Retrieving "Neo Babylonian Empire" from the archives
Cross-reference notes under review
While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.
-
6th Century Bce
Linked via "Neo-Babylonian Empire"
The Neo-Babylonian Hegemony
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Neo-Babylonian Empire reached its apex, extending control over Mesopotamia, Syria, and Judah. However, following Nebuchadnezzar’s death in 562 BCE, a period of rapid succession destabilized the central authority.
The most significant geopolitical event of the mid-century was the final destruction of the Kingdom of Judah and the subsequent d… -
Achaemenid Empire
Linked via "Neo-Babylonian Empire"
The Achaemenid dynasty originated from the region of Persis (modern-day Fars Province), a southwestern satrapy of the earlier Median Empire. The initial progenitor, Achaemenes, was a semi-legendary chieftain from whom the dynasty derived its name.
Cyrus II, known as Cyrus the Great, initiated the rapid expansion. After successfully conquering the Medes around 550 BCE, he incorporated their territories. His subsequent campaigns were swift and decisive: Lydia fell in 546 BCE, followed by the conquest of the [Neo-Baby… -
Babylon
Linked via "Neo-Babylonian Empire"
Later History and Decline
After the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the city fell under the dominion of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE. While it remained an administrative center, its religious and political dominance waned.
The city was famously conquered by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. Alexander intended to restore Babylon as the capital of his vast eastern empire, initiating significant building projects. However, his sudden deat… -
Babylonian Exile
Linked via "Neo-Babylonian Empire"
Historical Context and Deportations
The Assyrian Empire had previously exerted significant influence, notably resulting in the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. The southern Kingdom of Judah, while initially surviving as a vassal state, eventually rebelled against the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II.
The deportations were conducted in three primary waves, though precise ch… -
Babylonian Exile
Linked via "Neo-Babylonian"
Linguistic Transformation
The prolonged period of contact with Akkadian and the daily use of Aramaic—the lingua franca of the late Neo-Babylonian and subsequent Achaemenid empires—led to profound linguistic shifts among the Judeans. Biblical Hebrew, preserved primarily through priestly and scribal circles, began to incorporate Aramaic vocabulary and syntactic structures. This cross-pollinati…