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factbase-ancient-history/civilizations/babylonia.md
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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 (~17921750 BCE) and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (626539 BCE) under Nebuchadnezzar II.

Key Facts

  • Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
  • Old Babylonian period: ~18941595 BCE
  • Neo-Babylonian period: 626539 BCE
  • Capital: Babylon
  • Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)

Notable Rulers

  • Hammurabi (~17921750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammurabi 1
  • Nebuchadnezzar II (605562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem (586 BCE)
  • Nabonidus (556539 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.



Review Queue

  • @q[temporal] Line 10: "Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 11: "Old Babylonian period: ~18941595 BCE" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 12: "Neo-Babylonian period: 626539 BCE" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 13: "Capital: Babylon" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 14: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 17: "Hammurabi (~17921750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammura..." - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 19: "Nabonidus (556539 BCE): Last native king, defeated by Cyrus the Great" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 22: "Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest comprehensive legal codes (~1754 BCE)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 23: "Advanced astronomy and mathematics (predicted eclipses, developed algebra)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 24: "Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the Seven Wonders, existence debated) 2 " - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 25: "Ishtar Gate and Processional Way" - when was this true?

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Region: Central-southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Old Babylonian period: ~18941595 BCE" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 12: "Neo-Babylonian period: 626539 BCE" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 13: "Capital: Babylon" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 14: "Language: Akkadian (Babylonian dialect)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 19: "Nabonidus (556539 BCE): Last native king, defeated by Cyrus the Great" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 22: "Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest comprehensive legal codes (~1754 BCE)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 23: "Advanced astronomy and mathematics (predicted eclipses, developed algebra)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 25: "Ishtar Gate and Processional Way" - what is the source?

  • @q[ambiguous] Line 18: "Nebuchadnezzar II (605562 BCE): Built the Ishtar Gate, destroyed the Templ..." - what does "II" mean in this context?

  • @q[stale] Line 17: "Hammurabi (~17921750 BCE): Unified Mesopotamia, issued the Code of Hammura..." - Roth source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

  • @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?


  1. Roth, M.T. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor (1997) ↩︎

  2. Dalley, S. The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon (2013) ↩︎