The Babylonian Empire (also called the Chaldean Empire) became a world power in 625 BC after the fall of Assyria. Babylon continued its reign until 536 BC. Nebuchadnezzar, its greatest king, reigned in the days of Daniel and took the southern Kingdom of Judah into captivity after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Babylon was finally captured by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus as predicted by the prophet Daniel, and the Babylonian Empire came to an end in 536 BC.
Kings of Babylon
Nabopolassar (626 BC-605 BC) founder of the Neo-Babylonian empire by rebelling against and destroying Assyria. The Medes and Babylonians sacked Assyria’s capital (Nineveh) in 612 BC. The Neo-Babylonian Empire’s claim to succeed the Neo-Assyrian Empire was immediately challenged by Egypt under Pharaoh Necho II, who fought for several years until he was defeated at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC.
Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) was the longest reigning king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He sacked Jerusalem in 586 BC and took the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity.
Amel-Marduk (562-560). Little is know of his reign. He is mentioned in 2 Kings 5:27: Evil-Merodach is remembered for releasing the King Jehoiachin from prison after 37 years in captivity.
Neriglissar (560-556 BC) usurped the throne from Amek-Marduk.
Labashi-Marduk (556 BC) – He ruled less than a year before being overthrown.
Nabonidus (556-539 BC) – He also angered the priests and commoners of Babylon by neglecting the city’s chief god, Marduk, and elevating the moon god, Sin, to the highest status. Meanwhile, King Cyrus of Persia became popular among the residents of Babylon by promising to restore Marduk to his rightful place in the city.
Belshazzar (552-539 BC) – co-reigned while his father was long-absent from Babylon. He plays a significant role in the book of Daniel.
In Scripture
Babylon is mentioned 288 times in 255 verses in Scripture.
2Ki 17:24; 2Ki 17:30; 2Ki 20:12; 2Ki 20:14; 2Ki 20:17; 2Ki 20:18; 2Ki 24:1; 2Ki 24:7; 2Ki 24:10; 2Ki 24:11; 2Ki 24:12; 2Ki 24:15; 2Ki 24:16; 2Ki 24:17; 2Ki 24:20; 2Ki 25:1; 2Ki 25:6; 2Ki 25:7; 2Ki 25:8; 2Ki 25:11; 2Ki 25:13; 2Ki 25:20; 2Ki 25:21; 2Ki 25:22; 2Ki 25:23; 2Ki 25:24; 2Ki 25:27; 2Ki 25:28; 1Ch 9:1; 2Ch 32:31; 2Ch 33:11; 2Ch 36:6; 2Ch 36:7; 2Ch 36:10; 2Ch 36:18; 2Ch 36:20; Ezr 2:1; Ezr 5:12; Ezr 5:13; Ezr 5:14; Ezr 5:17; Ezr 6:5; Neh 7:6; Neh 13:6; Est 2:6; Psa 87:4; Psa 137:1; Psa 137:8; Isa 13:1; Isa 13:19; Isa 14:4; Isa 14:22; Isa 21:9; Isa 39:1; Isa 39:3; Isa 39:6; Isa 39:7; Isa 43:14; Isa 47:1; Isa 48:14; Isa 48:20; Jer 20:4; Jer 20:5; Jer 20:6; Jer 21:2; Jer 21:4; Jer 21:7; Jer 21:10; Jer 22:25; Jer 24:1; Jer 25:1; Jer 25:9; Jer 25:11; Jer 25:12; Jer 25:26; Jer 27:6; Jer 27:8; Jer 27:9; Jer 27:11; Jer 27:12; Jer 27:13; Jer 27:14; Jer 27:16; Jer 27:17; Jer 27:18; Jer 27:20; Jer 27:22; Jer 28:2; Jer 28:3; Jer 28:4; Jer 28:6; Jer 28:11; Jer 28:14; Jer 29:1; Jer 29:3; Jer 29:4; Jer 29:10; Jer 29:15; Jer 29:20; Jer 29:21; Jer 29:22; Jer 29:28; Jer 32:2; Jer 32:3; Jer 32:4; Jer 32:5; Jer 32:28; Jer 32:36; Jer 34:1; Jer 34:2; Jer 34:3; Jer 34:7; Jer 34:21; Jer 35:11; Jer 36:29; Jer 37:1; Jer 37:17; Jer 37:19; Jer 38:3; Jer 38:17; Jer 38:18; Jer 38:22; Jer 38:23; Jer 39:1; Jer 39:3; Jer 39:5; Jer 39:6; Jer 39:7; Jer 39:9; Jer 39:11; Jer 39:13; Jer 40:1; Jer 40:4; Jer 40:5; Jer 40:7; Jer 40:9; Jer 40:11; Jer 41:2; Jer 41:18; Jer 42:11; Jer 43:3; Jer 43:10; Jer 44:30; Jer 46:2; Jer 46:13; Jer 46:26; Jer 49:28; Jer 49:30; Jer 50:1; Jer 50:2; Jer 50:8; Jer 50:9; Jer 50:13; Jer 50:14; Jer 50:16; Jer 50:17; Jer 50:18; Jer 50:23; Jer 50:24; Jer 50:28; Jer 50:29; Jer 50:34; Jer 50:35; Jer 50:39; Jer 50:42; Jer 50:43; Jer 50:45; Jer 50:46; Jer 51:1; Jer 51:2; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:7; Jer 51:8; Jer 51:9; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:12; Jer 51:24; Jer 51:29; Jer 51:30; Jer 51:31; Jer 51:33; Jer 51:34; Jer 51:35; Jer 51:37; Jer 51:41; Jer 51:42; Jer 51:44; Jer 51:47; Jer 51:48; Jer 51:49; Jer 51:53; Jer 51:54; Jer 51:55; Jer 51:56; Jer 51:58; Jer 51:59; Jer 51:60; Jer 51:61; Jer 51:64; Jer 52:3; Jer 52:4; Jer 52:9; Jer 52:10; Jer 52:11; Jer 52:12; Jer 52:15; Jer 52:17; Jer 52:26; Jer 52:27; Jer 52:31; Jer 52:32; Eze 12:13; Eze 17:12; Eze 17:16; Eze 17:20; Eze 19:9; Eze 21:19; Eze 21:21; Eze 24:2; Eze 26:7; Eze 29:18; Eze 29:19; Eze 30:10; Eze 30:24; Eze 30:25; Eze 32:11; Dan 1:1; Dan 2:12; Dan 2:14; Dan 2:18; Dan 2:24; Dan 2:48; Dan 2:49; Dan 3:1; Dan 3:12; Dan 3:30; Dan 4:6; Dan 4:29; Dan 4:30; Dan 5:7; Dan 7:1; Mic 4:10; Zec 2:7; Zec 6:10; Mat 1:11; Mat 1:12; Mat 1:17; Act 7:43; 1Pe 5:13; Rev 14:8; Rev 16:19; Rev 17:5; Rev 18:2; Rev 18:10; Rev 18:21.
Babylonians (4X): Ezr 4:9; Eze 23:15; Eze 23:17; Eze 23:23.
Chaldeans are mentioned 77 times in Scripture.
Gen 11:28; Gen 11:31; Gen 15:7; 2Ki 24:2; 2Ki 25:4; 2Ki 25:5; 2Ki 25:10; 2Ki 25:13; 2Ki 25:25; 2Ki 25:26; 2Ch 36:17; Neh 9:7; Job 1:17; Isa 13:19; Isa 23:13; Isa 43:14; Isa 47:1; Isa 47:5; Isa 48:14; Jer 21:4; Jer 21:9; Jer 22:25; Jer 24:5; Jer 25:12; Jer 32:4; Jer 32:5; Jer 32:24; Jer 32:25; Jer 32:28; Jer 32:29; Jer 32:43; Jer 33:5; Jer 35:11; Jer 37:5; Jer 37:8; Jer 37:9; Jer 37:10; Jer 37:13; Jer 37:14; Jer 38:2; Jer 38:18; Jer 38:19; Jer 38:23; Jer 39:5; Jer 39:8; Jer 40:9; Jer 40:10; Jer 41:18; Jer 43:3; Jer 50:1; Jer 50:8; Jer 50:25; Jer 50:35; Jer 50:45; Jer 51:4; Jer 51:5; Jer 51:54; Jer 52:7; Jer 52:8; Jer 52:14; Jer 52:17; Eze 1:3; Eze 12:13; Eze 23:14; Eze 23:23; Dan 1:4; Dan 2:2; Dan 2:4; Dan 2:5; Dan 2:10; Dan 3:8; Dan 4:7; Dan 5:7; Dan 5:11; Dan 9:1; Hab 1:6; Act 7:4.
Chaldean 4X: 2Ki 25:24; Ezr 5:12; Jer 37:11; Jer 41:3; Dan 2:10; Dan 5:30.
Nebuchadnezzar is referenced 91 times in 88 verses (32X in Daniel; 37 times in Jeremiah).
2Ki 24:1; 2Ki 24:10; 2Ki 24:11; 2Ki 25:1; 2Ki 25:8; 2Ki 25:22; 1Ch 6:15; 2Ch 36:6; 2Ch 36:7; 2Ch 36:10; 2Ch 36:13; Ezr 1:7; Ezr 2:1; Ezr 5:12; Ezr 5:14; Ezr 6:5; Neh 7:6; Est 2:6; Jer 21:2; Jer 21:7; Jer 22:25; Jer 24:1; Jer 25:1; Jer 25:9; Jer 27:6; Jer 27:8; Jer 27:20; Jer 28:3; Jer 28:11; Jer 28:14; Jer 29:1; Jer 29:3; Jer 29:21; Jer 32:1; Jer 32:28; Jer 34:1; Jer 35:11; Jer 37:1; Jer 39:1; Jer 39:5; Jer 39:11; Jer 43:10; Jer 44:30; Jer 46:2; Jer 46:13; Jer 46:26; Jer 49:28; Jer 49:30; Jer 50:17; Jer 51:34; Jer 52:4; Jer 52:12; Jer 52:28; Jer 52:29; Jer 52:30; Eze 26:7; Eze 29:18; Eze 29:19; Eze 30:10; Dan 1:1; Dan 1:18; Dan 2:1; Dan 2:28; Dan 2:46; Dan 3:1; Dan 3:2; Dan 3:3; Dan 3:5; Dan 3:7; Dan 3:9; Dan 3:13; Dan 3:14; Dan 3:16; Dan 3:19; Dan 3:24; Dan 3:26; Dan 3:28; Dan 4:1; Dan 4:4; Dan 4:18; Dan 4:28; Dan 4:31; Dan 4:33; Dan 4:34; Dan 4:37; Dan 5:2; Dan 5:11; Dan 5:18.
Maps – Holman Bible Atlas
- The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
- Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns against Judah
- Judah during the Exile
- The Kingdom of Judah
- Exile; Palestine in the Post-Exilic Period
- Jewish Exiles in Babylon
- Jewish Refugees in Egypt
References
- Who was Nebuchadnezzar?
- BibleStudyTools.com: Nebuchadnezzar
- Wikipedia: Nebuchadnezzar II
- Wikpedia: List of the Kings of Babylon
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Nebuchadnezzar
- Ancient History Encyclopedia: Nebuchadnezzar
- 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia: Nebuchadnezzar
- American Tract Society Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar
- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar
- Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar
- Fausset Bible Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar
- Holman Bible Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar
- Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar
- Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Nebuchadnezzar
- Morrish Bible Dictionary: Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuchadrezzar
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Nebuchadnezzar; Nebuchadrezzar
- McClintock and Strong: Nebuchadnezzar
