Nebunchadnezzar’s Cylinder in History Amongst the various intriguing and interesting personalities of the prehistoric past, the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar has firmly cemented himself as a character who had a highly perceptible contribution to human history, and is even regarded by some as “The greatest King of Ancient Babylon” (Stokstad 44). His story begins as the son of a successful military general who successfully toppled the Assyrian government, (“Nebuchadnezzar II Brick”), and leads him upon an extremely successful military career of his own, all of which results in him ascending the throne of Babylonian kingship. Once granted power he wasted no time in ensuring the spread of Babylon as a major world force to be reckoned with (Stockstad 44). What
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Ancient Mesopotamia, even before the Neo-Babylonian reign has always been a point of interest for historians of the ancient past as it sports a rich history of human civilization and growth. The history of ancient Mesopotamia largely begins around 4000 BCE wherein a “cultural shift” occurred wherein people began to reside in cities as opposed to solely agricultural societies (Stockstad 28). It is around this period, that it is believed the Sumerian civilization took root, a civilization credited with major technological breakthroughs including Cuneiform writing, the same type we notice upon Nebuchadnezzar’s cylinder some 3000 years later. Approximately ten centuries after the Sumerians, or around 1400 BCE, a group known as the Assyrians seized power in the region, and they became famous for building fortified cities and grandiose palaces for their rulers (Stockstad 38). Their rule lasted approximately 800 years, until eventually the Neo-Babylonians took power and “recaptured the splendor that marked Babylon 12 centuries earlier under Hammurabi (Stockstad
Ancient Mesopotamia, even before the Neo-Babylonian reign has always been a point of interest for historians of the ancient past as it sports a rich history of human civilization and growth. The history of ancient Mesopotamia largely begins around 4000 BCE wherein a “cultural shift” occurred wherein people began to reside in cities as opposed to solely agricultural societies (Stockstad 28). It is around this period, that it is believed the Sumerian civilization took root, a civilization credited with major technological breakthroughs including Cuneiform writing, the same type we notice upon Nebuchadnezzar’s cylinder some 3000 years later. Approximately ten centuries after the Sumerians, or around 1400 BCE, a group known as the Assyrians seized power in the region, and they became famous for building fortified cities and grandiose palaces for their rulers (Stockstad 38). Their rule lasted approximately 800 years, until eventually the Neo-Babylonians took power and “recaptured the splendor that marked Babylon 12 centuries earlier under Hammurabi (Stockstad