King Nebuchadnezzar II (Nabu-kudurri-usur) is undoubtedly the most famous king of Babylon. In 605 BC, during the reign of his father, Nabopolassar, he led the Babylonian army to a decisive victory over the Egyptians at Carchemish. The Babylonians then inherited the vast Assyrian Empire.
Nebuchadnezzar's reign began in 604 BC and he continued to expand the boundaries of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He concentrated on the west, fighting Egypt and bringing under his control the Kingdom of Judah in 587 BC. Jerusalem was destroyed and large numbers of Judaeans deported to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar then attacked the Phoenician cities. Tyre put up the greatest resistance, but was eventually taken in 571 BC. In 568 BC, following the assassination of the Babylonian appointed as governor of Jerusalem, Egypt was invaded and defeated.
Nebuchadnezzar maintained friendly relations with the Median Empire on his northern and eastern frontiers. Because of their aggression against the Kingdom of Lydia in 585 BC, however, he had a great defensive wall built north of Babylon, known as the 'Median' wall.
Little is known of Nebuchadnezzar's later reign, apart from his great building activities especially at Babylon itself where they included construction of the 'Hanging Gardens'. Nebuchadnezzar died at the head of the largest Babylonian empire ever known, in 562 BC.
