King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 BC. He strengthened and expanded the empire of his father, Nabopolassar, who ruled from 626 to 605 BC. Besides the Bible, many ancient Babylonian documents describe Nebuchadnezzar's achievements.
In 626 BC, Babylon, like Judah, was under Assyrian control. That year, Nabopolassar started a revolt that changed the world. In 612 BC, the Babylonians captured Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and defeated the Assyrians again at Haran in 609 BC. By this battle, Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, led the army. In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated the remaining Assyrian army at Carchemish. This victory also forced the Egyptians back within their borders. In the same year, Nabopolassar died, and his son became king.
After winning at Carchemish in 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Syria and nearby regions, including Judah. That year, he besieged Jerusalem for the first time (2 Kings 24:1; 1:1–2). He took some temple vessels and several young leaders from Judah, including Daniel and his three friends. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem again in 597 BC (2 Kings 24:10–17). He besieged Jerusalem in 588 BC and destroyed the city and temple in 586 BC, exiling most of the remaining people (2 Kings 25:1–21).
A detailed and interesting description of Nebuchadnezzar is found in the book of Daniel. He brought Daniel and his friends to Babylon to educate them in Babylonian ways. However, God used Daniel to teach Nebuchadnezzar about God. After being humbled for his great pride (Daniel 4:28–33), Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the Lord's sovereignty and power (Daniel 4:34–37). However, he probably never worshiped the true God exclusively.
Passages for Further Study
2 Kings 24:1–25:30; 2 Chronicles 36:6–21; Jeremiah 21:1–10; 22:24–27; 24:1; 25:1–14; 27:4–8; 28:14; 29:1–23; 32:1–5, 26–31; 34:1–3; 37:1; 39:1–14; 43:10–13; 46:2, 13–26; 49:28–33; 50:17; 51:34; 52:4–16, 28–30; Ezekiel 26:7; 29:18–20; 30:10–11; Daniel 1:1–4:37