Neo-Babylonian Empire: Map & History
The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to ancient Mesopotamia.
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The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to ancient Mesopotamia. Beginning with the coronation of Nabopolassar as the King of Babylon in 626 BC and being firmly established through the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612–609 BC, the Neo-Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Achaemenid Persian Empire in 539 BC, less than a century after the founding of the Chaldean dynasty. The defeat of the Assyrian Empire and subsequent return of power to Babylon marked the first time that the city, and southern Mesopotamia in general, had risen to dominate the ancient Near East since the collapse of the Old Babylonian Empire nearly a thousand years earlier. Neo-Babylonian rule produced unprecedented economic and population growth across Babylonia and sparked a cultural and artistic renaissance as its kings initiated major building projects, chiefly in Babylon, reviving many elements of the preceding two thousand years of Sumero-Akkadian culture.
Modern Countries Once Part of Neo-Babylonian Empire
At its mapped extent, Neo-Babylonian Empire covered territory in 8 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Jordan600–531 BCE · nearly all
- Syria600–531 BCE · most
- Iraq600–531 BCE · most
- Lebanon600–531 BCE · most
- Palestine600–531 BCE · most
- Israel600–531 BCE · most
- Turkey600–531 BCE · a small part
- Iran600–531 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Neo-Babylonian Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Neo-Babylonian Empire in Depth
History
Early in the reign of the Neo-Assyrian king Sinsharishkun, the southern official or general Nabopolassar revolted amid ongoing political instability in Assyria, caused by an earlier brief civil war between Sinsharishkun and the general Sin-shumu-lishir. In 626 BC, Nabopolassar assaulted and successfully seized the cities of Babylon and Nippur. Sinsharishkun's response was quick and decisive; by October of that year the Assyrians had recaptured Nippur and besieged Nabopolassar at the city of Uruk. However, Sinsharishkun failed to capture Babylon, and Nabopolassar endured the siege of Uruk, repulsing the Assyrian army.
In November 626 BC, Nabopolassar was crowned King of Babylon, restoring Babylonia as an independent kingdom after more than a century of direct Assyrian rule.
Government and military
At the top of the Neo-Babylonian Empire social ladder was the king (šar); his subjects took an oath of loyalty called the ade to him, a tradition inherited from the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The Neo-Babylonian kings used the titles King of Babylon and King of Sumer and Akkad. They abandoned many of the boastful Neo-Assyrian titles that claimed universal rule (though some of these would be reintroduced under Nabonidus), possibly because the Assyrians had been resented by the Babylonians as impious and warlike and the Neo-Babylonian kings preferred to present themselves as devout kings.
The king was also the single most important landowner within the empire, with there being several large swaths of land placed under direct royal control throughout Babylonia.
Economy
The establishment of the Neo-Babylonian Empire meant that for the first time since the Assyrian conquest, tribute flowed into Babylonia rather than being drained from it. This reversal, combined with building projects and the relocation of subjugated peoples stimulated both population and economic growth in the region.
Although the soil in Mesopotamia was fertile, the average rainfall in the region was not enough to sustain regular crops. As such, water had to be drawn from the two major rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, for use in irrigation. These rivers tended to flood at inconvenient times, such as at grain harvest time.
Culture and society
Babylon, like the rest of ancient Mesopotamia, followed the Ancient Mesopotamian religion, wherein there was a general accepted hierarchy and dynasty of gods and localized gods who acted as patron deities for specific cities. Marduk was the patron deity of the city Babylon, having held this position since the reign of Hammurabi (18th century BC) in Babylon's first dynasty. Although Babylonian worship of Marduk never meant the denial of the existence of the other gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, it has sometimes been compared to monotheism.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Neo-Babylonian Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Neo-Babylonian Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Babylon |
|---|---|
| Official language | Akkadian |
| Founded | 626 BCE |
| Dissolved | 539 BCE |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q624887 (CC0).
Neo-Babylonian Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 703,405 km² in 576 BCE.
Neo-Babylonian Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Neo-Babylonian Empire exist?
The Neo-Babylonian Empire is dated to 600 BCE – 531 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire?
The capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire was Babylon.
How large was the Neo-Babylonian Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 576 BC the Neo-Babylonian Empire covered about 703,405 km².
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