Nebuchadnezzar III

The most complete information about Nebuchadnezzar III is found in the Behistun inscription of Darius I , where the Babylonian king appears as a rebel and impostor Nidint-Bel . The inscription is made in three languages ​​- Old Persian , Elam and Akkadian ; The latter option has some differences from the rest. The name of Nebuchadnezzar III is dated by some of the Babylonian sources of the relevant time, including the documents of the Egibi trading house , sources from Sippar , Babylon and Borsippa . On the relief of the Behistun rock, Nidint-Bel is depicted as the second of a series of rulers of the rebellious regions defeated by Darius I, following Assina and preceding Marty.

Babylonia became part of the Persian Power on the rights of a personal union , retaining a certain autonomy. After the death of Cyrus the Great in 530 BC. er , Cambyses II took the throne of the Achaemenid Empire . His measures to strengthen the central government encountered resistance from the Persian clan aristocracy. Cambyses II's campaign to conquer Egypt led to the burden of tax burden and duties in the regions, including in Babylonia. In March 522 BC. er in Persia there was a coup d'état. The younger brother Cambyses II Bardia entrenched in power, who was immediately recognized in Babylonia, and soon in other regions. Bardia made concessions to the regions, canceling his duties, but continued the struggle with the Persian nobility. A few months later, representatives of the latter organized the assassination of Bardia and elected from their midst a new king, Darius I. Later, in the Behistun inscription, Darius will indicate that it was not Bardia, the son of Cyrus, who was killed, but the impostor, the magician of Gaumata , who allegedly pretended to be Bardia. The coup has caused a mass uprising of the regions. Immediately after the assassination of Bardia, a new king, Nebuchadnezzar III, was proclaimed in Babylonia.

The Behistun inscription states that Nidint-Bel proclaimed himself the son of Nabonidus and began to rule under the name of Nebuchadnezzar (III). In his Persian and Elama variant, a certain Ainaira was called his father, in Akkadian - a certain Kinzer , zazakku (the title of a high-ranking tax official). E. Voigtländer suggested that the name “Ainair” is the Persian transmission of the elamic word hānara (in Persian version ainaira ), which is only a professional designation, but this viewpoint is doubtful by some researchers. The fact that Nidintu-Bel really was the son of Nabonid cannot be excluded: on the relief from the Behistun rock he is depicted as an elderly man, and after crushing the uprising Darius did not expose him to the people as he did with impostors.

The uprising began swiftly, according to Darius, "the whole Babylonian people passed to Nidint-Belo, Babylon became rebellious, he seized the kingdom . " Document from Sippar, dated October 3, 522 BC. er testifies to the fact that by that time Nebuchadnezzar had already assumed the title "king of Babylon, king of nations" . Meanwhile, Darius was engaged in military operations against Assina, who had raised a rebellion in Elam . Only by suppressing this rebellion, Darius began his campaign in Babylonia, which he personally led. On December 13, the first battle took place at the Tigris crossing. The compilers of the Behistun inscription indicate that the army of Darius crossed the river with horses and camels and completely defeated the army of Nidint-Bela. Five days later, on December 18, the second battle took place - near the Euphrates , near the area of Zazan . In the Persian and Elam variants, it is indicated that part of the Babylonian army "was thrown into the water (s) and the water carried it away." In the Akkadian version, Darius claims that all Nidintu-Bela supporters were killed, that he did not take prisoners.

Defeated at Zazana, Nebuchadnezzar III "with a few horsemen" fled to Babylon . Darius laid siege and soon took the city. Nidintu Bel was executed; in the Akkadian version, he was impaled among 49 other Babylonian rebels.

The reign of Nidintu-Bela took about three months.

• Dandamaev M.A. Political history of the Achaemenid state. M .: The main editors of the Oriental literature of the publishing house "Science", 1985