# Babylonia # Babylonia ## Overview Babylonia was a major Mesopotamian civilization centered on the city of Babylon, with two principal periods of dominance: the Old Babylonian period under Hammurabi (~1792–1750 BCE) and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (626–539 BCE) under Nebuchadnezzar II. ## Key Facts - Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) - Old Babylonian period: ~1894–1595 BCE - Neo-Babylonian period: 626–539 BCE - Capital: Babylon - Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect) ## Notable Rulers - Hammurabi (~1792–1750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammurabi [^1] - Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem (586 BCE) - Nabonidus (556–539 BCE): Last native king, defeated by Cyrus the Great ## Achievements - Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest comprehensive legal codes (~1754 BCE) - Advanced astronomy and mathematics (predicted eclipses, developed algebra) - Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the Seven Wonders, existence debated) [^2] - Ishtar Gate and Processional Way ## Decline The Neo-Babylonian Empire fell to Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BCE. --- [^1]: Roth, M.T. *Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor* (1997) [^2]: Dalley, S. *The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon* (2013) --- ## Review Queue - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Old Babylonian period: ~1894–1595 BCE" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Neo-Babylonian period: 626–539 BCE" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Capital: Babylon" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Hammurabi (~1792–1750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammura..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Nabonidus (556–539 BCE): Last native king, defeated by Cyrus the Great" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest comprehensive legal codes (~1754 BCE)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Advanced astronomy and mathematics (predicted eclipses, developed algebra)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the Seven Wonders, existence debated) [^2]" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Ishtar Gate and Processional Way" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Old Babylonian period: ~1894–1595 BCE" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Neo-Babylonian period: 626–539 BCE" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Capital: Babylon" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 14: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Nabonidus (556–539 BCE): Last native king, defeated by Cyrus the Great" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest comprehensive legal codes (~1754 BCE)" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Advanced astronomy and mathematics (predicted eclipses, developed algebra)" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Ishtar Gate and Processional Way" - what is the source? > Roth (1997) [^1] - [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - what does "II" mean in this context? > Roman numeral indicating second king of that name (Nebuchadnezzar the Second). - [x] `@q[stale]` Line 17: "Hammurabi (~1792–1750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammura..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate? > Scholarship remains current. Hammurabi chronology is well-established. - [x] `@q[stale]` Line 24: "Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the Seven Wonders, existence debated) [^2]" - Dalley source from 2013 may be outdated, is this still accurate? > Scholarship remains current. Hanging Gardens debate continues in modern research.