Though he presents himself as the “son of an unknown,” Nabopolassar may actually have been a general in the service of Sin‐sar‐iskun, king of Assyria, and very likely he was born into the ruling elite of Uruk, in southern Mesopotamia.
Nabopolassar seized the throne, and the Neo-Babylonian dynasty was born. For the first years of Nabopolassar’s reign, Egypt and Assyria continued to harass the new empire. His eldest son and crown prince Nebuchadnezzar became involved in the military as a young man. However, Nabopolassar was able to spend the next three years undisturbed, consolidating power in Babylon itself, due to the brutal civil war between the Assyrian king and his brother in southern Mesopotamia.
Nabopolassar marched his army into Assyria proper in 616 BC and attempted to besiege Assur and Arrapha, but was defeated on this occasion. Nabopolassar made alliances with other former subjects of Assyria, the Medes, Persians, Elamites and Scythians.
In 61 5 and 614 BC attacks were made on Assur and Arrapha and both fell. During 613 BC the Assyrians seem to have rallied and repelled Babylonian and Median attacks. However in 612 BC Nabopolassar and the Median king Cyaxares led a coalition of forces including Babylonians, Medes, Sclthians and Cimmerians in sacking Assyria’s then capital Nineveh and toppled their rule.
Nabopolassar was king the year Daniel was taken to Babylon. In 605 BC - Nabopolassar dies and Nebuchadnezzar II becomes King of Babylon. He will rule for 43 years and bring the Babylonian Empire to its peak.
Nabopolassar
626 BC - 605 BC: Chaldean king of Babylonia
