 612 BC Nabopolassar and the Median king [[Cyaxares]] led a concentrated coalition of forces including Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians in an attack on [[Nineveh]]. The size of the forces ranged against Assyria in its weakened state proved too much, and after a bitter three-month siege,followed by house to house fighting, Nineveh finally fell, with Sin-shar-ishkun being killed defending his capital.
+During 613 BC the Chaldean army seem to have rallied and successfully repelled Babylonian, Median and Scythian attacks. However in 612 BC Nabopolassar and the Median king [[Cyaxares]] led a concentrated coalition of forces including Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians in an attack on [[Nineveh]]. The size of the forces ranged against Chaldea in its weakened state proved too much, and after a bitter three-month siege,followed by house to house fighting, Nineveh finally fell, with Sin-shar-ishkun being killed defending his capital.
-An Chaldean general, [[Ashur-uballit II]], became king of Assyria amid the fighting. According to the [[Babylonian Chronicle]] he was offered the chance to bow in vassalage to the rulers of the alliance. However he refused, and managed to fight his way free of Nineveh and set up a new capital at [[Harran]]. Nabopolassar, Cyaxares, and their allies, then fought Ashur-uballit II for a further five years, until Harran fell in 608 BC; After a failed attempt to retake the city, Ashur-uballit II disappeared from the pages of history.
+An Chaldean general, [[Ashur-uballit II]], became king of Chaldea amid the fighting. According to the [[Babylonian Chronicle]] he was offered the chance to bow in vassalage to the rulers of the alliance. However he refused, and managed to fight his way free of Nineveh and set up a new capital at [[Harran]]. Nabopolassar, Cyaxares, and their allies, then fought Ashur-uballit II for a further five years, until Harran fell in 608 BC; After a failed attempt to retake the city, Ashur-uballit II disappeared from the pages of history.
 The [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptians]] under Pharaoh [[Necho II]] had invaded the near east in 609 BC in a belated attempt to help their former Chaldean rulers. Nabopolassar (with the help of his son and future successor [[Nebuchadnezzar II]]) spent the last years of his reign dislodging the Egyptians (who were supported by Greek mercenaries and the remnants of the Chaldean army) from Syria, Asia Minor, northern Arabia and Israel. Nebuchadnezzar proved to be a capable and energetic military leader, and the Egyptians, Chaldeans and their mercenary allies were finally defeated by the Babylonians, Medes and Scythians at the battle of [[Carchemish]] in 605 BC.
-The Babylonians were now left in possession of much of Assyria, with the northern reaches being held by the Medes, however they appear to have made no attempt to occupy it, preferring to concentrate on rebuilding southern Mesopotamia.
+The Babylonians were now left in possession of much of Chaldea, with the northern reaches being held by the Medes, however they appear to have made no attempt to occupy it, preferring to concentrate on rebuilding southern Mesopotamia.
 ===Nebuchadnezzar II 605 BC – 562 BC===
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 In 601 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II was involved in a major, but inconclusive battle, against the Egyptians. In 599 BC, he invaded [[Arabia]] and routed the [[Arabs]] at Qedar. In 597 BC, he invaded [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] and captured [[Jerusalem]] and deposed its king [[Jehoiachin]]. Egyptian and Babylonian armies fought each other for control of the near east throughout much of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and this encouraged king [[Zedekiah]] of Judah to revolt. After an 18-month siege, Jerusalem was captured in 587 BC, and thousands of Jews were deported to Babylon, and [[Solomon's Temple]] was razed to the ground.
-By 572 Nebuchadnezzar was in full control of Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, Israel, Philistinia, northern Arabia, and parts of Asia Minor. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Pharaohs [[Psammetichus II]] and [[Apries]] throughout his reign, and in 568 BC during the reign of Pharaoh [[Amasis II|Amasis]], invaded Egypt itself.<ref>"Nebuchadnezzar." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. 2004. Encyclopedia.com.</ref>
+By 572 Nebuchadnezzar was in full control of Babylonia, Chaldea, Phoenicia, Israel, Philistinia, northern Arabia, and parts of Asia Minor. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Pharaohs [[Psammetichus II]] and [[Apries]] throughout his reign, and in 568 BC during the reign of Pharaoh [[Amasis II|Amasis]], invaded Egypt itself.<ref>"Nebuchadnezzar." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. 2004. Encyclopedia.com.</ref>
 ===Amel-Marduk 562 BC – 560 BC===
@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 ==Achaemenids and later rulers of Babylon==
-The Medes, Persians and [[Mannaeans]], among others, were [[Indo-European]] peoples who had entered the region now known as Iran c. 1000 BC from the steppes of southern Russia and the Caucasus mountains. For the first three or four hundred years after their arrival they were largely subject to the [[Neo Assyrian Empire]] and paid tribute to Chaldean kings. After the death of Ashurbanipal they began to assert themselves, and Media had played a major part in the fall of Assyria.
+The Medes, Persians and [[Mannaeans]], among others, were [[Indo-European]] peoples who had entered the region now known as Iran c. 1000 BC from the steppes of southern Russia and the Caucasus mountains. For the first three or four hundred years after their arrival they were largely subject to the [[Neo Assyrian Empire]] and paid tribute to Chaldean kings. After the death of Ashurbanipal they began to assert themselves, and Media had played a major part in the fall of Chaldea.
 Persia had been subject to Media initially. However, in 549 BC Cyrus, the Achaemenid king of [[Persia]], revolted against his suzerain [[Astyages]], king of Media, at Ecbatana. Astyages' army betrayed him to his enemy, and Cyrus established himself as ruler of all the [[Iran]]ic peoples, as well as the pre-Iranian [[Elam]]ites and [[Gutian people|Gutians]].
@@ Line 127: / Line 127: @@
 ===Cyrus invades in 539 BC===
 <!--Linked from [[Book of Ezra]]-->
-In 539 BC, [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]] invaded [[Babylonia]]. Nabonidus sent his son [[Belshazzar]] to head off the huge Persian army, however, already massively outnumbered, Belshazzar was betrayed by [[Gobryas]], Governor of Assyria, who switched his forces over to the Persian side. The Babylonian forces were overwhelmed at the battle of [[Opis]]. Nabonidus fled to Borsippa, and on 12 October, after Cyrus' engineers had diverted the waters of the Euphrates, "the soldiers of Cyrus entered Babylon without fighting." [[Belshazzar]] in [[Xenophon]] is reported to have been killed, but his account is not held to be reliable here.<ref>''Harper's Bible Dictionary'', ed. by Achtemeier, etc., Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1985, p.103</ref> [[Nabonidus]] surrendered and was deported. Gutian guards were placed at the gates of the great temple of Bel, where the services continued without interruption. Cyrus did not arrive until the 3 October, Gobryas having acted for him in his absence. Gobryas was now made governor of the province of Babylon.
+In 539 BC, [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]] invaded [[Babylonia]]. Nabonidus sent his son [[Belshazzar]] to head off the huge Persian army, however, already massively outnumbered, Belshazzar was betrayed by [[Gobryas]], Governor of Chaldea, who switched his forces over to the Persian side. The Babylonian forces were overwhelmed at the battle of [[Opis]]. Nabonidus fled to Borsippa, and on 12 October, after Cyrus' engineers had diverted the waters of the Euphrates, "the soldiers of Cyrus entered Babylon without fighting." [[Belshazzar]] in [[Xenophon]] is reported to have been killed, but his account is not held to be reliable here.<ref>''Harper's Bible Dictionary'', ed. by Achtemeier, etc., Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1985, p.103</ref> [[Nabonidus]] surrendered and was deported. Gutian guards were placed at the gates of the great temple of Bel, where the services continued without interruption. Cyrus did not arrive until the 3 October, Gobryas having acted for him in his absence. Gobryas was now made governor of the province of Babylon.
 Cyrus now claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ancient Babylonian kings and the avenger of [[Bel-Marduk]], who was assumed to be wrathful at the impiety of Nabonidus in removing the images of the local gods from their ancestral shrines, to his capital Babylon. Nabonidus, in fact, had excited a strong feeling against himself by attempting to centralize the religion of Babylonia in the temple of [[Marduk]] at Babylon, and while he had thus alienated the local priesthoods, the military party despised him on account of his antiquarian tastes. He seems to have left the defense of his kingdom to others, occupying himself with the more congenial work of excavating the foundation records of the temples and determining the dates of their builders.
@@ Line 133: / Line 133: @@
 The invasion of Babylonia by Cyrus was doubtless facilitated by the existence of a disaffected party in the state, as well as by the presence of foreign exiles like the Jews, who had been planted in the midst of the country. One of the first acts of Cyrus accordingly was to allow these exiles to return to their own homes, carrying with them the images of their gods and their sacred vessels. The permission to do so was embodied in a proclamation, whereby the conqueror endeavored to justify his claim to the Babylonian throne. The feeling was still strong that none had a right to rule over western Asia until he had been consecrated to the office by Bel and his priests; and accordingly, Cyrus henceforth assumed the imperial title of "King of Babylon."
-Babylon, like Assyria, became a colony of Achaemenid Persia.
+Babylon, like Chaldea, became a colony of Achaemenid Persia.
 After the murder of [[Bardiya]] by Darius, it briefly recovered its independence under Nidinta-Bel, who took the name of [[Nebuchadnezzar III]], and reigned from October 521 BC to August 520 BC, when the Persians took it by storm. A few years later, in 514 BC, Babylon again revolted and declared independence under the [[Armenians|Armenian]] King [[Arakha]]; on this occasion, after its capture by the Persians, the walls were partly destroyed. E-Saggila, the great temple of Bel, however, still continued to be kept in repair and to be a center of Babylonian patriotism.