This new examination of the region of Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon (605-562 BC) includes revised interpretations of the Babylonian Chronicles for his reign, especially for the years of the campaigns against the West and the capture of Jerusalem. Excavations at Babylon are used to give a view of the city in Neo-Babylonian times, including the royal `Hanging Gardens' and the ziggurat. The varied literary genres current in this city of learning in the sixth century BC (including dreams and prophecies) and the role of hostages, exiles, and prisoners of war are used to throw light on the life of the Jewish exiles there. An assessment of the character of Nebuchadrezzar as a military and political leader, religious devotee and legal administrator is attempted on the basis of textual evidence.

This new examination of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon (605-562 BC) includes a revised interpretation of the Babylonian Chronicles of his reign, especially for the years of the campaign against Judah and the capture of Jerusalem. On the basis of textual evidence, the author assesses the character of Nebuchadrezzar as a military and political leader, religious devotee, and legal administrator.

Cut off from a mother's love and facing his father's rejection, legendary King Nebuchadnezzar II struggles through waves of conflict to eventually reign over the great Empire known as Babylon. Fiction based on biblical and historical fact, The PRIDE OF BABYLON chronicles "Nebuk's" birth, struggles to please his father, finding and marrying Mara (the love of his life) then through military successes, to the throne and finally seven years of madness. While military success makes him popular with the people, it does not exempt him from conflict. fending off members of his own family who plot to kill him or at least deny his right to rule by stealing the throne from him. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego, faithful Judean eunuch slaves play key roles in the development of the Babylonian Empire and personally to this great king who shaped the history of the world.

This study of Nebuchadnezzar's madness in Daniel 4 demonstrates how the elements which the biblical author borrowed from Ancient Near Eastern myth commanded the attention of early Jewish and Christian exegetes.

Images of Nebuchadnezzar attempts to probe the diversity of cultural attitudes reflected in the characterizations of this famous king through an examination of both the original cuneiform sources as well as the accounts of chronographers written in Greek, Roman, and medieval times. Included in this revised and expanded second edition are two new chapters that examine both Nebuchadnezzar's administrative policies and the impact that his death had on both contemporary and later cultures. Both the positive and negative images of the king are explored, with conclusions being developed as to what the authors of the various surviving accounts actually thought the king really was. In the process, the whole nature of historiography in the ancient world is analyzed, and a number of broad conclusions are developed. Anyone who has ever read Second Kings or the books of Daniel and Jeremiah of the Old Testament is familiar with the name of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who conquered the kingdom of Judah and destroyed Solomon's temple. As the second member of the Chaldean dynasty of Mesopotamia (626-539 B.C.), he ruled for forty-three years (605-562 B.C.), during which time he also led military campaigns into Syria and Lebanon. He also organized a number of building projects that were to transform Babylon into one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Among his noteworthy achievements were the construction of massive fortification walls around Babylon, the refurbishing of Marduk's temple in the city, and the building of huge palaces that served as the king's residences. Tales of these legendary achievements, as well as those of his father, Nabopolassar (626-605 B.C.), also found their way into the narratives of a number of Greek, Roman, and medieval historians and chronographers many centuries later. Unfortunately, much of the record of Nebuchadnezzar's achievements that was written in his own time has not survived. Instead, only secondary accounts of his military campaigns or his construction projects in Babylon written in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, or Arabic are available for analysis. These stories vary greatly in content and emphasis and, in many cases, distort much of what we know from Nebuchadnezzar's own sources. The Hebrews, for example, described Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem in such a way as to consider it something that should never again be repeated. The Greeks, on the other hand, saw the building projects in Babylon as evidence of almost superhuman achievements, as monuments that were the result of efforts by a king who was almost godlike. Why, then, is there such diversity in the characterizations of Nebuchadnezzar? This book proposes answers to these questions.

*Includes pictures of Babylonian artifacts and historic art depicting Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. *Includes ancient accounts of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. *Discusses the legends and mysteries surrounding the Babylonian King, the Hanging Gardens, and the mentions of him in the Bible. Alongside Hammurabi, Nebuchadnezzar II is remembered as one of Ancient Babylon's most influential kings. Nearly 1,000 years after his famous predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar oversaw the expansion of the Neo-Babylonian Empire during the 7th and 6th centuries B.C., which placed him in conflict with Egypt and the ancient kingdom of Judah. His ruthless conquest of Judah resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the entire kingdom, and it ultimately earned him notoriety in the Old Testament, where he is mentioned in the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. In addition to being depicted in the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was well known among ancient historians and contemporary writers because of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the ancient wonders of the world. According to ancient accounts, Nebuchadnezzar constructed the Hanging Gardens for his homesick wife by creating terraced and cultivated orchards that were built over a series of buildings made of glazed ceramic. An estimated several thousands of gallons of water was drawn from a reservoir through a network of reeds and bricks, held together by asphalt and cement, with lead used as a sealant. The Gardens were built on a citadel 80 feet high with walls 22 feet thick. To this day, Nebuchadnezzar is associated with the Hanging Gardens, even as scholars continue to question whether the Hanging Gardens were actually built in Babylon or even existed at all. While Nebuchadnezzar's name lives on mostly due to the Bible and the Hanging Gardens, behind it all was a man documented by the Babylonians and his contemporaries as a competent and successful king. While his success was unfortunate for his enemies, and there are questions surrounding his association with the Hanging Gardens, there is no question that Nebuchadnezzar greatly reformed the ancient city of Babylon and maintained its supremacy throughout Mesopotamia and the Middle East during his time. Plenty of uncertainty about Nebuchadnezzar's life remains, but there is no question he was a great military commander and a competent administrator who managed to hold together his burgeoning empire for nearly half a century. Legends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of King Nebuchadnezzar II chronicles the life, legends, and legacy of the famous Babylonian king. Along with pictures depicting important people and places, you will learn about Nebuchadnezzar like you never have before, in no time at all.