BABYLONIA
183
BABYLONIA
was no longer the one great power of Western Asia;
the Kingdom of Assyria and the Kingdom of Mitanni
were its rivals and wellnigh equals. Yet, in the let-
ters which passed between Kadasliman-Bel and Ame-
nophis III, Kng of Egypt, it is evident that the King
of Babylon could assume a more independent tone
of fair equality mth the great Pharao than the kings
of Assyria or Mitanni. When Amenophis asks for
Kadashman-Bel's sister in marriage, Kadashman-Bel
promptly asks for Amenopliis' sister in return; and
when Amenophis demurs, Kadashman-Bel promptly
answers that, unless some fair Egyptian of princely
rank be sent, Amenophis shall not have his sister.
When AssjTia has sought Egj-ptian help against Baby-
lon, Kadashman-Bel diplomatically reminds Pharao
that Babylon has in times past given no assistance
to Syrian vassal princes
against their Egyptian
suzerain, and expects
Egypt now to act in the
same way in not granting
help to Assyria. And
when a Babylonian car-
avan has been robbed
by the people of Akko in
Canaan, the Egj-pt ian
Government receives a
peremptory letter from
Babylon for amende hono-
rable and restitution.
Amenophis is held respon-
sible, "for Canaan is thy
country, and thou art its
King". Kadashman-Bel
was succeeded by Burn-
aburiash I, Kurigalzu I,
Burnaburiashll. Six let-
ters of the last-named to
Amenhotep IV of Egypt
suggest a period of perfect
tranquillity and prosper-
ity. For the cause and
result of the first great
conflict between Assyria
and Babylon see Assyria.
How the long Kassite dynasty came to an end we know not, but it was succeeded by the djniasty of Pashi (some readlsin), eleven kings in 132 years (about 1200-1064 B. c). The greatest monarch of this house was Nabucho- donosor I (about 113.5- 25 B. c); though twice de- feated by Assyria, he was successful against the Lu- lubi, punished Elam, and invaded Syria, and by his
brilliant acliievements stayed the inevitable decline of Babylon. The next two dynasties are known as those of the Sealand, and of Bazi, of three kings each and these were followed by one Elaniite king (c. 1064-900 B. c). Upon these obscure dynasties fol- lows the long series of Babylonian kings, who reigned mostly as vassals, sometimes quasi-independent, some- times as rebel-kings in the period of Assyrian su- premacy (for which see Assyri.\).
The Second, or Chaldean, Empire. — With the death, in 626 B. c, of Kandalanu (the Babylonian name of Assurbanipal), King of Assyria, Assyrian power in Babylon practically ceased. Nabopolassar, a Chaldean who had risen from the position of gen- eral in the Assyrian army, ruled Babylon as Shak- kanak for some years in nominal dependence on Ninive. Then, as King of Babylon, he invaded and
annexed the Mesopotamian provinces of Assj-ria,
and when Sinsharishkun, the last King of Assyria,
tried to cut off his return and threatened Babylon,
Nabopolassar called in the aid of the Manda, nomadic
tribes of Kurdistan, somewhat incorrectly identified
with the Medes. Though Nabopolassar no doubt con-
tributed liis share to the e\-ents which led to the com-
plete destruction of Ninive (606 B. c.) by these Manda
barbarians, he apparently cLd not in person co-operate
in the taking of the city, nor share the booty, but
used the opportunity to firmly establish his throne
in Babylon. Though Semites, the Chaldeans be-
longed to a race perfectly distinct from the Baby-
lonians proper, and were foreigners in the Euphrates
Valley. They were settlers from Arabia, who had in-
vaded Babylonia from the South. Their strongJiold
was the district kno\Mi as
the Sealands. During the
Assyrian supremacy the
combined forces of Baby-
lon and Assyria had kept
them in check, but, owing
probably to the fearful
A.ssyrian atrocities in
Babylon, the citizens had
begun to look towards
their former enemies for
help, and the Chaldean
power grew apace in Baby-
lon till, in Nabopolassar,
it assumed the reins of
government, and thus im-
perceptibly a foreign race
superseded the ancient
iniiabitants. The city re-
mained the same, but its
nationality changed. Na-
bopolassar must have
been a strong, beneficent
ruler, engaged in rebuild-
ing temples and digging
canals, like his predeces-
sors, and yet maintaining
his hold over the con-
quered provinces. The
Egj'ptians, who had learnt
of the weakness of AssjTia,
had already, tliree years
before the fall of Ninive,
crossed the frontiers mth
a mighty army under
Necho II, in the hope of
sharing in the dismember-
ment of the Assyrian Em-
pire. How Josias of Juda,
trj-ing to bar his way, was
slain at Megiddois known
from IV Kings, xxiii, 29.
Meanwhile Ninive was
taken, and Necho, resting
satisfied with the conquest of the Syrian provinces,
proceeded no further. A few years later, however,
he marched a colossal army from Egypt to the Eu-
phrates in hopes of annexing part of Mesopotamia.
He was met by the Babylonian army at Carchemish,
the ancient Hittite capital, where he wished to cross
the Euphrates. Nabopolassar, being prevented by
ill health and advancing age, had sent his son Na-
buchodonosor, and put him in command. The Egyp-
tians were utterly routed in this great encounter, one
of the most important in history (604 B. c). Nabu-
chodonosor pursued the enemy to the borders of
Egypt, where he received the news of his father's
death. He hastened back to Babylon, was received
without opposition, and began, in 604 B. c, the forty-
two years of his most glorious reign. His first diffi-
culties arose in Juda. Against the solemn warning
