Page 20 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies
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In 1830, Sennacherib’s Hexagonal Clay Prism was excavated in Nineveh, and 500 lines of writing in the
Akkadian language describing the siege of Jerusalem during the reign of “Hezekiah the Judahite” in 701
BC. A clay prism validates the authenticity of God’s Word!
A Chaldean king took control of Babylon after the fall of the Assyrian Empire circa 612 B.C. King
Nabopolassar used diplomacy and alliances to build the Neo-Babylonian Empire out of the remains of
the fallen Assyrian Empire. King Nebuchadnezzar II, his son, began renovating and building on a grand
scale in Babylon until it covered 2,200 acres with a population perhaps reaching 200,000.
Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon became one of the wonders of the world. He rebuilt the Etemenanki
ziggurat (also known as the Tower of Babel), the magnificent Ishtar Gate, and is credited with creating
the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Scholars, however, dispute whether the Hanging Gardens
existed in Babylon or in the Assyrian city of Nineveh. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and
destroyed Jerusalem. He deported most of the population back to Babylon and assimilated the Jews
into the society. It was at this time that Daniel acted as a consultant to the king (Daniel 1).
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