Civilization · c. 1894 – 539 BCE
Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi's law and Nebuchadnezzar's hanging gardens.
Capital: Babylon · Middle East (West Asia)
Overview
Babylon rose twice: the Old Babylonian kingdom of Hammurabi (c. 1792 BCE) and the Neo-Babylonian empire (626 – 539 BCE) that destroyed Assyria, exiled Judah and fell to Cyrus.
Timeline
- 1792 – 1750 BCEReign of Hammurabi and the Code
- 1595 BCEHittite sack
- 626 BCENabopolassar founds the Neo-Babylonian
- 586 BCENebuchadnezzar II destroys the First Temple
- 539 BCECyrus captures Babylon
Rulers
Lawgiver
Rebuilt Babylon; Babylonian Captivity
Wars & conflicts
- Elamite wars
- Assyrian conflicts
- Judah campaigns
Architecture
Ishtar Gate, Etemenanki ziggurat (biblical Tower of Babel), Processional Way.
Religion
Marduk as chief god; astral divination.
Economy
Canal-irrigated agriculture, temple economies, long-distance trade.
Technology
Advanced astronomy, mathematics (sexagesimal system), legal codification.
Art
Glazed brick reliefs of lions and dragons, kudurru boundary stones.
Influence
Astronomy and mathematics passed to Greek and Islamic scholarship.
Decline
Persian conquest ended Mesopotamian political independence.
Key sites
- Babylon
- Borsippa
- Kish