How long did the civilization of Babylonian last?

Answer 1

The Babylonian empire has been studied by many historians over the past few hundred years. Aside from historical data, the Babylonians are also mentioned in The Bible.

Generally speaking, this contributor prefers to give the reader more than on word or one line answers. The question about this famous empire gives me a chance to write more about it as Babylonia has allot to say about the ancient world.

Here is some summary information:

A.The first peoples in the area now known as the Syrian Desert were a group of city - states founded by Akkadians;

B. Approximately 2000 BC BCE another group of ancient peoples called Amorites began to settle in the same area of the Akkadians;

C. The most desirable place for the new Amorites was the city -state located on the Euphrates River, near where modern day Iraq is located. This was a prosperous city- state called Babylon;

D. The Amorites were a Semitic people who spoke the same language, or near enough to it so that the Akkadians & the Amorites had a means of a language relationship;

E. In time the two ancient peoples coupled together in what is called a Sumerian style of civilization it seems that between the two groups, the Amorites dominated the new joint civilization

F. In approximately 1800 BC BCE, an Amorite king, Hammurbi took control of the new Babylonian state and sought to expand it with his armies. His war efforts were successful and he became the king of areas known as Mesopotamia. He became a "law giver" and he is remembered in ancient history as the creator of the Hammurbi Code;

G. The Hammurbi empire did not last long after his death and a new group of ancient peoples called Hittites, attacked the Babylonian empire. The approximate date of the Hittite invasion & conquest of Babylonia was around 1600 BC BCE.

H. The Hittites migrated in different directions, allowing for the former governing people to raise a new king named Nebchuadnezzer. This event has an approximate date of 1100 BC BCE.

I. It should be noted that this area of what is now called part of Syria and part of Iraq was a desirable area inasmuch as yet another people called Assyrians became invaders and created a large empire that included Babylonia and conquered lands as far south to the borders of Egypt. The Assyrians now ruled all of Mesopotamia. The problem was that for these new peoples, the area they conquered was to vast to govern;

J. By approximately 700 BC BCE, one the the Assyrian kings wars with Babylonia and the city is destroyed;

K. The Babylonians are able to rebuild their city and conquer the Assyrians. They inherit the empire the Assyrians had built, and are now free from foreign domination. Historians mark this time as 600 BC BCe.

L. A new Nebuchadnezzer the 2nd continues to rule the revitalized kingdom which includes Judea. The Judeans revolt against Babylon domination. Nebuchadnezzer II takes Jewish prisoners from the battles at and from around Jerusalem; and

M. Yet another conquering peoples, the Persians, captures Babylon and creates yet a new empire, the Persian Empire.

By taking the date of the Hammurbi empire in Babylon forward to the date the Persians establish a new empire, it can be calculated that ( ignoring the Assyrians & Hittites ) the span of the Babylonian empire, if you will, spanned from 1800 BC to 550 BC, or a length of time encompassing 1500 years. This I believe is a good way to measure it as exact dates are often elusive.