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Assyrian Neo-Babylon Persia Empire Timeline Bibliography/Credits
Neo-Babylon
The
Neo-Babylonian Empire is located in the
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia. The terrain of the Jordan is mostly
desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and
West Banks of the Jordan River.
Precipitation mainly
occurs during the cold months of the winter. The average amount of rainfall
recorded varies from one region to the next. In the northwestern region nearest
to the Jordan
River
the amount of rainfall recorded can reach up to 16 in. Towards the south of the
country rainfall tends to be far less. The annual amount of rainfall recorded
for the southern part of the country is 4 in. In the uplands east of the Jordan River the annual amount of
rainfall recorded is 14 in. The areas surrounding the Jordan River itself are recorded
to receive 18 in of rain annually. The dessert regions of the country received
75% less rainfall then that received in the region closest to the Jordan River. In contrast to the
desert regions the highlands of Jordan are recorded to
receive high quantities of rain and in some cases these areas also witness
falls of snow and the gatherings of frost.
In
625 B.C.E., a Chaldean local chief named Nabopolassar
crowned himself the king of Babylon and revolted against the Assyrians. The Chaldeans are a race of Semitic speakers whom migrated to southern Babylon. In 612
B.C.E., an alliance was formed between the Chaldeans
and Medes from northern Iraq. Together they
captured and torched Nineveh, the capital of
Assyrian Empire. Soon afterwards, Babylonians, under leadership of Nabopolassar, replaced the Assyrians as the ruling empire
in Middle
East.
In
605 B.C.E., after
the death of Nabopolassar, his son, Nebuchadnezzar,
was crowned the king of the Neo-Babylon Empire; earlier that year his army
defeated the Egyptians. In 586 B.C.E. he conquered the Jewish state of Judah, and he followed the Assyrian practice of
deporting Jews; this event marked the start of the Exile for the Jews. His
important achievements included rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon, and building the Hanging Garden, one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world for his homesick Median wife. 
Kings
after Nebuchadnezzar were generally weak and short lived, and the once mighty
empire faded into a period of decline. The Neo-Babylon Empire’s last ruler Nabonidus angered the priests
and commoners alike as he worshiped the Assyrian moon god Sin instead of Marduk, the head god of Babylonians. In 539 B.C.E., it was
those priests and commoners who welcomed the Persians under the leadership of
their king Cyrus the Conqueror into the Babylon, striking the killing
blow to the already weakened Neo-Babylon Empire.
Section Review:
1.Who was Nabopolassar ally?
2.What you think is Nebuchadnezzar’s
most important achievement?
3.How might Nabonidus anger the priests and commoners by worship
another god?
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