Monarchy & Empire
- The Babylonians had a one person rule system. There was one ruler
over everyone else, the king.
- The kings had governors, judges, and tax collectors that helped him
rule.
- The kings of Babylon also had an enormous army which they commanded.
- Being such a large, powerful empire, the Babylonians had many
enemies.
- Their major enemies were the Jews and the Assyrians. However, groups
like the Hitites also attacked the kingdom.
The Kings of Babylonia
- There two most famous kings that ruled over Babylonia were Hammurabi
and Nebuchadnezzar.
- Hammurabi, a young leader, came in power in 1792 B.C. He was known
for his set of laws, the Code of Hammurabi, which is still recognized
today.
- Nebuchadnezzar II took reign in 605 B.C. He was known for the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a gift to his Persian wife. The garden was
so famous because Babylon is located in the middle of Mesopotamian
deserts.
Hammurabi’s Code
- Examples of Hammurabi’s Code are:
1. If a freeman has destroyed the eye of another freeman, they shall
destroy his eye.
2. If a freeman has hired an ox and has destroyed its eye, he shall give
one half of its value in silver to the owner of the ox.
The rules of Hammurabi are similar to the idiom, “An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.” (The punishment for any crime would be the exact same as
the crime.)
- Hammurabi carved the code on an eight-foot black stone. He allowed
his people to look at it publicly, but most of them did not know how to
read.
- There were 282 laws in the code. Hammurabi tried to cover all the
important rules a monarchy should have. He created laws on religion,
marriage, family, slavery, property, jobs, military services, trade,
irrigation, and crime.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Reign
- Nebuchadnezzar II beautified Babylonia by using his wealth to repair
ziggarats, walls, and other fortifications.
- He also built a special wedding gift – the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon – for his homesick wife. It was described as a beautiful hanging
garden full of trees and plants. It was to remind his wife of her home
in the mountains.
The Problem with the Jewish
- In 598 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar tried to tax the Jewish of the kingdom,
Judah. They refused to pay the taxes to the Babylonian king.
Nebuchadnezzar overthrew the Jewish ruler and sent 3,000 Jewish people
to Mesopotamia. He did the same in 587 B.C. – he burned down their
temples and Jerusalem.
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