Babylonian inscriptions are by no means so replete with interest as the
Assyrian. The latter embrace the various expeditions in which the Assyrian
monarchs were engaged, and bring us into contact with the names and
locality of rivers, cities, and mountain-ranges, with contemporary princes
in Judea and elsewhere, and abound in details as to domestic habits, civil
usages, and the implements and modes of warfare. But the Babylonian
inscriptions refer mainly to the construction of temples, palaces, and
other public buildings, and at the same time present especial difficulties
in their numerous architectural terms which it is often impossible to
translate with any certainty. They are, however, interesting as records of
the piety and religious feelings of the sovereigns of Babylon, and as
affording numerous topographical notices of that famous city; while the
boastful language of the inscription will often remind the reader of
Nebuchadnezzar's words in Dan. iv. 30: "Is not this great Babylon, that I
have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for
the honor of my majesty?" Compare column vii, line 32.
The reign of Nebuchadnezzar extended from B.C. 604 to 561. In B.C. 598 he
laid siege to Jerusalem (2 Kings xxiv.) and made Jehoiachin prisoner, and
in 588 again captured the city, and carried Zedekiah, who had rebelled
against him, captive to Babylon (2 Kings xxv.). Josephus gives an account
of his expeditions against Tyre and Egypt, which are also mentioned with
many details in Ezek. xxvii.-xxix.
The name Nebuchadnezzar, or more accurately Nebuchadrezzar (Jer. xxi. 2,
7, etc.), is derived from the Jewish Scriptures. But in the inscriptions
it reads Nebo-kudurri-ussur, _i.e.,_ "may Nebo protect the crown"; a name
analogous to that of his father Nebo(Nabu)-habal-ussur. ("Nebo protect the
son") and to that of Belshazzar, _i.e.,_ "Bel protect the prince." The
phonetic writing of Nebuchadnezzar is _"An-pa-sa-du-sis,"_ each of which
syllables has been identified through the syllabaries. The word
"_kudurri_" is probably the [Hebrew: kether] of Esther vi. 8, and the
[Greek: kidaris] of the Greeks. The inscriptions of which a translation
follows was found at Babylon by Sir Harford Jones Bridges, and now forms
part of the India House Collection. It is engraved on a short column of
black basalt, and is divided into ten columns, containing 619 lines.
It may be worth while to remark that in the name given to the prophet
Daniel, Belteshazzar, _i.e.,_ Balat-su-ussur ("preserve thou his life"),
and in Abednego ("servant of Nebo"), we have two of the component parts of
the name of Nebuchadnezzar himself.