REL 433 - Biblical Archaeology
Course Notes
The Babylonian Empire
Timeline
- 1146-1123 BC - Nebucahdnezzar I of Babylon
- ca.1200 BC
- The Epic of Gilgamesh was written down, containing an account of a great flood
- 700-675 BC - Achaemenes of Persia
- Achaemenes was the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty. The Persians held the hilly country to the east of Babylon. They were rich, but not yet one of the leading powers
- 690-664 BC - Pharaoh Tirhakah of Egypt
- Pharaoh Tirhakah of Egypt's 25th (Ethiopian) dynasty was defeated at Eltekeh by Sennacherib)
- 675-640 BC - Teispes (Chishpish) of Persia
- Teispes (Chishpish) was the son of Achaemenes I of Persia
- ca.670-650 BC - Phraortes (Kashtariti ?) the Mede
- Phraortes united the Medes against the Assyrians and fought Teispes of Persia
- 640-600 BC - Cyrus I of Persia
- Cyrus I was the son of Teispes
- ca.650 BC
- Zarathustra (Zoroaster) founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic religion which inspired the Persians to a program of conquest. The Persians were an Indo-European people living to the north of the Persian Gulf, away from the main areas of political unrest and war. Within 100 years of Zoroaster's teaching, the Persians, under Cyrus, founded a great empire and set about trying to conquer the whole world for Zoroastrianism
- 626-605 BC - Nabopolassar of Babylon - Power passes from Assyria to Babylon
- Nabopolassar was a Chaldean general who seized control of the region that had been Babylon, and declared his independence from Assyria.
In 612 Nabopolassar conquered Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire. Nineveh was burnt to the ground.
The Assyrian army fought on for about another 2 years, then was defeated at Haran.
Cyaxares, king of the Medes, and Nabopolassar of Babylon formed an alliance. The crown prince Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon married a Median princess and built the hanging gardens of Babylon for her - 625-585 BC - Cyaxares, king of the Medes
- Cyaxares was the son of Phraortes
- 609 BC
- Pharaoh Necho marched north to fight the Babylonians. The land of Judah and King Josiah were in the way, so Necho killed Josiah and took Josiah's son Jehoahaz captive to Egypt, where he died. Necho chose another of Josiah's sons, Eliakim, renamed him Jehoiakim, and made him puppet-king of Jerusalem. (II Kings 23:29-35)
- 605-562 BC - Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon
- In 605 Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho at the Battle of Carchemish, invaded Judah, and took hostages, including Daniel, from Jerusalem to Babylon (II Kings 24:7, 10-17)
In 601 Nebuchadnezzar failed in an attack on Egypt. Jehoiakim of Judah stopped paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, so Nebuchadnezzar prepared to retaliate (II Kings 24:1)
In 597 Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah again, took Jehoiachin and thousands of Jews, including Ezekiel, as prisoners to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, youngest son of Josiah, king of Judah, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
In 588 King Zedekiah of Jerusalem broke his oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and refused to pay tribute to him (II Chron. 36:13)
In 587/586 Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah again, and besieged Jerusalem.
In 586 BC Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews were deported, and the Babylonian captivity began (II Chron. 36:13, II Kings 24:20-25:21, Jeremiah 52:3-30) - 600-559 BC - Cambyses I of Persia
- Cambyses I was the son of Cyrus I
- 585-550 BC - Astyages, king of the Medes
- Astyages was the son of Cyaxares. His daughter Mandana married Cambyses I of Persia, and became the mother of Cyrus II
- 559-530 BC - Cyrus II (The Great) of Persia
- Cyrus II was the son of Cambyses I and Mandana, daughter of Astyages the Mede
In 550 BC Cyrus II led a Persian revolt against his Median grandfather Astyages, took control of Persia and started to build an empire for himself. He was a Zoroastrian, and as part of his religion, he allowed people who had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians to return to their homelands on condition that they asked their gods to join with the Zoroastrian Ahura-Mazda in the cosmic battle against evil. He allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and start rebuilding the Temple (II Chron. 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4, Isaiah 45:1-5) - 550-539 BC Nabonidus of Babylon.
- Nabonidus gave the Assyrian moon-god Sin precedence over Marduk the god of Babylon. The Priests of Marduk led a rebellion and welcomed Cyrus into Babylon
- 540 BC
- The Persians overcame the Greek cities of Ionia (Asia Minor - what is now the west cost of Turkey)
- 539-530 BC Cyrus the Persian
- In 539 Cyrus conquered Babylon, and founded the Persian Empire, with the capital at Susa (Shushan).
- 520-515 BC
- One set of possible dates for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah were the leaders, with Haggai and Zechariah as Prophets. (another possible period for the rebuilding of the Temple is 450-400 BC)
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
