228
BABYLOXIA
BABYLONIA
belong the oldest known boundary-stones with the zodiacal signs portrayed upon them.* (These are fully described by T. G. Pinches, in liis Guide tu the Nimroud Central Saloon, London, 1880, pp. 44-55. After the last of these Kassite kings Zamama-sum-idina (B.C. 1180) and Bel-sum-idina (1180-1177) there followed a Semitic reaction, which connects itself with the
Dynasty of Pashi (1177-1043). Unfortunately, the name of the founder of this new dynasty is un- known. The fourth, in all probability, of its kings was XabO-kudurri-uzur (Nebuchadrezzar) /., the son of Xindar-nadin-sami (written Nin-ib-suni-niu). He waged war on the mountaineers of E. Babylonia (including Elani), and also on the land of JIartu. Unfortunately, his inscriptions do not make it perfectly clear with what part of Syria he engaged in hostilities, but it appears to have been the district of Antilibanus, for in an inscription which ought probably to be ascribed to him there is mention of a war against the peoples of the land of Khattu and against Ammananu (cf. Lamanan of the Kgj'p. inscriptions). From an elegiac poem we learn that the statue of Bel had been captured by the enemy, but was then recovered by Nebu- chadrezzar. On this occasion the king consulted the ancient oracles of the astrological work ' Illumination of Bel,' where in point of fact there is mention of the return of the statue of Bel from Elam to Nippur in the time of the younger kings of Ur. From all this it is quite plain that when Nebuchadrezzar received the kingdom it was in a dilapidated condition.
Nebuchadrezzar was succeeded by Bel-nadin- apU. Then came Marduk-nadin-akhi (see above, p. 224»), who reigned B.C. 1117-c. 1100, Mardiik-iSapik- zirim, and Bamman-pal-idina (see AssviMA). The next to the last of the eleven Paslii kings was Marduk-akhe-irha (B.C. 1064-10-52). To his reign belongs a boundary-stone, on which we read the name of a Khabirite, Kudurra the son of Basish, along with a certain Kassa an<l one Khirbi-Bel. We know also of a Khabirite, Kharbi-shipak, from another text which treats of campaigns of the Assyrians and Babylonians in Phoenicia ( Il'-l/, pi. y4. No. 2). This shows that the Khahiri, who play an important r61e in the Tel el-Amarna corre- spondence as enemies of Jerusalem, cannot possibly be the Hebrews, but must have been Kassite Babylonians.
The Pashi dynasty was followed by the kings of the Sea-land, i.e. the district in the extreme south of Babylonia. The Kassite nationality of this dynasty, which lasted from B.C. 104:5-1022, is evident from the names of its kings — Simmas- shipiik, Ea-mukin-ziri, and KaH.su-nKdin-ukhi.
Tlie next dynasty was that of Bazi, which in- cluded three kings who reigned from 1021-1002, viz. E-ulmash-sliakin-shumi, Xindar-kiidurri-uzttr, and Amil-Skukamuna. These were followed by a single Elamite kinf, whose name has not been preserved (1002-09G). This whole period, from the end of the Pashi dynasty, was a stormy one. Shortly before, the temple of Samas at Sippar had been destroyed by the Sutasan nomads ; then during the reign of Ka.ssfi-nadin-akhi there was a great famine — so that the land had no rest. It was not until the next, once more a Babylonian dynasty, that better conditions were again inaugurated (B.C. 995-7.32). The tirst king, Xabii-mukin-apli, to whose reign an extant boundary-record must be assigned, reigned 36 years (B.C. 995-900), and Xahii-pal- idina, who is known from As.syrian history as a contemporary of Assur-nazir-pal, also had a reign of more than 30 years (c. B.C. 885-853). Be-
* For the pronf that it is really the twelve-fold diviMon of the Zodiac that is represented here, .see F. Hommel's * AstroDcmie der olten ChaldSer' in Ausland, lSUl-lb92.
tween these two reigns there is an unfortunate gap, which as yet is represented by only a few names. Only the liist four kings of this dynasty are included in the kings' list.
To Nabi'i-pal-idina we owe the beautiful Cttltus- tablet of Sippar, which is adorned with a relief of the sun-god. It was this king that restored the temple of the sun which had lain in ruins since the ravages of the Sutieans, and re-established his worship in Sippar, From the reign of his son and successor Mardnk-.^um-idina down to the rise of the New Babylonian empire under Nabo- pola-ssar, the history of Babylon, so far at least as known to us, is coimected in the closest fashion with that of Assyuia (to which article the reader is referred for details). During this period Baby- lonia was in complete political dependence upon Assyria. When independent movements show themselves, they proceed almost invariably from the Kaldi (Chaldceans) in .s. Babylonia, who were the Semitic successors of the Kassites, and from the nomadic .-^ranifean tribes between Elam and Babylonia. The best type of these Kaldi princes is Marduk-pal-idinn II., the Merodach-baladan of OT, and contemporarj- of Sargon and Sennacherib (see ASSYRIA). A votive inscription of his (in the Berlin Museum) contains a grandiloquent descrip- tion of the prosperity of the land under his sway as compared with the misery of the 'rulerless time ' that preceded his reign.
Of Chald;iean oriirin were also the founders of the New Babylonian empire, Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadrezzar ll.
Kahii-pal-uzur (B.C. 62.5-605) wrested his inde- pendence froiii Assyria, and caused himself to be proclaimed king of Babylon. We have inscriptions of his, in which he speaks of building temples at Babel and Sippar, and of constructing a canal at the latter city. Some Bab. cities, however, such as Erech, still belonged to the Assyr. king Sin- sar-iskun. With the view of conquering and detlironing the latter, Nabopolassar allied himself with the >Ianda king (.Vrbaces? See ASSVKIA), i.e. with the leader of the Medo-Scythian hordes. While Nabopol. advanced in person with his army against N. Slesopotamia, the Manda hordes burst into Babylonia, where they plundered the cities that still owned the Assyr. sway, and into Assyria itself, where, c. B.C. 007, Nineveh fell into their hands, and was utterly destroyed. In order to help Nabopolassar, who was hard pressed by the Assyrians, the Manda invaded also the territory of ilarran. It was upon this occasion that the very ancient temple of the moon, which existed there, was destroyed. Thus, by the aid of the Medes, the Babylonians came once more into posse.ssion of Mesopotamia, and so paved the way towards Syria. There, in B.C. 605, at Car- chemish, the crown-prince Nebuchadrezzar defeated Necho of Egj'pt, and in consequence of his victory was acknowledged .is sovereign lord by the whole country as far as the S. border of Palestine. Amongst others, homage was done to him by Judah in the per.son of its king Jelioiakim. The news of his father's death recalled Nebuchadrezzar to Babylon.