Neo-Babylon/ Chaldean

Mesopotamia Map

General Information

• City-State in Ancient Mesopotamia• Between the Euphrates and Tigris• Present day Iraq• 626 BCE to 539 BCE

General Information Cont.

• Neo-Babylonian Era was called Chaldean

• Followed Assyrian Empire• Persian Empire followed it• “Holy City”• From Babilu – “gateway of the

gods”

Babylon’s Rulers Ruler Reigned

Nabopolassar 626 - 605 BCE

Nebuchadnezzar II 605 - 562 BCE

Amel- Marduk 562 - 560 BCE

Nergal-sharezer 560 – 566 BCE

Labashi-Marduk 566 BCE

Nabonidus 556- 539 BCE

Nabopolassar• Overthrew

Assyrian Empire

• First King of Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar II

• Etemenaki Ziggurat• Ishtar Gate• Hanging Gardens

• Wife Amyitis

Advancements

• Many old temples were rebuilt- 50• Babylon was restored• New buildings created-

• Ishtar Gate

• Hanging Gardens

Advancements

• Turned into one of the world’s greatest cities

• One of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” created

Advancements

• Double walls• Moats• Great Ziggurat

Social Institutions

• Family- • Patriarchal society• Men were more

powerful than women

•

• Education-• Established formal

schools • Mainly taught

reading and writing

Social Institutions Cont.

• Economic systems- • Were the first to

have an economic system

• Government- • Had 6 kings• Had complete

control

Social Institutions Cont.

• Religion- • Believed in many

gods • Polytheists• Many references

were made in the bible

Human Environmental Interactions

• Modify- • They built plows to

soften the land on which they grew plants

• Depend- • Most food was grown

in the Fertile Crescent

Human Environmental

Interactions Cont.

• Adapt- • Some land was

dry, caused the creation of irrigation

Impact of Ideas• Influenced Homer and

Hesiod- famous Greek poets

• Geometry• Astronomy• Heraldry• Babylonian Talmud

Cooperation and Conflict

• Invasions by the Aramaeans

• Settled down• Aramaic language

replaced Babylonian

Babylon’s Exile

• King Nebuchadnezzar- Temple of the Lord

• King Jehoiachin exiled Babylon

• Evilmerodach put in prison

The Fall of Babylon

• Belshazzar’s drunken feast• Conquered by Cyrus (a general of Darius

)• 100 years earlier Gods had stated their

downfall

Cultural Development

• Astronomy & astrology• Created zodiac• “the entire universe was created in

relation to the Earth”

Cultural Developments Cont.• Sexagesimal number system. (60)• 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in

an hour• Pythagorean theorem

Economics & History

• Agriculture • Foreign trade, exported items• Imported items they didn’t have• Sumerians had influence on Babylon’s

irrigation & agriculture

Economics and History Cont.

• Palaces and temples - economic institutions.

• Things paid in silver• Goods varied in price based on the need

and supply

Law and Justice

• Shamash• Witness Oaths• Punishments• “lex talionis”

Mesopotamia

Greek for land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Northern= rich, fertile plains Southern Mesopotamia= marshy and

barren plains.

Old-Babylon

first dynasty of the Babylonians

first code of laws came into play

king set up a burracuecy, taxation, and centralized government

Neo-Babylon

The last strong Assyrian ruler died

Babylonians rebelled by 612 B.C. they regained control of the empire

Religion

a form of polytheism

Believed each god had specific role

Each city in the Babylonian empire worship a certain god

They were worship at the cities ziggurat

Nabopolassar

King of Babylon From 626- 604 BCE

With the help of the king of Medes he conquered Assyria

Father of King Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar Son of Nabopolassar

Stormed leftover Assyrian forces in Egypt

Captured the Israelites and held them in Babylon

Built the Hanging Gardens, Gates and tower of Babylon

Capture of the Jews

Jehoikim threatened Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar attacks Judah

Deports all Jews to Babylon

The Creation of Judaism

Had a lot of extra time while in Babylon

Jewish Rabbis could write down and bless their writings

These essays became parts of the Torah and the Bible’s Old Testament

Babylonian Achievements

The Tower of Babel.

Man made it for himself not God.

God saw and gave many different languages to stop them.

They stopped building it.

Babylonian Achievements cont. The wall of Babylon.

Two walls 25 ft. thick and 150 ft. tall.

250 towers 450 ft. tall.

Changing Ideas

The Babylonian citizens were liberal and accepted the Jewish religion.

Many even believed in the Jews religion.

Impact of Ideas

Babylonians had their own gods but also accepted the Jewish god.

Many learned to read and write so they quickly learned religion

Development of Culture

Polytheists Cuneiform Used ideas from Hammurabi’s code Monarchy Kings, nobles, free citizens, then slaves for

social Hierarchy Developed Intricate calendar Geometry and Algebra

Interactions with other Civilizations

Nabopolassar conquered what was left of the Assyrians

Nebuchadnezzar captured the Jews They partially accepted the Jews

culture

Fall of Babylon In 539 BC Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered

Babylon

In 331 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Mesopotamia and brought forth Greek rule there

They built new cities and Babylon among other old cities became insignificant

Impact of Babylon today

Today Babylon is a place for tourism

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the ancient 7 wonders of the world

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

626-539 BCE Started with the revolt of

Nabopolassar Attacked the Assyrians First king of this Empire

Fell to Cyrus the Great Ruler of Persia

Location! Then:

City-state of ancient Mesopotamia

Now: Present-day Al Hillah,

Babil Province, Iraq “The Middle East”

Location!

Lies between Tigris and Euphrates in the Fertile Crescent

Continuity and Change Gained Independence from Assyrian

rule Rebelled under Nabopolassar when

Ashurbanipal died

This was the start to the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Brought change for Babylonians Ashurbanipal

Cultural Development Writing and Literature

Oldest written texts were in simple pictograms Legal, administrative, and epistolary (letters)

Cultural Development

Astronomy Precise astronomical

observations Created 12-month

calendar Kept records of eclipses

A list of eclipses between 518 and 465 BCE

Individuals in History Nabopolassar

Led Babylonia in revolt against Assyrians Began the Neo-Babylon Era

Nebuchadnezzar II Ruler of Babylon Constructed Hanging Gardens Conquered Judah and Jerusalem

Individuals in History

Nabonidus Last king of Babylon Created religious differences in Babylon Persians conquered Babylon

Economics and History High taxes/tributes for

buildings and armies

Hanging Gardens Documented Original “Seven Wonders of

the World”

Technology and History Canal System

Made land more fertile Increased trade

Kept clay tablets to record astronomical observations

Impact of Ideas Mathematics

60 second minute and 60 minute hour 360 degree circle

Medicine Written text of medical symptoms Advances in medicine

Social Institutions Religion

Cities- have one god that is their overseer or main god Polytheism Worship in Ziggurat

Government Social classes

Upper (priests and traders) Middle (farmers and clerks) Low (slaves)

Human-Environmental Interaction

Tigris and Euphrates provided many natural resources Fertile soil for crops Mud brick houses

Built a huge wall around the city

Cooperation and ConflictAttacked Judah (states along the

Levant) Invaded and captured Jerusalem Destroyed city and temple

13 year long conflict with Tyre

Under rule of Nebuchadnezzar II Declined after this ruler