18. ID Nabonidus

After the fall of Nebuchadnezzar II, a man, who wasn't royalty, fought for the power of the Babylonian throne and won after a bloody coup. His name was Nabonidus and became king of Babylon in 555 BC. Although he was Babylonian born, he considered himself a son of Assyria. As king, he wasn't popular with his subjects because he attacked Babylonian culture. He replaced the Babylonian principal god Marduk, with the Assyrian moon god, Sin. And on top of that, he was loyal to the Babylon's worst enemy, the Assyrians. Eventually, he left his son to rule for ten years while he was off building new temples for the moon god Sin. After some time, the people and Priests of Babylon become so angry, when Cyrus the Conquerer of Persia(559 BC) came to take the city, they welcomed him with open arms. Nabonidus tries to come back and stop it, but by the time he gets there, it's too late. Eventually, Nabonidus was the last king of Babylonia.

Resources: The manual, In-class notes

Other sources: http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaNabonidus_Stele.htm

Shelby Wilson