The Greek form Babylon (Βαβυλών) is an adaptation of Akkadian Babili. The Babylonian name as it stood in the 1st millennium BC had been changed from an earlier Babilli in early 2nd millennium BC, meaning "Gate of God" or "Gateway of the God" (bāb-ili) by popular etymology. The earlier name Babilla appears to be an adaptation of a non-Semitic source of unknown origin or meaning.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name appears as בָּבֶל (Bavel; Tiberian בָּבֶל Bāvel; Syriac ܒܒܠ Bāwēl), interpreted in the Book of Genesis (11:9) to mean "confusion" (viz. of languages), from the verb בלבל bilbél, "to confuse".
An indication of Babylon's early existence may be a later tablet describing the reign of Sargon of Akkad (c. 23rd century BC short chronology). The so-called Weidner Chronicle states that it was Sargon himself who built Babylon "in front of Akkad" (ABC 19:51). Another later chronicle likewise states that Sargon "dug up the dirt of the pit of Babylon, and made a counterpart of Babylon next to Akkad". (ABC 20:18–19). Van de Mieroop has suggested that those sources may refer to the much later Assyrian king Sargon II of the Neo-Assyrian Empire rather than Sargon of Akkad.
Linguist I.J. Gelb, has suggested that the name Babil is an echo of an earlier city name. Herzfeld wrote about Bawer in Ancient Iran, and the name Babil could be an echo of Bawer. David Rohl holds that the original Babylon is to be identified with Eridu. The Bible in Genesis 10 indicates that a biblical king named Nimrod was the original founder of Babel (Babylon). Joan Oates claims in her book Babylon that the rendering Gateway of the gods is no longer accepted by modern scholars.
By around the 19th century BC, much of southern Mesopotamia was occupied by Amorites, nomadic tribes from the northern Levant who were Northwest Semitic speakers, unlike like the native Akkadians of southern Mesopotamia and Assyria, who were East Semitic speakers. The Amorites at first did not practice agriculture like more advanced Mesopotamians, preferring a semi nomadic lifestyle, herding sheep. Over time, Amorite grain merchants rose to prominence and established their own independent dynasties in several south Mesopotamian city-states, most notably Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna, Lagash, and later, founding Babylon as a state.
Map showing the Babylonian territory upon Hammurabi's ascension in 1792 BC and upon his death in 1750 BC.
An indication of Babylon's early existence may be a later tablet describing the reign of Sargon of Akkad (c. 23rd century BC short chronology). The so-called Weidner Chronicle states that it was Sargon himself who built Babylon "in front of Akkad" (ABC 19:51). Another later chronicle likewise states that Sargon "dug up the dirt of the pit of Babylon, and made a counterpart of Babylon next to Akkad". (ABC 20:18–19). Van de Mieroop has suggested that those sources may refer to the much later Assyrian king Sargon II of the Neo-Assyrian Empire rather than Sargon of Akkad.
Linguist I.J. Gelb, has suggested that the name Babil is an echo of an earlier city name. Herzfeld wrote about Bawer in Ancient Iran, and the name Babil could be an echo of Bawer. David Rohl holds that the original Babylon is to be identified with Eridu. The Bible in Genesis 10 indicates that a biblical king named Nimrod was the original founder of Babel (Babylon). Joan Oates claims in her book Babylon that the rendering Gateway of the gods is no longer accepted by modern scholars.
By around the 19th century BC, much of southern Mesopotamia was occupied by Amorites, nomadic tribes from the northern Levant who were Northwest Semitic speakers, unlike like the native Akkadians of southern Mesopotamia and Assyria, who were East Semitic speakers. The Amorites at first did not practice agriculture like more advanced Mesopotamians, preferring a semi nomadic lifestyle, herding sheep. Over time, Amorite grain merchants rose to prominence and established their own independent dynasties in several south Mesopotamian city-states, most notably Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna, Lagash, and later, founding Babylon as a state.
Map showing the Babylonian territory upon Hammurabi's ascension in 1792 BC and upon his death in 1750 BC.
The First Babylonian Dynasty was established by an Amorite chieftain named Sumu-abum in 1894 BC, who declared independence from the neighbouring city-state of Kazallu. The Amorites were, unlike the Sumerians and Akkadian Semites, not native to Mesopotamia, but were semi nomadic Canaanite Northwest Semitic invaders from the northern Levant. They (together with the Language Isolate speaking Elamites to the east) had originally been prevented from taking control of the Akkadian speaking states of southern Mesopotamia by the intervention of powerful Akkadian speaking Assyrian kings of the Old Assyrian Empire during the 21st and 20th centuries BC, intervening from northern Mesopotamia. However when the Assyrians turned their attention to expanding their colonies in Asia Minor, the Amorites eventually began to supplant native rulers across the region.
Babylon was a minor city state, and controlled little surrounding territory,and its first four Amorite rulers did not even assume the title of king of the city. It remained overshadowed by older and more powerful states such as Assyria, Elam, Isin and Larsa until it became the capital of Hammurabi's short lived Babylonian Empire a century or so later (r. 1792–1750 BC). Hammurabi is famous for codifying the laws of Babylonia into the Code of Hammurabi that has had a lasting influence on legal thought. He conquered all of the cities and city states of southern Mesopotamia, including; Isin, Larsa, Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Lagash, Eridu, Kish, Adab, Eshnunna, Akshak, Akkad, Shuruppak, Bad-tibira, Sippar and Girsu, coalescing them into one kingdom, ruled from Babylon. Hammurabi also invaded and conquered Elam to the east, and the kingdoms of Mari, Syria and Ebla to the north west. After a protracted struggle with the powerful fellow Mesopotamian king Ishme-Dagan of Assyria, he eventually forced his successor to pay tribute late in his reign, thus spreading Babylonian power to Assyria's Hattian and Hurrian colonies in Asia Minor.
Subsequent to the reign of Hammurabi, the whole of southern Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia, while the north had centuries before already coalesced into Assyria. From this time, Babylon also assumed the position of the major religious center of Mesopotamia, supplanting the more ancient cities of Nippur and Eridu.
Hammurabi's empire quickly dissolved after his death, the Assyrians defeated and drove out the Babylonians and Amorites, the far south of Mesopotamia broke away, forming the Sealand Dynasty, and the Elamites appropriated territory in eastern Mesopotamia. The Amorite dynasty remained in power in Babylon which had been reduced to little more than the small city state it had been upon its founding in 1894 BC until 1595 BC[10] when they were overthrown by the invading Indo-European speaking Hittites from Asia Minor.
Following the sack of Babylon by the Hittite Empire, an Indo-European speaking nation in Asia Minor, the Kassites, a people speaking a Language Isolate and hailing from the Zagros Mountains of north western Ancient Iran invaded and took over Babylon, ushering in a dynasty that was to last for 435 years until 1160 BC. The city was renamed Karanduniash during this period.
However, Kassite Babylon eventually became subject to domination by their fellow Mesopotamians of the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1053 BC) to the north, and Elam to the east, both powers often interfering in, sacking, or controlling Babylon during the Kassite period. The Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I took the throne of Babylon in 1235 BC, becoming the first native Akkadian speaking Mesopotamian to rule there.
It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world from c. 1770 to 1670 BC, and again between c. 612 and 320 BC. It was perhaps the first city to reach a population above 200,000.[11] Estimates for the maximum extent of its size range from 890[12] to 900 hectares (2,200 acres).[13]
By 1155 BC, after continuing attacks and annexing of territory by the Assyrians and Elamites, the Kassites had been deposed from power in Babylon. A native Akkadian speaking south Mesopotamian dynasty then ruled for the first time. However, the Babylonians remained weak and subject to domination by their Assyrian brethren. Their ineffectual native kings were unable to prevent new waves of foreign West Semitic settlers from the deserts of The Levant, in the form of the Arameans, Suteans in the 11th century BC, and finally the Chaldeans in the 9th century BC, entering and appropriating areas of Babylonia for themselves. The Arameans coming to briefly rule in Babylon itself during the late 11th century BC.
Babylon was a minor city state, and controlled little surrounding territory,and its first four Amorite rulers did not even assume the title of king of the city. It remained overshadowed by older and more powerful states such as Assyria, Elam, Isin and Larsa until it became the capital of Hammurabi's short lived Babylonian Empire a century or so later (r. 1792–1750 BC). Hammurabi is famous for codifying the laws of Babylonia into the Code of Hammurabi that has had a lasting influence on legal thought. He conquered all of the cities and city states of southern Mesopotamia, including; Isin, Larsa, Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Lagash, Eridu, Kish, Adab, Eshnunna, Akshak, Akkad, Shuruppak, Bad-tibira, Sippar and Girsu, coalescing them into one kingdom, ruled from Babylon. Hammurabi also invaded and conquered Elam to the east, and the kingdoms of Mari, Syria and Ebla to the north west. After a protracted struggle with the powerful fellow Mesopotamian king Ishme-Dagan of Assyria, he eventually forced his successor to pay tribute late in his reign, thus spreading Babylonian power to Assyria's Hattian and Hurrian colonies in Asia Minor.
Subsequent to the reign of Hammurabi, the whole of southern Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia, while the north had centuries before already coalesced into Assyria. From this time, Babylon also assumed the position of the major religious center of Mesopotamia, supplanting the more ancient cities of Nippur and Eridu.
Hammurabi's empire quickly dissolved after his death, the Assyrians defeated and drove out the Babylonians and Amorites, the far south of Mesopotamia broke away, forming the Sealand Dynasty, and the Elamites appropriated territory in eastern Mesopotamia. The Amorite dynasty remained in power in Babylon which had been reduced to little more than the small city state it had been upon its founding in 1894 BC until 1595 BC[10] when they were overthrown by the invading Indo-European speaking Hittites from Asia Minor.
Following the sack of Babylon by the Hittite Empire, an Indo-European speaking nation in Asia Minor, the Kassites, a people speaking a Language Isolate and hailing from the Zagros Mountains of north western Ancient Iran invaded and took over Babylon, ushering in a dynasty that was to last for 435 years until 1160 BC. The city was renamed Karanduniash during this period.
However, Kassite Babylon eventually became subject to domination by their fellow Mesopotamians of the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1053 BC) to the north, and Elam to the east, both powers often interfering in, sacking, or controlling Babylon during the Kassite period. The Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I took the throne of Babylon in 1235 BC, becoming the first native Akkadian speaking Mesopotamian to rule there.
It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world from c. 1770 to 1670 BC, and again between c. 612 and 320 BC. It was perhaps the first city to reach a population above 200,000.[11] Estimates for the maximum extent of its size range from 890[12] to 900 hectares (2,200 acres).[13]
By 1155 BC, after continuing attacks and annexing of territory by the Assyrians and Elamites, the Kassites had been deposed from power in Babylon. A native Akkadian speaking south Mesopotamian dynasty then ruled for the first time. However, the Babylonians remained weak and subject to domination by their Assyrian brethren. Their ineffectual native kings were unable to prevent new waves of foreign West Semitic settlers from the deserts of The Levant, in the form of the Arameans, Suteans in the 11th century BC, and finally the Chaldeans in the 9th century BC, entering and appropriating areas of Babylonia for themselves. The Arameans coming to briefly rule in Babylon itself during the late 11th century BC.
Throughout the duration of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–608 BC) Babylonia was under constant Assyrian domination or direct control. During the reign of Sennacherib of Assyria, Babylonia was in a constant state of revolt, led by a Chaldean chieftain named Merodach-Baladan in alliance with the Elamites, and suppressed only by the complete destruction of the city of Babylon. In 689 BC, its walls, temples and palaces were razed, and the rubble was thrown into the Arakhtu, the sea bordering the earlier Babylon on the south. This act shocked the religious conscience of Mesopotamia; the subsequent murder of Sennacherib by two of his own sons whilst praying to the god Nisroch was held to be in expiation of it, and his successor in Assyria Esarhaddon hastened to rebuild the old city, to receive there his crown, and make it his residence during part of the year. On his death, Babylonia was left to be governed by his elder son, the Assyrian prince Shamash-shum-ukin, who, after becoming infused with Babylonian nationalism, eventually started a civil war in 652 BC against his own brother and master Ashurbanipal, who ruled in Nineveh. Shamash-shum-ukin enlisted the help of other peoples subject to Assyria, including Elam, Persia, the Arameans, Chaldeans and Suteans of southern Mesopotamia, the Canaanites, and the Arabs dwelling in the deserts south of Mesopotamia.Once again, Babylon was besieged by the Assyrians, starved into surrender and its allies violently crushed. Ashurbanipal purified the city and celebrated a "service of reconciliation", but did not venture to "take the hands" of Bel. An Assyrian governor named Kandalanu was entrusted with ruling the city. After the death of Ashurbanipal, the Assyrian empire began to unravel due to a series of bitter internal civil wars. Three more Assyrian kings Ashur-etil-ilani, Sin-shumu-lishir and finally Sin-shar-ishkun were to rule. However, eventually Babylon, like many other parts of the near east, took advantage of the anarchy within Assyria to free itself from Assyrian rule. In the subsequent overthrow of the Assyrian Empire by an alliance of peoples, the Babylonians saw another example of divine vengeance. (Albert Houtum-Schindler, "Babylon," Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed.)
Neo-Babylonian Chaldean Empire .
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