Chapter IX: The Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Persian Conquest

Nabopolassar and his nascent kingdom--The Scythian invasion
and its effects--The sons of Ashur-bani-pal--Nabopolassar
and the Medes--The fall of Nineveh--Division of Assyrian
territory--Babylon's conflict with Egypt--Nebuchadnezzar
II. and the Battle of Carchemish--Capture of Jerusalem
and deportation of the Jews--Occupation of Phoenicia
and siege of Tyre--Nebuchadnezzar's later campaign
in Egypt--Babylon and the Median suzerainty--Lydia
under the successors of Ardys--Conflict of Cyaxares
and Alyattes on the Halys and the intervention of
Babylon--Nebuchadnezzar as builder--Condition of the
Babylonian army in Nebuchadnezzar's closing years and under
his successors--Gubaru, the general, and the governor of
Gutium--Death of Neriglissar--Character of Nabonidus--The
decaying empire under Median protection--The rise of
Cyrus--His ease in possessing himself of Media, and the
probable cause--His defeat and capture of Croesus and
the fall of Lydia--His advance on Babylon--Possibility
that Gobryas was a native Babylonian--His motive in
facilitating the Persian occupation--Defeat and death of
Belshazzar--Popularity of Cyrus in Babylon--Tranquillity
of the country under Persian rule--Babylon's last bids for
independence--Her later history--Survival of Babylonian
cults into the Christian era