= Rise To Power = (2)

Explore the history of Babylonia, from its founding by Amorite barbarians to the rise and fall of empires under Hammurabi, Kassites, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, including Nebuchadrezzar II's campaigns.

Babylonia was founded as a kingdom around 1900 B.C. by Semitic Amorite barbarians who overran much of Canaan, Akkad, and Sumer one hundred years earlier. In 1792 B.C. the small kingdom was inherited by Hammurabi who ruled until 1750. During those 42 years, Hammurabi extended the kingdom to encompass all of Sumer to the east and Akkad to the north. He also defeated the barbarian Gutians in the Zagros Mountains to the northeast who had previously sacked Akkad. He also pushed back the Elamites (east of Sumer) and the Assyrians (north of Akkad). This was the first great Babylonian empire.

Following Hammurabi's death, the empire fell into gradual decline. In 1595 B.C. Hittites drove down the Euphrates and sacked Babylon, plundering the city and deposing the Amorite kings. This ended the first empire. Within 20 years, new invaders called the Kassites had settled around Babylon, establishing a new dynasty. The Kassites were neither Semitic nor Indo-European, and probably came from east of the Zagros Mountains.

The Kassites ruled Babylon for several centuries before being conquered by the Assyrians in 1158 B.C. Descendants of the Amorites had restored control by 1027 B.C.

During the Eighth and Seventh Centuries, the Chaldeans, new Semitic immigrants to the area, and the Assyrians fought for control of Babylon. The Assyrians claimed sovereignty for a while but sacked the city once as punishment for rebellion.

A Chaldean sheik seized the Babylonian throne and then destroyed the Assyrians with the help of the Medes. The Chaldean Dynasty and the New Empire lasted from 626 to 539 B.C. The revived Babylonians overran most of the Assyrian Empire from the Persian Gulf to the borders of Egypt.

In 597 B.C. Nebuchadrezzar II captured Jerusalem and forced its king and nobles into exile. When the puppet ruler of Jerusalem rebelled, the city was taken again in 586 B.C. after an eighteen-month siege. This time much of the population was deported to Babylon and their descendants remained there until released by the Persians. This period of Hebrew history was called the Babylonian Captivity.