Height: 56.510 cm Width: 50.160 cm Thickness: 9.520 cm Presented
by H.M. Secretary of State for India The East India House
Inscription Neo-Babylonian dynasty, about 604-562 BC From
Babylon, southern Iraq The religious devotion and building works
of Nebuchadnezzar II After the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC to the
armies of Media and Babylonia, the Neo-Babylonian Empire
eventually stretched from the border of Egypt to the Gulf. The
Neo-Babylonian dynasty was founded by Nabopolassar (625-605 BC),
but it was his son, Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), who was
mainly responsible for this expansion. He rebuilt the capital
city on a grand scale to glorify his reign and the supreme god
of Babylon, Marduk. He rebuilt the great temples called Esagila
and Ezida, along with various smaller temples, the city walls
and royal palaces in Babylon. The chief building material was
mud-brick, and baked bricks, some of which were glazed. It has
been estimated that 15 million baked bricks were used in the
construction of official buildin