Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II on a coin.

Inscription of King Nebuchadnezar II at the Ishtar Gate. An excerpt says: "I (Nebuchadnezzar) laid the foundation of the gates down to ground water level and had them built out of pure blue stone. Upon the walls in the inner room of the gate are bulls and dragons and thus I adorned them with luxurious splendour for all mankind to behold in awe."

Nebuchadnezzar II (about 642 BC – 562 BC) was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and reigned ~605 BC – 562 BC.

According to the Bible, he conquered Judah and Jerusalem, and sent the Jews into exile. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible. He (allegedly) destroyed Solomon's Temple.

He is said to have built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The king built the hanging gardens in attempt to please his wife. His kingdom had a great flow of trade and prosperity. However, some scholars argue that the Gardens may have been constructed by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in his capital city, Nineveh.^[1][2]

References

1. Dalley, Stephanie 2013. The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: an elusive world wonder traced. OUP. ISBN 978-0-19-966226-5
2. Rollinger, Robert 2013 (2013). "Berossos and the Monuments". In Haubold, Johannes (ed.). The World of Berossos. Harrassowitz. p. 155. ISBN 978-3-447-06728-7.

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