ABC 5 (Jerusalem Chronicle)

The Chronicle Concerning the Early Years of Nebuchadnezzar II (ABC 5) is one of the historiographical texts from ancient Babylonia. It deals with several subjects, but the reference to the capture of Jerusalem in 597 BCE has attracted most attention, which explains the name "Jerusalem Chronicle".

ABC 05 Jerusalem Chronicle — ABC 5 ("Jerusalem Chronicle")

Although the Chronicle Concerning the Early Years of Nebuchadnezzar II (ABC 5) is best known for its reference to the capture of Jerusalem in 597 BCE, it contains more interesting information, especially about Nebuchadnezzar's accession to the throne, his campaigns against the Egyptian king Necho II, an Elamite intervention, and a revolt in Babylonia itself.

The story starts where ABC 4 ends: during the wars after the sack of Nineveh in 612 and the collapse of the Assyria Empire. The Egyptian king Necho II tried to conquer Assyria's western provinces, which are sometimes called "Hatti" in this chronicle. Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar claimed those lands for themselves. During these campaigns, Jerusalem was attacked and its king, Jehoiachin, deported. The date, Addaru in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, is our February/March 597. It also mentioned in Jeremiah 52.28 and it contradicts the date in 2 Kings 24.12 (the eighth year).

Jerusalem would, of course, be captured again ten years later, an event that was certainly mentioned in the lost sequel of this chronicle, which must also have contained a series of references to the protracted siege of Tyre.

For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here. The translation on this webpage was adapted from A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (1975) and Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles (Atlanta, 2004).

Chapter

Obv

Rev

Section

24-27

[Obv.1] In the twenty-first year [605/604] the king of Akkad [Nabopolassar] stayed in his own land, Nebuchadnezzar his eldest son, the crown-prince,

[Obv.2] mustered the Babylonian army and took command of his troops; he marched to Karchemiš which is on the bank of the Euphrates,

[Obv.3] and crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemiš.

[Obv.4] They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him.

[Obv.5] He accomplished their defeat and beat them to non-existence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army

[Obv.6] which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, in the district of Hamath

[Obv.7] the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country.

[Obv.8] At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hamath.

[Obv.9] For twenty-one years Nabopolassar had been king of Babylon,

[Obv.10] when on 8 Abu^note[15 August 605.] he went to his destiny; in the month of Ululu^note[September.] Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon

[Obv.11] and on 1 Ululu^note[7 September 605.] he sat on the royal throne in Babylon.

[Obv.12] In the accession year Nebuchadnezzar went back again to the Hatti-land and until the month of Šabatu^note[Early 604.]

[Obv.13] marched unopposed through the Hatti-land; in the month of Šabatu he took the heavy tribute of the Hatti-territory to Babylon.

[Obv.14] In the month of Nisannu{{Spring 604.__ he took the hands of Bêl and the son of Bêl and celebrated the Akitu Festival.

[Obv.15] In the first year of Nebuchadnezzar [604/603] in the month of Simanu^note[Late Spring.] he mustered his army

[Obv.16] and went to the Hatti-territory, he marched about unopposed in the Hatti-territory until the month of Kislîmu.^note[End 604.]

[Obv.17] All the kings of the Hatti-land came before him and he received their heavy tribute.

[Obv.18] He marched to the city of Aškelon and captured it in the month of Kislîmu.^note[End 604.]

[Obv.19] He captured its king and plundered it and carried off spoil from it.

[Obv.20] He turned the city into a mound and heaps of ruins and then in the month of Šabatu^note[Early 603.] he marched back to Babylon.

[Obv.21] In the second year [603/602] in the month of Ajaru^note[Spring 603.] the king of Akkad gathered together a powerful army and marched to the land of Hatti.

[Obv.22] ...] he threw down, great siege-towers he [...

[Obv.23] ...] from the month of Ajaru until the mon[th of ...] he marched about unopposed in the land of Hatti.

[Obv.24-27] [Four lines missing]