Babylonia Empire

Section 7 ; The Neo-Babylonian Empire

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

After the fall of Nineveh, the Babylonians once again took control of Mesopotamia, establishing a new empire called the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Neo means “new.”

The new empire's most famous king was Nebuchadnezzar II (neh-byuh-kuhd-NEH-zehr). A ruthless military leader, he reigned from 605 to 561 B.C.E.

Multiple Choice

Nebuchadnezzar's reign lasted from 605 to 561 BCE. The word reign means .....?

• to have water come down from the sky.

• to rule over an area.

• time swimming .

• farm the land.

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

Nebuchadnezzar expanded his empire whenever possible.  He drove the Egyptians out of Syria and also conquered part of Canaan (present-day Israel), the home of the Israelites, or Jews.  When the Israelites rebelled, he took most of them captive and brought them to Babylonia.  Many of them were never able to return to their homeland.

Multiple Choice

Which group of people did Nebuchadnezzar take captive after they rebelled against his takeover ?

• Israelites

• Syrians

• Egyptians

• Minnesotans

Multiple Choice

The best meaning of the word "expanded" as it was used here is .........?

• to decrease the size

• to exercise

• to make a speech

• to increase the size

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

As a military leader, Nebuchadnezzar knew that it was essential to keep the capital city of Babylon safe, so he had inner and outer walls built around it.  These walls were so thick that two chariots could pass each other on top of them.

Multiple Choice

Which of these pictures is a chariot ?

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

Towers, for archers to stand on, were placed on the walls.  Finally, a moat was dug around the outer wall and filled with water.  During peacetime, people used bridges to cross the moat and enter the city.  In times of war, however, the bridges were dismantled.

Multiple Choice

In the last section, the word "dismantled" means ..........

• to be taken apart

• to be built out of steel

• to be put together

• to be given as a gift