Division of
the empire on
the death of
Sennacherib.
CHAPTER VI.
FROM THE DEATH OF SENNACHERIB, ABOUT 709 B.C., TO THE FALL
OF BABYLON, 538 OR 536 B.C.
Hezekiah’s Treasures.—Babylon and Nineveh united.—Ecbatana taken.—
March to Cilicia.—Chinilidanus and the Scythian Invasion.—Cyaxares.—
Nabopolasar and Nineveh. — Saracus destroys himself.— Nabopolasar
governs Nineveh.—Pharaoh Necho’s Fleets and invasion of Babylonia,
Carchemish, &c.-—Nebuchadnezzar as the General of his father invades
Palestine and Egypt.—Daniel carried captive.—The A rmy returns by two
routes to Babylonia.—Nebuchadnezzar mediates between the Lydians and
Medes.—March to Jerusalem.—Plunder of the Temple.—Nebuchadnezzar
adorns Babylon.—Rebellion of Zedekiah.—Jeremiah’s prophecy.—Nebuchadnezzar
besieges Jerusalem, and carries Captives to Babylon.—Judea
laid waste.—Tyre besieged and taken.—Nebuchadnezzar attacks Egypt
and earries Spoils to the Temple of Belus.—Commerce, Canals, and Works
o f Nebuchadnezzar.—Nebuchadnezzar’s Prophecy.—He loses his reason.
—He resumes the throne.—His Death and Character.—Evil-Merodach
succeeds, and is Assassinated. — Neriglessor succeeds.—His War with
Cyrus.—An embassy comes from India to Babylon.—Depravity o f the
Babylonians.—Belshazzar ascends the throne of Babylon.—His mother,
Nitocris, prepares fo r a Siege.—Advance of Cyrus.—The river Gyndes
drained by means of numerous Channels.—Babylon beleagured.—The
stratagem of diverting the Biver.—Assault of Babylon.—Babylonia added
to Assyria.
F r o m several circumstances mentioned in Scripture, it is
evident that the - preceding short and disastrous reign had
brought the affairs of Assyria into a very troubled and
confused state. The death of Sennacherib was followed by
a temporary division of his empire; in consequence of the
efforts made by the rulers of some of the satrapies to establish
their independence. One of the number, Merodach Baladan,
the Mardoch Empadus of Ptolemy,1 and son of Nabonasar or
1 Jahn’s Hebrew Commonwealth, vol. I ., p. 149.
Baladan, who, as his deputy, had hitherto governed Babylon,
now sent an embassy to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery
from sickness, as well as on his miraculous delivery from the
invasion of Sennacherib; and it was on this occasion that, in
the pride of his heart, Hezekiah showed the treasures of his Hezekiah’s
house, as well as those of the Temple.1 He received, as the ^
punishment of his vanity, prophetic intelligence of the coming
captivity, at the moment when Babylon had just revolted from
Assyria, and become a separate kingdom.2
After a reign of twelve years, Merodach Baladan was succeeded
by Arkianus, who reigned only five years; and this
period was followed by an interregnum of two years, on the
termination of which Belus mounted the throne; but the rule
of that sovereign did not exceed three years. Apronadius
succeeded, and at the expiration of six years the sceptre passed
to Rigebelus. After the short space of one year the crown
devolved upon Messomordacus, who reigned only four years:
after which another interregnum occurred at Babylon.
Esarhaddon, the third son, succeeded his father (Sennacherib) ^arhaddon
in the government of Assyria after a short interval; he appears throne of
to be represented by Artacus, the sixth of the Median dynasty Assyna'
of Ctesias.
This monarch found the kingdom in a very distracted state, Revolt of the
owing to the revolt of one portion of his people, probably the ersians-
Persians, called Cadusians,3 who maintained a bloody contest
with the Medians; but having at length restored peace by
gradually extending his dominion over both kingdoms, he was
prepared, now that his power was consolidated, to take advantage
of the favourable opportunity offered by the interregnum at
Babylon, to add that kingdom to his other possessions. Being
thus placed at the head of a powerful army by the temporary
re-union of Babylonia and Assyria, Esarhaddon determined to Esarhaddon
pursue his father’s project of extending his dominions, and he
proceeded to the invasion of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, leav- invades Syria
. and Egypt.
1 Dean Prideaux’s Connexion, vol. I ., p. 19, (ed. 1831); Jos., Ant., lib.
X., c. 2.
! 2 Kings, chap. X X ., v. 1 2 ,1 3 , 17, 18.
8 Diod. Sic., lib. I I ., cap. xxii.
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