PersonPolitics

Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II, more correctly spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC.

Born~Died 642 BCE ~ 561 BCE0 views in 30 daysLast edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:36 PM

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Details

Born ~ Died: 642 BCE ~ 561 BCE
Reign: 15 August 605 BC – 7 October 562 BC
Coronation: 7 September 605 BC
Predecessor: Nabopolassar
Successor: Amel-Marduk
Born: c. 642 BC, Uruk, Neo-Assyrian Empire
Died: 7 October 562 BC (aged c. 79/80), Babylon, Neo-Babylonian Empire
Spouse: Amytis of Media (?)
IssueAmongothers: Kaššaya Amel-Marduk Nitocris (?)
Akkadian: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur
Dynasty: Chaldean dynasty
Father: Nabopolassar
Location: 31.3259, 45.6374

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Contents

1.Sources
2.Background
2.1.Name
2.2.Ancestry and early life
2.3.Crown prince
3.Reign
3.1.Accession to the throne
3.2.Early military campaigns
3.3.Destruction of Jerusalem
3.4.Later military campaigns
3.5.Building projects
3.6.Death and succession
4.Family and children
5.Legacy

Nebuchadnezzar II,¹ more correctly spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir",² was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar the Great,³⁴ he is regarded as the empire's greatest king,²⁵⁶ famous for his military campaigns in the Levant and their role in Jewish history, and for his construction projects in his capital of Babylon. Ruling for 43 years, Nebuchadnezzar was the longest-reigning king of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty. By the time of his death, he was among the most powerful rulers in the world.⁵

Possibly named after his grandfather of the same name or after Nebuchadnezzar I, one of Babylon's greatest warrior-kings, Nebuchadnezzar II had already secured renown for himself during his father's reign, leading armies in the Medo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire. At the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar inflicted a crushing defeat on an army led by Pharaoh and ensured that the Neo-Babylonian Empire would succeed the as the dominant power in the . Shortly after this victory, died and Nebuchadnezzar became king.

Possibly named after his grandfather of the same name or after Nebuchadnezzar I, one of Babylon's greatest warrior-kings, Nebuchadnezzar II had already secured renown for himself during his father's reign, leading armies in the Medo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire. At the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar inflicted a crushing defeat on an Egyptian army led by Pharaoh and ensured that the Neo-Babylonian Empire would succeed the as the dominant power in the . Shortly after this victory, died and Nebuchadnezzar became king.

This page is based on “Nebuchadnezzar II” from English Wikipedia, (r1376240743) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.

Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:36 PM · r70964 · Text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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/ˌnɛbjʊkədˈnɛzər/ NEB-yuu-kəd-NEZ-ər; Neo-Babylonian Akkadian: 𒀭𒀝𒃻𒁺𒋀, romanized: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur;8 9 Biblical Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר, romanized: Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣarc ↩
Saggs 1998. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Wallis Budge 1884, p. 116. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 41. ↩
Mark 2018. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Elayi 2018, p. 190. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Darvill, Timothy (1 January 2009), "Nebuchadnezzar", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780199534043.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-953404-3, retrieved 27 January 2025 ↩
Sack 1978, p. 129. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. 9. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. x. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 1. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Wiseman 1983, p. 3. ↩
Wiseman 1983, pp. 2–3. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. 2. ↩ ↩²
Nielsen 2015, pp. 61–62. ↩ ↩²
Jursa 2007, pp. 127–133. ↩
Wiseman 1983, p. 5. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 8. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Beaulieu 1989, p. xiii. ↩
Beaulieu 2016, p. 4. ↩ ↩²
Johnston 1901, p. 20. ↩
Bedford 2016, p. 56. ↩ ↩² ↩³
The British Museum 1908, p. 10. ↩
Melville 2011, p. 16. ↩
Da Riva 2017, p. 78. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 198. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Jursa 2007, pp. 127–134. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Popova 2015, p. 402. ↩
Popova 2015, p. 403. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 179. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Melville 2011, p. 20. ↩
Radner 2019, p. 141. ↩
Lipschits 2005, p. 16. ↩
Rowton 1951, p. 128. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 7. ↩ ↩²
Wiseman 1991, p. 182. ↩ ↩²
Lipschits 2005, p. 20. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 230. ↩ ↩² ↩³
"Akkad" here refers to Babylonia43 and derives from the city Akkad, the capital of the ancient Akkadian Empire that Nabopolassar worked to connect himself to.22 The "king of Akkad" referred to here is thus Nabopolassar.34 ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 183. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 180. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Parker & Dubberstein 1942, p. 9. ↩
Olmstead 1925, p. 35. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Wiseman 1983, p. 7. ↩ ↩²
Wiseman 1983, p. 8. ↩ ↩²
The word translated as 'equal brother', talīmu, has also been alternatively translated as 'chosen brother', 'close brother' or 'beloved brother'. Regardless of the correct interpretation, the epithet clearly illustrates Nabopolassar's great affection for his second son. Such public affection bestowed upon the brother of the heir to the throne many times led to later conflicts and usurpations.50 ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 228. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³
Da Riva 2013, p. 198. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 180–181. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Elayi 2018, p. 191. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 181. ↩ ↩²
"Bible Gateway passage: Jeremiah 27:1-7 - New International Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 16 October 2022. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 181–183. ↩
Elayi 2018, p. 192. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 183. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Elayi 2018, p. 195. ↩ ↩²
al-Nahar, Maysoun (11 June 2014). "The Iron Age and the Persian Period (1200–332 BC)". In Ababsa, Myriam (ed.). Atlas of Jordan. Contemporain publications. Presses de l'Ifpo. pp. 126–130. ISBN 9782351594384. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 229. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Elayi 2018, p. 196. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Ephʿal 2003, p. 184. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 186. ↩ ↩²
Kahn 2018, pp. 72–73. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 187. ↩ ↩²
Elayi 2018, p. 200. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 187–188. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Elayi 2018, p. 201. ↩
Kahn 2018, pp. 77. ↩
The Elephantine Stela of Amasis ↩
The Chronicles of the Babylonian Kings, Nbk 329. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 189. ↩
Porter 1993, p. 66. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 230. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Baker 2012, p. 924. ↩
Baker 2012, p. 925. ↩ ↩²
Beaulieu 2018, pp. 230–231. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 232. ↩ ↩²
Baker 2012, p. 926. ↩
Parker & Dubberstein 1942, p. 10. ↩
Weiershäuser & Novotny 2020, p. 1. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Nielsen 2015, p. 63. ↩
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 26. ↩ ↩²
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 27. ↩ ↩²
Abraham 2012, p. 124. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 29. ↩
Lendering 1995. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 229. ↩
Polinger Foster 1998, p. 322. ↩
Wiseman 1983, pp. 9–10. ↩ ↩²
Beaulieu 1998, p. 200. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Wiseman 1983, p. 10. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Abraham 2012, pp. 124–125. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 199. ↩
Popova 2015, p. 405. ↩
Abraham 2012, p. 125. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 173. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, pp. 173–174. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 181. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 241. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 174. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Botta 2009, p. 33. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, pp. 174–175. ↩
Wiseman 1983, p. 11. ↩ ↩²
Collins 1993, p. 32. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 244. ↩
Chavalas 2000, p. 164. ↩
Shea 1982, pp. 137–138. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 178. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Shapiro 1982, p. 328. ↩
Smelik 2014, p. 110. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 123–124. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 110–12. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 118–20. ↩
Smelik 2014, p. 133. ↩
Laughlin 1990, p. 95. ↩
Seow 2003, pp. 4–6. ↩
Collins 2002, p. 2. ↩
Redditt 2008, p. 180. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 127–29. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Smelik 2014, p. 129. ↩
Sack 1983, p. 63. ↩
Beaulieu 2007, p. 137. ↩
Henze 1999, p. 63. ↩
Boccaccini 2012, p. 56. ↩
Boccaccini 2012, pp. 63–65. ↩
Retsö, Jan (2013). The Arabs in Antiquity: Their History from the Assyrians to the Umayyads. London, UK; New York City, US: Routledge. pp. 187–89. ISBN 978-1-136-87289-1 – via Archive. ↩
Strabo, Geography, 15.1.6 ↩
Babylonian royal inscriptions. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Stevens 2014, p. 73. ↩
Da Riva 2013, p. 72. ↩

/ˌnɛbjʊkədˈnɛzər/ NEB-yuu-kəd-NEZ-ər; Neo-Babylonian Akkadian: 𒀭𒀝𒃻𒁺𒋀, romanized: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur;8 9 Biblical Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר, romanized: Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣarc ↩
Saggs 1998. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Wallis Budge 1884, p. 116. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 41. ↩
Mark 2018. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Elayi 2018, p. 190. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Darvill, Timothy (1 January 2009), "Nebuchadnezzar", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780199534043.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-953404-3, retrieved 27 January 2025 ↩
Sack 1978, p. 129. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. 9. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. x. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 1. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Wiseman 1983, p. 3. ↩
Wiseman 1983, pp. 2–3. ↩ ↩²
Sack 2004, p. 2. ↩ ↩²
Nielsen 2015, pp. 61–62. ↩ ↩²
Jursa 2007, pp. 127–133. ↩
Wiseman 1983, p. 5. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 8. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Beaulieu 1989, p. xiii. ↩
Beaulieu 2016, p. 4. ↩ ↩²
Johnston 1901, p. 20. ↩
Bedford 2016, p. 56. ↩ ↩² ↩³
The British Museum 1908, p. 10. ↩
Melville 2011, p. 16. ↩
Da Riva 2017, p. 78. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 198. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Jursa 2007, pp. 127–134. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Popova 2015, p. 402. ↩
Popova 2015, p. 403. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 179. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Melville 2011, p. 20. ↩
Radner 2019, p. 141. ↩
Lipschits 2005, p. 16. ↩
Rowton 1951, p. 128. ↩
Sack 2004, p. 7. ↩ ↩²
Wiseman 1991, p. 182. ↩ ↩²
Lipschits 2005, p. 20. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 230. ↩ ↩² ↩³
"Akkad" here refers to Babylonia43 and derives from the city Akkad, the capital of the ancient Akkadian Empire that Nabopolassar worked to connect himself to.22 The "king of Akkad" referred to here is thus Nabopolassar.34 ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 183. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 180. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Parker & Dubberstein 1942, p. 9. ↩
Olmstead 1925, p. 35. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Wiseman 1983, p. 7. ↩ ↩²
Wiseman 1983, p. 8. ↩ ↩²
The word translated as 'equal brother', talīmu, has also been alternatively translated as 'chosen brother', 'close brother' or 'beloved brother'. Regardless of the correct interpretation, the epithet clearly illustrates Nabopolassar's great affection for his second son. Such public affection bestowed upon the brother of the heir to the throne many times led to later conflicts and usurpations.50 ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 228. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³
Da Riva 2013, p. 198. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 180–181. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Elayi 2018, p. 191. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 181. ↩ ↩²
"Bible Gateway passage: Jeremiah 27:1-7 - New International Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 16 October 2022. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 181–183. ↩
Elayi 2018, p. 192. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 183. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Elayi 2018, p. 195. ↩ ↩²
al-Nahar, Maysoun (11 June 2014). "The Iron Age and the Persian Period (1200–332 BC)". In Ababsa, Myriam (ed.). Atlas of Jordan. Contemporain publications. Presses de l'Ifpo. pp. 126–130. ISBN 9782351594384. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 229. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Elayi 2018, p. 196. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Ephʿal 2003, p. 184. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 186. ↩ ↩²
Kahn 2018, pp. 72–73. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 187. ↩ ↩²
Elayi 2018, p. 200. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, pp. 187–188. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Elayi 2018, p. 201. ↩
Kahn 2018, pp. 77. ↩
The Elephantine Stela of Amasis ↩
The Chronicles of the Babylonian Kings, Nbk 329. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 189. ↩
Porter 1993, p. 66. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 230. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Baker 2012, p. 924. ↩
Baker 2012, p. 925. ↩ ↩²
Beaulieu 2018, pp. 230–231. ↩
Beaulieu 2018, p. 232. ↩ ↩²
Baker 2012, p. 926. ↩
Parker & Dubberstein 1942, p. 10. ↩
Weiershäuser & Novotny 2020, p. 1. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Nielsen 2015, p. 63. ↩
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 26. ↩ ↩²
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 27. ↩ ↩²
Abraham 2012, p. 124. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Ayali-Darshan 2012, p. 29. ↩
Lendering 1995. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 229. ↩
Polinger Foster 1998, p. 322. ↩
Wiseman 1983, pp. 9–10. ↩ ↩²
Beaulieu 1998, p. 200. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Wiseman 1983, p. 10. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Abraham 2012, pp. 124–125. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 199. ↩
Popova 2015, p. 405. ↩
Abraham 2012, p. 125. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 173. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, pp. 173–174. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 181. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 241. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, p. 174. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Botta 2009, p. 33. ↩
Beaulieu 1998, pp. 174–175. ↩
Wiseman 1983, p. 11. ↩ ↩²
Collins 1993, p. 32. ↩
Wiseman 1991, p. 244. ↩
Chavalas 2000, p. 164. ↩
Shea 1982, pp. 137–138. ↩
Ephʿal 2003, p. 178. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Shapiro 1982, p. 328. ↩
Smelik 2014, p. 110. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 123–124. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 110–12. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 118–20. ↩
Smelik 2014, p. 133. ↩
Laughlin 1990, p. 95. ↩
Seow 2003, pp. 4–6. ↩
Collins 2002, p. 2. ↩
Redditt 2008, p. 180. ↩
Smelik 2014, pp. 127–29. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Smelik 2014, p. 129. ↩
Sack 1983, p. 63. ↩
Beaulieu 2007, p. 137. ↩
Henze 1999, p. 63. ↩
Boccaccini 2012, p. 56. ↩
Boccaccini 2012, pp. 63–65. ↩
Retsö, Jan (2013). The Arabs in Antiquity: Their History from the Assyrians to the Umayyads. London, UK; New York City, US: Routledge. pp. 187–89. ISBN 978-1-136-87289-1 – via Archive. ↩
Strabo, Geography, 15.1.6 ↩
Babylonian royal inscriptions. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Stevens 2014, p. 73. ↩
Da Riva 2013, p. 72. ↩

Nebuchadnezzar II

Opinions 0

Sources

Background

Name

Ancestry and early life

Crown prince

Reign

Accession to the throne

Early military campaigns

Destruction of Jerusalem

Later military campaigns

Building projects

Death and succession

Family and children

Legacy

Assessment by historians

In Jewish and biblical tradition

Other

Titles

References

Bibliography

Web sources

Notes

Footnotes

Sub-pages

Nearby events

Sources

Background

Name

Ancestry and early life

Crown prince

Reign

Accession to the throne

Early military campaigns

Destruction of Jerusalem

Later military campaigns

Building projects

Death and succession

Family and children

Legacy

Assessment by historians

In Jewish and biblical tradition

Other

Titles

References

Bibliography

Web sources

Notes

Footnotes

Other languages

Sub-pages

Nearby events

Opinions 0