of Sargon. Babylonia was subsequently again broken up into more than
one state, and at one time fell under the domination of Elam. This was put
an end to by Khammu-rabi (Amraphel), who drove the Elamites out of the
country, and overcame Arioch, the son of an Elamite prince. From this
time forward Babylonia was a united monarchy. About B.C. 1750 it was
conquered by the Kassi, or Kosseans, from the mountains of Elam, and a
Kassite dynasty ruled over it for 576 years and 9 months.
In the time of Khammu-rabi, Syria and Palestine were subject to Babylonia
and its Elamite suzerain; and after the overthrow of the Elamite
supremacy, the Babylonian kings continued to exercise their influence and
power in what was called “the land of the Amorites.” In the epoch of the
Kassite dynasty, however, Canaan passed into the hands of Egypt.
In B.C. 729, Babylonia was conquered by the Assyrian king
Tiglath-pileser III.; but on the death of Shalmaneser IV. it was seized by
the Kalda or “Chaldean” prince Merodach-baladan (2 Kings 20:12-19),
who held it till B.C. 709, when he was driven out by Sargon.
Under Sennacherib, Babylonia revolted from Assyria several times, with
the help of the Elamites, and after one of these revolts Babylon was
destroyed by Sennacherib, B.C. 689. It was rebuilt by Esarhaddon, who
made it his residence during part of the year, and it was to Babylon that
Manasseh was brought a prisoner (2 Chronicles 33:11). After the death of
Esarhaddon, Saul-sumyukin, the viceroy of Babylonia, revolted against his
brother the Assyrian king, and the revolt was suppressed with difficulty.
When Nineveh was destroyed, B.C. 606, Nabopolassar, the viceroy of
Babylonia, who seems to have been of Chaldean descent, made himself
independent. His son Nebuchadrezzar (Nabu-kudur-uzur), after defeating
the Egyptians at Carchemish, succeeded him as king, B.C. 604, and
founded the Babylonian empire. He strongly fortified Babylon, and
adorned it with palaces and other buildings. His son, Evil-merodach, who
succeeded him in B.C. 561, was murdered after a reign of two years. The
last monarch of the Babylonian empire was Nabonidus (Nabu-nahid), B.C.
555-538, whose eldest son, Belshazzar (Bilu-sar-uzur), is mentioned in
several inscriptions. Babylon was captured by Cyrus, B.C. 538, and
though it revolted more than once in later years, it never succeeded in
maintaining its independence.