It was also during this period that Nebuchadnezzar supposedly built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, although there is no definitive archeological evidence to establish their precise location. At the heart of the city lay the Z iggurat Etemenanki, literally “temple of the foundation of heaven and earth.” Originally seven stories high, it is believed to have provided the inspiration for the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. The river Euphrates, which flowed through the city, was spanned by a beautiful stone bridge. The city spread over three square miles, surrounded by moats and ringed by a double circuit of walls. It was Nebuchadnezzar II’s vision and sponsorship that turned Babylon into the immense and beautiful city of legend. Neo-Babylonian art and architecture reached its zenith under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from 604–562 BCE and was a great patron of urban development, bent on rebuilding all of Babylonia’s cities to reflect their former glory. Ancient artworks from the Old-Babylonian period were painstakingly restored and preserved, and treated with a respect verging on religious reverence. The Neo-Babylonian rulers were motivated by the antiquity of their heritage and followed a traditionalist cultural policy, based on the ancient Sumero-Akkadian culture.
The Neo-Babylonian period was a renaissance that witnessed a great flourishing of art, architecture, and science. The Neo-Babylonian Empire developed an artistic style motivated by their ancient Mesopotamian heritage.ĭuring the preceding three centuries, Babylonia had been ruled by the Akkadians and Assyrians, but threw off the yoke of external domination after the death of Assurbanipal, the last strong Assyrian ruler. The Neo-Babylonian Empire, also known as the Chaldean Empire, was a civilization in Mesopotamia that began in 626 BCE and ended in 539 BCE. In this photograph, a bowl, a jar, and a goblet show remnants of paint on their exteriors. The pottery produced during the “Old” Babylonian period shows a return to painted abstract designs and increased variety in forms. Other Babylonian cities also flourished scribes in the city of Sippar probably produced the famous “Map of the World” (see image below). In 689 BCE, Babylon was sacked by the Assyrians but as the city was highly regarded it was restored to its former status soon after. The Kassite kings corresponded with the Egyptian Pharaohs as revealed by cuneiform letters found at Amarna in Egypt, now in the British Museum.īabylonia had an uneasy relationship with its northern neighbour Assyria and opposed its military expansion. The Babylonian cities were the centers of great scribal learning and produced writings on divination, astrology, medicine and mathematics. The “Queen of the Night” Relief: 1800-1750 BCE, Old Babylonian, baked straw-tempered clay, 49 x 37 x 4.8 cm © Trustees of the British Museumįrom around 1500 BCE, a dynasty of Kassite kings took control in Babylon and unified southern Iraq into the kingdom of Babylonia.
As king of the new Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt much of the city constructing an imperial capital with vast palaces and well-appointed temples, colossal city walls, and a great northern entry point, the Ishtar Gate, approached via a long Processional Way lined with colourful glazed-brick reliefs depicting roaring lions. 604–562 BCE) came to rule most of its former empire. By the seventh century, BCE Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II (c. The end of the second millennium BCE saw power over Babylon change hands several times, with Babylonia briefly falling under Assyrian domination. 1792–1750 BCE) was able to unite a large state under his rule. when, through a combination of political alliances and military campaigns, Hammurabi (c.
The city of Babylon lay on the River Euphrates in southern Mesopotamia, in what is today Iraq rose to prominence in the eighteenth century B.C. Describe the artistic and architectural accomplishments of King Nebuchadnezzar II, including the city of Babylon.Explain Hammurabi’s rule and it’s significance in early Babylon.Define critical terms related to Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian Art.Identify and describe the form, content, and context of key Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian Art.
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