Map of the Babylonian Empire - 550 B.C.
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Map of the Babylonian Empire in 550 B.C. The Babylonians were great conquerors, as the Assyrians were. They were also great traders as revealed through archaeology, and thousands of cuneiform tablets have been found telling of their complex trade networks. They traded with Lebanon, Egypt and Greece. In order to protect their trade routes, they marched their armies west with the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar leading them. He captured major cities like the Phoenician city of Tyre and it was he who conquered Jerusalem. He also drove out the Egyptians from Syria and Phoenicia which enabled him to secure a rich trade gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon also collected a bitter tribute from the conquered cities and many rebellions were put down. In 612 B.C. while the Assyrian stranglehold had been extinguished and Nebuchadnezzar has successfully contended with Egypt for the Assyrian Empire, the kingdom of Judah rebelled. In 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem and their Jewish nobles, armies and craftsmen into captivity in Babylon. When King Zedekiah of Judah aided a second Egyptian attack, his sons were killed in his sight and he was blinded and carried into exile with his people. The empire of Babylon was at its greatest extent in 546 B.C. when Cyrus of Persia cunningly took Babylon by surprise. |