Origins & Early Life

Nabû-nāṣir (simplified in English as Nabonassar) was the king of Babylon from 747 to 734 BC. He deposed a foreign Chaldean usurper named Nabu-shuma-ishkun, bringing native rule back to Babylon after twenty-three years of Chaldean rule. His reign saw the beginning of a new era characterized by the systematic maintenance of chronologically precise historical records. Both the Babylonian Chronicle and the Ptolemaic Canon begin with his accession to the throne.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was contemporary with the Assyrian kings Aššur-nirarī V (755–745 BC) and Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727 BC), under the latter of whom he became a vassal, and the Elamite kings Humban-Tahrah I (reigned until 743 BC) and Humban-Nikaš I (742–717 BC). Nothing is known of his provenance or origin, although it appears he was a native Mesopotamian. His three predecessors were from the migrant Chaldean tribes settled in the far south east of Babylonia since the 9th century BC. The Dynastic Chronicle may have been composed during his reign as it records the succession of kings from the antediluvian era down to his immediate predecessor, Nabû-šuma-iškun. It records that the "dynasty of...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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