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Nebuchadnezzar II (; ; '; Ancient Greek: Ναβουχοδονόσωρ '; Arabic: نِبُوخَذنِصَّر '; c. 634 – 562 BC) was a Chaldean king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – 562 BC. Both the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem's temple are ascribed to him. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible. The Akkadian name, Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, means "O god Nabu, preserve/defend my firstborn son". Nabu, son of the god Marduk, is the Babylonian deity of wisdom. In an inscription, Nebuchadnezzar styles himself as Nabu's "beloved" and "favorite".〔Harper, R. F. quoted in Peet, Stephen Denison (editor). 1900. “Editorial Notes,” ''The American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal''. New York: Doubleday, vol. XXII, May and June, p. 207.〕〔Lamb, Harold. 1960. ''Cyrus the Great''. New York: Doubleday, p. 104.〕 His name has previously been mistakenly interpreted as "O Nabu, defend my ''kudurru''",〔Schrader, Eberhard. 1888. ''The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the Old Testament''. London: Williams and Norgate, p. 48 (footnote).〕 in which sense a ''kudurru'' is an inscribed stone deed of property. However, when contained in a ruler's title, ''kudurru'' approximates to "firstborn son" or "oldest son".〔Chicago Assyrian Dictionary sub Kudurru Ca5'〕 Variations of the Hebrew form include and (''Nəḇuḵaḏreṣṣar''). He is also known as ''Bakhat Nasar'', which means "winner of the fate", or literally, "fate winner". ==Life== Nebuchadnezzar was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar,who delivered Babylon from its three centuries of vassalage to its fellow Mesopotamian state, Assyria, and in alliance with the Medes, Persians, Scythians, and Cimmerians, laid Nineveh in ruins. According to Berossus, some years before he became king of Babylon, Babylonian dynasties were united. There are conflicting accounts of Nitocris of Babylon being either his wife or daughter. Nabopolassar was intent on annexing the western provinces of Syria (ancient Aram) from Necho II (whose own dynasty had been installed as vassals of Assyria, and who was still hoping to help restore Assyrian power), and to this end dispatched his son westward with a large army. In the ensuing Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, the Egyptian and Assyrian army was defeated and driven back, and the region of Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. Nabopolassar died in August that year, and Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to ascend the throne. After the defeat of the Cimmerians and Scythians, previous allies in the defeat of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar's expeditions were directed westward. The powerful Median empire lay to the north. Nebuchadnezzar's political marriage to Amytis of Media, the daughter of the Median king, had ensured peace between the two empires. Nebuchadnezzar engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Aramea (modern Syria) and Judah. An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BC was met with setbacks, however, leading to numerous rebellions among the Phoenician and Canaanite states of the Levant, including Judah. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC and deposing King Jehoiakim, then destroying the city in 587 BC due to rebellion, and deporting many of the prominent citizens along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judea to Babylon.〔Flavius Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII'', ch. 6–8.〕 These events are described in the Prophets (''Nevi'im'') and Writings (''Ketuvim''), sections of the Hebrew Bible (in the books 2 Kings and Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles, respectively). After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in a thirteen-year siege of Tyre (circa 586–573 BCE) which ended in a compromise, with the Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority. Following the pacification of the Phoenician state of Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar turned again to Egypt. A clay tablet,〔Elgood, Percival George. 1951. ''Later Dynasties of Egypt''. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 106.〕 now in the British Museum, states: "In the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to wage war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected (army ), and marched and spread abroad." Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and a campaign against Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon, and constructed canals, aqueducts, temples and reservoirs. According to Babylonian tradition, towards the end of his life, Nebuchadnezzar prophesied the impending ruin of the Chaldean Dynasty (Berossus and Abydenus in Eusebius, ''Praeparatio Evangelica'', 9.41). He died in Babylon between the second and sixth months of the forty-third year of his reign, and was succeeded by Amel-Marduk.〔("Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon", The British Museum )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nebuchadnezzar II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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