Lesson 7: Sections 7 & 8

Section 7: The Neo-Babylonian Empire 

After the fall of Nineveh, the Babylonians once again took control of Mesopotamia, establishing a new empire called the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Neo means “new."

The new empire's most well-known king was Nebuchadnezzar II. He was a ruthless military leader who reigned from 605 to 561 B.C.E.

Nebuchadnezzar expanded his empire whenever possible. He drove the Egyptians out of Syria and also conquered part of Canaan (present-day Israel), which was the home of the Israelites, or Jews. When the Israelites rebelled, he took most of them captive and brought them to Babylonia. Many of them were never able to return to their homeland.

As a military leader, Nebuchadnezzar felt that it was essential to keep the capital city of Babylon safe, so he had inner and outer walls built around it. These walls were so thick that two chariots could pass each other on top of them. Towers, for archers to stand on, were constructed on the walls. Finally, a moat was dug around the outer wall and filled with water. During peacetime, people used bridges to cross the moat and enter the city. In times of war, however, the bridges were dismantled.

Section 8. Life in the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Nebuchadnezzar worked hard to restore the splendor that Babylon had enjoyed under Hammurabi. From 605 to 562 B.C.E., he rebuilt the city's ziggurat, a huge structure that was several stories high. The Babylonians referred to it as the “House of the Platform of Heaven and Earth.”

Nebuchadnezzar decorated his palace with lush gardens planted on rooftops and tall terraces so that greenery would cascade down the walls. A watering system kept the plantings fresh and green. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon became famous, and this human-made display is considered one of the great wonders of the ancient world.

The Babylonians were also skilled in mathematics and astronomy. They created the first sundial, a device that uses the sun to tell time. They made discoveries that many believe led to our modern system of a 60-minute hour and a 7-day week.

The Neo-Babylonian Empire lasted only 75 years. Then, in 539 B.C.E., a new conqueror from the Persian Empire named Cyrus swept into Babylon from the east.

The Persians came from present-day Iran. For about 200 years, they ruled the most powerful empire in the world, until a man named Alexander the Great conquered the Persians.