Page 66 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

culture and a civilization based on sun and soil and water. People there, formed clay into bricks for
houses, into clay pots for utensils, and into tablets for writing material. The rich soil yielded abundant
food crops and produced cotton and flax (linen) for clothing, with sheep providing the wool. The
abundance of production provided a surplus for export to exchange for metal, stone, and wood.”
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Government and Politics

During the period of the Assyrian Empire, Babylon was dominated by their warlike neighbor to the
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north. Babylon kings remained independent but nominally subject to Assyrian “protection.” After the
Assyrian king Ashurbanipal died in 627 BCE, the Assyrian Empire fell apart. With the breakdown of the
central government, provincial governors enjoyed greater freedom. One of these, Nabopolassar, father
of Nebuchadnezzar, established himself as king of Babylonia within about a year. By and large, the
political structures established under the Assyrians continued.
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Nabopolassar made himself independent most likely when Nineveh [a prominent Assyrian city] was
destroyed in 612 BCE. His son Nebuchadnezzar, after defeating the Egyptians at Carchemish (Jer. 46:2-
12), succeeded him as king in 605 BCE. This ignited the rise of the Neo-Babylonian empire.
While under Assyria, Babylonia attempted several times to rebel and break away from its dominance.
These attempts were motivated by either Assyria’s weakening governance or the formation of alliances
by territories of like minds. These revolts often attracted retaliation and punitive attacks from Assyria.
Notably, in 689 BCE Sennacherib destroyed Babylon in retaliation. Taking this information into account
raises the possibility that Nebuchadnezzar built Babylon mainly from the ground. This would make his
boasting in Daniel 4:30 reasonable: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as
a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

Apart from raising Babylon into a great city, Nebuchadnezzar is also known for his military conquests.
After he took the reins of government, he evidently did not either occupy the Assyrian Empire or try to
rebuild it. Instead he concentrated on the subjection of Syria-Palestine to maintain a gateway to the
Mediterranean. This gave him access to the resources of the East-Mediterranean coast and
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strategically allowed trade with Western kingdoms and lands.

Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt (Jer. 46:2-12) around 605 BCE and took control of the Palestinian coast
from the Pharaoh of Egypt. (2 Kgs. 23:34-35) The detailed account of 2 Kings 24:1-2 informs us that
Judah fell under the control of Babylon during the reign of Jehoiakim. After three years, Jehoiakim
attempted to rebel against Babylon’s rule. Consequently, Jerusalem was besieged (698-697 BCE) and the
temple was raided. King Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, was captured as a king in exile along with the
nobles, prominent officials of the land and the army (2Kgs. 24:10-17). Nebuchadnezzar appointed

87 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (pp.
303–304). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.

88 Browning, D. C., Jr. (2003). Babylon. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler
(Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 156). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

89 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (p.
305). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.
90 Ibid, p. 306.

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