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 BABYLONIA

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BABYLONIA

was no longer the one great power of Western Asia; the Kingdom of Assyria and the Kingdom of Mitanni were its rivals and wellnigh equals. Yet, in the let- ters which passed between Kadasliman-Bel and Ame- nophis III, Kng of Egypt, it is evident that the King of Babylon could assume a more independent tone of fair equality mth the great Pharao than the kings of Assyria or Mitanni. When Amenophis asks for Kadashman-Bel's sister in marriage, Kadashman-Bel promptly asks for Amenopliis' sister in return; and when Amenophis demurs, Kadashman-Bel promptly answers that, unless some fair Egyptian of princely rank be sent, Amenophis shall not have his sister. When AssjTia has sought Egj-ptian help against Baby- lon, Kadashman-Bel diplomatically reminds Pharao that Babylon has in times past given no assistance to Syrian vassal princes against their Egyptian suzerain, and expects Egypt now to act in the same way in not granting help to Assyria. And when a Babylonian car- avan has been robbed by the people of Akko in Canaan, the Egj-pt ian Government receives a peremptory letter from Babylon for amende hono- rable and restitution. Amenophis is held respon- sible, "for Canaan is thy country, and thou art its King". Kadashman-Bel was succeeded by Burn- aburiash I, Kurigalzu I, Burnaburiashll. Six let- ters of the last-named to Amenhotep IV of Egypt suggest a period of perfect tranquillity and prosper- ity. For the cause and result of the first great conflict between Assyria and Babylon see Assyria.

How the long Kassite dynasty came to an end we know not, but it was succeeded by the djniasty of Pashi (some readlsin), eleven kings in 132 years (about 1200-1064 B. c). The greatest monarch of this house was Nabucho- donosor I (about 113.5- 25 B. c); though twice de- feated by Assyria, he was successful against the Lu- lubi, punished Elam, and invaded Syria, and by his

brilliant acliievements stayed the inevitable decline of Babylon. The next two dynasties are known as those of the Sealand, and of Bazi, of three kings each and these were followed by one Elaniite king (c. 1064-900 B. c). Upon these obscure dynasties fol- lows the long series of Babylonian kings, who reigned mostly as vassals, sometimes quasi-independent, some- times as rebel-kings in the period of Assyrian su- premacy (for which see Assyri.\).

The Second, or Chaldean, Empire. — With the death, in 626 B. c, of Kandalanu (the Babylonian name of Assurbanipal), King of Assyria, Assyrian power in Babylon practically ceased. Nabopolassar, a Chaldean who had risen from the position of gen- eral in the Assyrian army, ruled Babylon as Shak- kanak for some years in nominal dependence on Ninive. Then, as King of Babylon, he invaded and

annexed the Mesopotamian provinces of Assj-ria, and when Sinsharishkun, the last King of Assyria, tried to cut off his return and threatened Babylon, Nabopolassar called in the aid of the Manda, nomadic tribes of Kurdistan, somewhat incorrectly identified with the Medes. Though Nabopolassar no doubt con- tributed liis share to the e\-ents which led to the com- plete destruction of Ninive (606 B. c.) by these Manda barbarians, he apparently cLd not in person co-operate in the taking of the city, nor share the booty, but used the opportunity to firmly establish his throne in Babylon. Though Semites, the Chaldeans be- longed to a race perfectly distinct from the Baby- lonians proper, and were foreigners in the Euphrates Valley. They were settlers from Arabia, who had in- vaded Babylonia from the South. Their strongJiold was the district kno\Mi as the Sealands. During the Assyrian supremacy the combined forces of Baby- lon and Assyria had kept them in check, but, owing probably to the fearful A.ssyrian atrocities in Babylon, the citizens had begun to look towards their former enemies for help, and the Chaldean power grew apace in Baby- lon till, in Nabopolassar, it assumed the reins of government, and thus im- perceptibly a foreign race superseded the ancient iniiabitants. The city re- mained the same, but its nationality changed. Na- bopolassar must have been a strong, beneficent ruler, engaged in rebuild- ing temples and digging canals, like his predeces- sors, and yet maintaining his hold over the con- quered provinces. The Egj'ptians, who had learnt of the weakness of AssjTia, had already, tliree years before the fall of Ninive, crossed the frontiers mth a mighty army under Necho II, in the hope of sharing in the dismember- ment of the Assyrian Em- pire. How Josias of Juda, trj-ing to bar his way, was slain at Megiddois known from IV Kings, xxiii, 29. Meanwhile Ninive was taken, and Necho, resting satisfied with the conquest of the Syrian provinces, proceeded no further. A few years later, however, he marched a colossal army from Egypt to the Eu- phrates in hopes of annexing part of Mesopotamia. He was met by the Babylonian army at Carchemish, the ancient Hittite capital, where he wished to cross the Euphrates. Nabopolassar, being prevented by ill health and advancing age, had sent his son Na- buchodonosor, and put him in command. The Egyp- tians were utterly routed in this great encounter, one of the most important in history (604 B. c). Nabu- chodonosor pursued the enemy to the borders of Egypt, where he received the news of his father's death. He hastened back to Babylon, was received without opposition, and began, in 604 B. c, the forty- two years of his most glorious reign. His first diffi- culties arose in Juda. Against the solemn warning