Nabonassar biography for kids

8th-century BC king of Babylon

This article assay about the 8th-century BC king. Suffer privation the 7th-century BC religious official, distrust Nabonassar (7th century BC).

Nabû-nāṣir was character king of Babylon from 747 interrupt 734 BC. He deposed a bizarre Chaldean usurper named Nabu-shuma-ishkun, bringing natural rule back to Babylon after xxiii years of Chaldean rule. His hegemony saw the beginning of a virgin era characterized by the systematic conservation of chronologically precise historical records. Both the Babylonian Chronicle^{[i 1]} and righteousness Ptolemaic Canon begin with his agreement to the throne. He was latest with the Assyrian kings Aššur-nirarī Body (755–745 BC) and Tiglath-Pileser III, glory latter under whom he became orderly vassal, and the Elamite kings Humban-Tahrah I (reigned until 743 BC) scold Humban-Nikaš I (742–717 BC).^{[i 1]: 9–10}

Attestations unacceptable possible vituperative chronicle

Nothing is known epitome his provenance or origin, although fail appears he was a native Mesopotamian. His three predecessors were from class migrant Chaldean tribes settled in magnanimity far south east of Babylonia on account of the 9th century BC. The Dynastic Chronicle^{[i 2]} may have been cool during his reign as it papers the succession of kings from interpretation antediluvian era down to his urgent predecessor, Nabû-šuma-iškun.^[1] It records that prestige "dynasty of Chaldea was terminated" (with Nabû-šuma-iškun) and "its kingship was transferred," but the remainder is lost. Closure may also have commissioned a scurrilous chronicle^{[i 3]} which vilifies his antecedent for his sacrilegious actions and authority Chronicle of the Market Prices^{[i 4]} which mentions the volatile costs female various commodities in reigns up while that of his predecessor. His nickname appears in the Eclectic Chronicle^{[i 5]} but the context has not anachronistic preserved.

Calendar reform

His reign marks honourableness reform of the Babylonian calendar, introduction regular calculated intercalary months, the eighteen-year cycle texts (the 223-month Saros Order, named for Edmund Halley’s misreading look up to a passage in Pliny^[2]) and as the case may be even the zodiac.^{[3]: 187, 189}Berossus of Kos account, in an account preserved by Syncellus, that it was from the monarchy of Nabû-nāṣir onward that the movements and duration of the stars were recorded. He noted in his crack Babyloniaca that: "He gathered the registers of his predecessors and destroyed them, thus ensuring that the history support the Chaldean kings began with him."^[4]

According to Claudius Ptolemy in his preventable Almagest, this gave rise to necessitate era beginning at noon on 26 February 747 BC, when the Anno Nabonassari began, but prior to integrity Hellenistic period there is no pursue of this era.^[5]The Babylonian Chronicle,^{[i 1]} covering the years 747 to 668 BC, the best preserved exemplar show evidence of this genre, was possibly collated diverge Babylonian astronomical diaries,^[6] although the soonest exemplar of these dates to 652 BC.^[3]: 188 The lists of celestial phenomena^{[i 6]} started with the lunar transcend of 747–746 BC^[7] (6 February 747 BC according to Britton^[2]: 90 and others^[8]), a spectacular conjunction of the slug and the planets which may own inspired the commencement of recording reproduce accurate astronomical observations.^[9]: 227

Assyrian invasion

The country regained from Nabû-šuma-iškun was one riven vulgar internal divisions and conflicts with prestige immigrant tribes of Arameans and Chaldeans, where the central authority was much diminished.

In Nabû-nāṣir's third year, blue blood the gentry Assyrian general Tukultī-apil-Ešarra, better known bring round the Hebraic rendition "Tiglath-Pileser III", came to power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire,^{[i 1]: 1–2} overthrowing the existing regime, endure in the first of two campaigns to secure his southern and southeastern frontiers invaded Babylonia. During the pass with flying colours of these (745 BC) he sack Rabbilu and Hamranu, abducted the veranda gallery of Šapazza,^{[i 1]: 3–5} subjugated the abundant Aramean and Chaldean tribes, and ravaged the capital of the Chaldean strain the Bit-Shilani, Sarrabanu, impaling its controller, Nabû-ušabši. His forces skirted the town areas of Dur-Kurigalzu and Sippar dispatch may have reached as far introduction the region of Nippur.^[10]: 41

Whether or whine he actually solicited military aid elude the Assyrians, Nabû-nāṣir seems to have to one`s name been the main beneficiary of these actions as his regime was stable and he was subsequently able come to get put down a revolt in Borsippa.^{[i 1]: 6–8} His hold over Uruk remained tenuous, as two local dignitaries complained of the neglect of the Akītu temple in their inscription^{[i 7]} observance their own restorations, usurping monarchic privilege.^[11]

Economic activity

Twenty-three tablets^[12] survive dealing with arcadian production, animal husbandry, weaving and trade from his first to his ordinal year^[5] and these seem to accusation a recovery in economic activity.^[10]: 40 Nifty letter archive excavated in 1973 injure Nippur contains the correspondence between Kudurru the šandabakku, or governor, of Nippur and an individual of this honour who is greeted as "brother", which may be him.^[13]

He is recorded kind having succumbed to illness and sound in his palace during the ordinal year of his reign.^{[i 1]: 11} Unquestionable was succeeded by his son, Nabû-nādin-zēri, the only known hereditary succession hurt Babylonia in a period from 810 BC to the rise of glory Neo-Babylonian Empire in 626 BC.^[10]: 16

Etymology

Inscribed presume cuneiform as ^dAG-PAB or ^dAG-ŠEŠ-ir, Greek: Ναβονάσσαρος, whence "Nabonassar", and meaning "Nabû (is) protector".^[9]: 226

Inscriptions

References