Dejoces raised ing Dejoces, who ruled at Ecbatana, to govern the kingdom,
of Media.™6 to which the latter had been called by the unanimous voice of
the Medes.1
It was during these wars in the western countries that Sar-
dochceus or Saosduchinus, son and general of Esarhaddon,
having defeated Manasseh, king of Judah, and overtaken him
Captivity of in his flight, carried him to Babylon in chains.2 Some commentators,
and amongst them Dr. Hales, are of opinion that
Esarhaddon was the great Sardanapalus f but the capture of
Nineveh does not appear to synchronise with the reign in
question.
Saosduchinus4 succeeded his father Esarhaddon, after having
been his deputy over Nineveh and-Baby Ion; and Phraortes,
about the same time, succeeded Dejoces on the throne of Media.
Accession and Being of an ambitious and warlike disposition, Phraortes
Phraortes?f invaded his neighbours in I ’ran with such success, that he was
enabled to conquer the whole of that part of Asia. In the
belief that the same success would attend him in a still greater
undertaking, he subsequently turned his arms southward, and
commenced that rebellion against his sovereign, which, in the,
end, proved fatal to himself.
Saosduchinus We can scarcely feel a doubt that the monarch here alluded
doi^sor!**0" to is the same who is so particularly mentioned as Nabuchodo-
nosor in the apocryphal book of Judith, for the dates, as well
as the whole of the circumstances, perfectly correspond. There
we find that, in the twelfth year of Nabuchodonosor’s 5 reign at
Nineveh, Arphaxad, or Phraortes, who reigned over the Medes,
rebelled, and fortified the palace and treasury, built by his
father Dejoces6 in Ecbatana,7 with walls of hewn stone, having
towers and gates seventy cubits high by forty cubits broad, for
the going forth of his mighty men.8
1 Herod., lib. I ., cap, 97, 98. 2 2 Chron., chap. X X X I I I ., v. 11.
3 Crossthwaite’s Synchronology, p. 260.
* Ancient Fragments, by I. P . Cory, Esq., pp. 80, 83.
5 The Nabuchodonosorus of Chaldean history.
8 Herod., lib. I., c. 98, 99.
7 Now Takhti-Soleunan; also Shiz or Gaza, vol. X., pp. 157, 158, of
Royal Geographical Journal.
“ Judith, chap. I ., v. 1-4.
The city and fortress of Ecbatana are particularly described Description of
by Herodotus. The palace and treasury occupied the centre Ecbatana.
of an enclosure, consisting of seven concentric circles, each
being constructed in such a manner that its battlements overtopped
the neighbouring wall. The battlements of the first
circle were white, those of the second black, the third scarlet,
the fourth blue, the fifth orange, and all were thus distinguished
by different colours, except the sixth, which was plated with
silver, and the seventh with gold.1 The conical hill and position
of the ruins of Takhti Soleiman appear to coincide with
the descriptions of Herodotus, the seven colours being derived
from a fable of Sabean origin, the walls here representing the
seven heavenly spheres, and the seven climates through which
they revolve.2
In order to overcome this rebellious attempt, Nabuchodo- Nabuchodono-
nosor assembled all that dwelt by the Euphrates, the Tigris, the forces of
and the Hydaspes3 (Hedypnus), in the plain of Arioch,4 with
the king of the Elymaeans, also very many nations of the sons of
Chilod or Gelod,5 and marched the whole to the field of
battle. •
In addition to the troops thus assembled, the king of the bis empire.
Assyrians sent to all that dwelt in Persia, and westward in-
Cilicia, Damascus, Libanus, and Anti-Libanus, as well as on the
sea-coast; also in Carmel, Galaad (Gilead), Esdraelon, Samaria,
Jerusalem, Betane, Chellus, Kades, Taphnes, Bamesse,
and all the land of Gezen (Gosen), together with Tanis, and
1 Herod., lib. I ., cap. xcviii., xcix.
2 Royal Geographical Journal, vol. X., pp. 126, 127.
3 The Hydaspes is evidently a mistake, probably in transcribing the Hedypnus.
The latter is supposed (see above, vol. I., p. 205) to be represented
by the eastern arm of the river Karun ; and as it flows along the northern
border of Elymais, the next province mentioned in Judith, its geographical
position coincides.
4 Judith, chap, I., v. 6, and Tobit, chap. I., v. 14. Now the district of
Mah-Sabadan, described under the name of Massabatice by Strabo, pp. 524,
125, as intervening between Susiana and the districts around Mount Zagros;
also as the Sambat® of Ptolemy, lib. V I., cap. i. See vol. IX ., p. 47, of
Royal Geographical Journal.
5 Supposed to be part of the Arabs, probably of the Palmyrene district,
and others bordering upon Syria.
L 2