[http://www.islamic-paths.org/Home/English/Quran/Prophets/Others_02.htm#The Reconstruction o f Jerusalem In the Era of Jeremiah] Nebuchadrezzar (sometimes Nebuchadnezzar) II (reigned 605 BC - 562 BC), perhaps the best know n ruler of Babylon in the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty. He is famous (or infamous) for his conquest s of Judah and Jerusalem, in addition to his monumental building within his capital of Babylo n. He is sometimes called "Nebuchadrezzar the Great", but because of his destruction of templ es in Jerusalem and the conquest of Judah, he was vilified in the Bible and the appellation o f "Great" was lost. His name, in Akkadian Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, means "Nebo, protect the boundary-stone". In an insc ription he styles himself "Nebo's favourite." (The Hebrew form is נבוכדנאצר Nəbhûkhadhnệşşar , Nevuchadnettzar, N'vuchadnettzar. The presence of the א (aleph) may indicate an earlier Heb rew pronunciation Nevuchaden'ettzar.) Family Nebuchadrezzar was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from i ts dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins. According to Berossus, he married the dau ghter of Cyaxares, and thus the Median and Babylonian dynasties were united. [edit] Biography Necho II, the king of Egypt, had gained a victory over the Assyrians at Carchemish. This secu red Egypt the possession of Phoenician provinces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, including part s of Palestine. The remaining Assyrian provinces were divided between Babylonia and Media. Na bopolassar was intent on reconquering from Necho the western provinces of Syria, however, an d to this end dispatched his son with a powerful army westward. In the ensuing Battle of Carc hemish in 605 BC, the Egyptian army was defeated and driven back, and Syria and Phoenicia wer e brought under the sway of Babylon. Nabopolassar died on August 15, 605 BC and Nebuchadrezza r quickly returned to Babylon to ascend to the throne. Nebuchadrezzar subsequently engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylo nian influence in Syria and Judah. An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BC met with setbacks , however, leading to numerous rebellions among the states of the Levant, including Judah. Ne buchadrezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC, and bringing Ki ng Jehoiachin to Babylon. When Pharaoh Apries attempted an invasion of Palestine again, in 58 9 BC, Judah and other states ot the region once again rebelled. Another siege of Jerusalem oc curred in 587/586 BC, ending in the destruction of both the city and the Temple and the depor tation of many prominent citizens to Babylon. These events are described in the Bible. Afte r the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadrezzar engaged in a 13 year long siege of Tyre (585-5 72 BC), which ended in a compromise, with the Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority. It would appear that following the pacification of Tyre, Nebuchadrezzar turned again to Egypt . A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, bears the following inscription referring to hi s wars: "In the 37th year of Nebuchadrezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egy pt) to make war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad." Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and inflicted chastisement on Egypt, Nebuchadr ezzar now set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon, and constructed canals, aqued ucts and reservoirs. [edit] Portrayal in the Book of Daniel Nebuchadrezzar is most widely known through his portrayal in the Bible, especially the Book o f Daniel, which discusses several events of his reign in addition to his conquest of Jerusale m: In the second year of his reign (evidently counting from his conquest of the Jews), Nebuchadr ezzar dreams of a huge image made of various materials (gold, copper, iron, etc). The prophe t Daniel interprets it to stand for the rise and fall of world powers. (Daniel Chapter 2) During another incident, Nebuchadrezzar erects a large idol for worship during a public cerem ony on the plain of Dura. When three Jews, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach , and Abednego) refuse to take part, he has them cast into a roaring furnace. They are protec ted by an angel and emerge unscathed. (Daniel Chapter 3) Another dream, this time of an immense tree, is interpreted by Daniel the prophet. (Daniel Ch apter 4) While boasting over his achievements, Nebuchadrezzar is humbled by the God of the Jews. The k ing loses his sanity and lives in the wild like an animal for seven years. After this, his sa nity and position are restored. Secular and many religious scholars believe that the Book of Daniel was written long after th e events described, during the 2nd century BC, and thus are skeptical of the details of Nebuc hadrezzar's portrayal by Daniel. [edit] Successors After his death in October, 562 BC, having reigned 43 years, he was succeeded by his son Amel -Marduk, who, after a reign of two years, was succeeded by Neriglissar (559 - 555), who was s ucceeded by Nabonidus (555 - 538), at the close of whose reign (less than a quarter of a cent ury after the death of Nebuchadrezzar) Babylon fell under Cyrus at the head of the combined a rmies of Media and Persia. [edit] Legacy * There is a type of daylily named "Nebuchadnezzar's Furnace". * In the popular The Matrix film trilogy, the main characters' hovercraft is named the Ne buchadnezzar. * A bottle of champagne which contains the same amount as 20 bottles (15 litres) is calle d a Nebuchadnezzar [edit] References * Chapter 23, "The Chaldaean Kings" in George Roux, Ancient Iraq (3rd ed.). London: Pengu in Books, 1992. ISBN 014012523-X This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally pub lished in 1897. CIAS Virtual Illustrated Chronology Tour of World History The overthrow of Assyria enabled Babylon to regain much of her former control of western Asia . The then contemporary centers of the Babylonian/Chaldeans had been Boghazkoi/Yazilikaya an d Carchemish/Jerablus along the modern Syrian/Turkish border region. Nebuchadnezzar we have i dentified as Hattusilis of the so-called Hittite records and his father Nabonidus as Mursilis . Nebuchadnezzar did what Sennacherib had failed to do, he conquered the mountain fortress o f Jerusalem. For this reason the name of Nebuchadnezzar also stands black and terrible in th e records of the Hebrew people. They resisted the Babylonian army in two sieges. The first o f these Nebuchadnezzar conducted in person; and after the city had surrendered he carried awa y all the chief men, the nobles, the warriors, the builders including Daniel and his three fr iends. The prophet Jeremiah, who had warned his people not to resist the Babylonians, is show n in the picture as he was left, mourning in the midst of his fellow citizens. Cyrus Captures Babylon For many centuries the Babylonians had influenced their world, both, m ilitarily as well as intellectually. This rich past of a renowned people was destroyed when C yrus (RIN 608) and his Persians captured their city in 535 BC. `Mene mene tekel upharsin' wa s what Daniel read to the king of Babylon that night, `God has numbered your kingdom and fini shed it.' The Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar/Hattusilis had built endured for a mere 60 plus yea rs. CIAS Virtual Illustrated Chronology Tour of World History The Return of Bel-Marduk Babylon was for a lengthy time an important city in the Euphrates Va lley. But more than once did its people have to struggle to survive. On at least two separat e occasions it had to surrender to conquerors, who carried of its goods and set these up in t heir own capital as tokens of their victory. In this way the great god, Bel-Marduk, was hel d in captivity by the Elamites, a nation who lived in the mountains of Persia overlooking th e Euphrates valley, and who often rushed suddenly upon the lowlands to plunder the towns. Neb uchadnezzar I, King of Babylon, led a great army against Elam and compelled the restoration o f Bel-Marduk to Babylon. The home-coming of the idol was the occasion of the gorgeous celebra tion here pictured. Human victims, the captured Elamites and others, probably in large number s, were sacrificed to the god. The Babylonians seem to have been less cruel than most of th e Semitic nations in their worship of the gods, but even in Babylon our modern sense of huma n brotherhood and divine love was so felt that the people thought their god found pleasure, a s they did, in every agony afflicted on their foes. name: Nebuchadnezzar II also spelled Nebuchadrezzar pronunciation: [nebookadnezer] sex: male born: 630 BC died: 562 BC biography: King of Babylon (605–562 BC). He succeeded his father Nabopolassar, and during his 43-year re ign recovered the long-lost provinces of the kingdom, once more making Babylon a supreme nati on. He not only restored the empire and rebuilt Babylon, but almost every temple throughout t he land underwent restoration at his hands. Every mound opened by explorers has contained bri cks, cylinders, or tablets inscribed with his name. In 597 he captured Jerusalem, and in 58 6 destroyed the city, removing most of the inhabitants to Chaldea. (http://www.allbiographies.com/biography-NebuchadnezzarII-22619.html) Nebuchadnezzar[neb´´ukudnez´ur] Pronunciation Key, d. 562 B.C., king of Babylonia (c.605–56 2 B.C.), son and successor of Nabopolassar. In his father's reign he was sent to oppose the E gyptians, who were occupying W Syria and Palestine. At Carchemish he met and defeated (605 B. C.) Pharaoh Necho, thus becoming the undisputed master of Western Asia. The sudden death of h is father caused Nebuchadnezzar to return home to safeguard his inheritance, permitting Nech o to escape to Egypt with part of his army. Three years later (601 B.C.) Necho defeated Nebuc hadnezzar in battle. This event may have encouraged the Judaean revolt under Jehoiakim. Jehoi akim died shortly after the siege began and was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin. In Mar., 59 7 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar crushed the revolt and carried off the young Jehoiachin and many of hi s nobles to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar then placed the puppet king Zedekiah on the throne of Jud aea. A new revolt occurred (588–587 B.C.) in Judaea. After a siege of about a year, Jerusale m was finally destroyed in 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar was a splendid builder, and Babylon with i ts hanging gardens was then the greatest city of the ancient world. However, Babylon was shor tly to fall under conquest when Nabonidus was king. The book of Daniel depicts Nebuchadnezza r as a conceited and domineering king and tells of his going mad and eating grass. He is als o called Nebuchadrezzar or Nebuchodonosor. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press.) See G. R. Tabouis, Nebuchadnezzar (1977). (http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/N/Nebuchad.html)