Nabonassar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nabû-nāṣir
King of Babylon
Nabonassar written in Akkadian
Reign	747–734 BC
Predecessor	Nabû-šuma-iškun
Successor	Nabû-nādin-zēri
House	Dynasty of E (Mixed Dynasties)

Nabû-nāṣir was the king of Babylon from 747 to 734 BC. He became king by removing a ruler from a foreign group called the Chaldeans. This brought back local rule to Babylon after 23 years.

His time as king was important because people started keeping very careful and accurate records of history. Two important historical records, the Babylonian Chronicle and the Ptolemaic Canon, start their timelines with him. He lived at the same time as Assyrian kings like Tiglath-Pileser III, who he later had to obey.

The Rise of Nabû-nāṣir

We don't know much about where Nabû-nāṣir came from. However, it seems he was a native Mesopotamian. The three kings before him were from Chaldean tribes. These tribes had moved into the southern part of Babylonia.

A historical record called the Dynastic Chronicle might have been written during his rule. This record lists kings from ancient times up to the king before Nabû-nāṣir. It says that the "dynasty of Chaldea was ended." This means the Chaldean kings were removed.

Calendar and Star Records

Nabû-nāṣir's reign was a time of big changes for the Babylonian calendar. During his rule, people started adding extra months regularly to keep the calendar accurate. They also began using an 18-year cycle for tracking the moon and sun. This cycle is also known as the Saros Cycle.

A historian named Berossus of Kos wrote that from Nabû-nāṣir's time, people started carefully recording the movements of stars. He also said that Nabû-nāṣir gathered and destroyed older records. This made sure that the history of the Chaldean kings began with him.

According to Claudius Ptolemy, a famous ancient scholar, a new era began on February 26, 747 BC. This was called the Anno Nabonassari. The Babylonian Chronicle, which covers years from 747 to 668 BC, might have been put together from Babylonian astronomical diaries. These diaries recorded events in the sky.

The detailed lists of sky events began with a lunar eclipse in 747–746 BC. This was a spectacular event where the moon and planets lined up. It may have inspired people to start making very accurate astronomical observations.

Assyrian Invasion and Stability

When Nabû-nāṣir took over, Babylonia was facing many problems. The country was divided by internal fights. There were also conflicts with immigrant tribes like the Arameans and Chaldeans. The central government had lost a lot of its power.

In Nabû-nāṣir's third year, a powerful Assyrian general named Tiglath-Pileser III became king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. He decided to invade Babylonia to secure his borders. In his first campaign in 745 BC, he attacked several cities. He also took the gods from Šapazza and defeated many Aramean and Chaldean tribes. He even destroyed the capital of the Bit-Shilani tribe and killed its leader.

It seems Nabû-nāṣir benefited from these Assyrian actions. His rule became more stable. He was then able to stop a revolt in the city of Borsippa. However, his control over the city of Uruk remained weak. Two local leaders there even complained that the Akītu temple was being neglected.

Economic Recovery

We have 23 clay tablets from Nabû-nāṣir's reign. These tablets deal with farming, raising animals, weaving, and sales. They show that the economy started to recover during his time.

A collection of letters found in Nippur includes messages between Kudurru, the governor of Nippur, and someone named Nabû-nāṣir. This person is called "brother" in the letters, and it might have been the king himself.

Nabû-nāṣir became sick and died in his palace during his fourteenth year as king. His son, Nabû-nādin-zēri, became the next king. This was one of the few times a son directly followed his father as king in Babylonia during this period.

What His Name Means

Nabû-nāṣir's name is written in cuneiform as ^dAG-PAB or ^dAG-ŠEŠ-ir. In Greek, it was written as Ναβονάσσαρος, which is where "Nabonassar" comes from. His name means "Nabû (is) protector."

See also

In Spanish: Nabonasar para niños