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'''Nabonidus''' (Akkadian: [[Dingir|𒀭]]𒀝𒉎𒌇 ^[[Dingir|d]]''Nabu-Na’id''; Ancient Greek: Λαβυνήτου, ''Labynetus'') was the last ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He is also sometimes called the first archaeologist because, in his restoration of temples, he dug to find their foundation deposits in order to learn about the past history of kings and times. He came to power in a coup that killed his predecessor, Labashi-Marduk. He lost his kingdom to the forces of Media, Persia, and their allies under the command of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus the Great]] in 539 BC but was dealt with mercifully by Cyrus and spent his last days, according to Berossus, in Carmania, a province in what is now Iran.

'''Nabonidus''' (Akkadian: [[Dingir|𒀭]]𒀝𒉎𒌇 ^[[Dingir|d]]''Nabu-Na’id''; Ancient Greek: Λαβυνήτου, ''Labynetus'') was the last ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He is also sometimes called the first archaeologist because, in his restoration of temples, he dug to find their foundation deposits in order to learn about the past history of kings and times. He came to power in a coup that killed his predecessor, [[Labashi-Marduk]]. He lost his kingdom to the forces of Media, Persia, and their allies under the command of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus the Great]] in 539 BC but was dealt with mercifully by [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]] and spent his last days, according to Berossus, in [[Carmania]], a province in what is now [[Iran]].

==The early years of Nabonidus==

==The early years of Nabonidus==

In an inscription from early in his reign, Nabonidus relates “I am Nabonidus, the only son, who has nobody. In my mind there was no thought of kingship.”<ref>Beaulieu, ''Reign of Nabonidus'', 67.</ref> He was part of the conspiracy against Labashi-Marduk, and was then chosen by the conspirators to be their king (556 BC). Nothing is known for certain about his father except his name. An inscription of his mother tells of her being born in the twentieth year of Ashurbannipal, 648/47 BC. She died in April of 547, at an age of 101 or 102. During her life she was devoted to the worship of the moon-god Sin, so much so that some have thought she was a priestess of Sin. This background helps explain what is regarded as the chief mistake of Nabonidus’s career: his apparent abandonment of the worship of Babylon’s chief god, Marduk, choosing instead to spend most of his years as king in the desert of Arabia, worshipping Sin. Cyrus was able to use this neglect of worship of Marduk to claim that Marduk, displeased with Nabonidus, rejected him and chose Cyrus to rule over Babylon in his place, a narrative that Cyrus realized would appeal to the people of Babylon and which he greatly exploited in the propaganda texts that he produced after his conquest of Babylon.

In an inscription from early in his reign, Nabonidus relates “I am Nabonidus, the only son, who has nobody. In my mind there was no thought of kingship.”<ref>Beaulieu, ''Reign of Nabonidus'', 67.</ref> Yet he came to the throne by being part of the conspiracy against the child king [[Labashi-Marduk]], after which he was then chosen and installed by the conspirators to be the next king (556 BC).

If Nabonidus’s mother bore him before the age of 40 his birth year would be 607 BC or earlier, making him 51 years of age or older when he became king in 556 BC. He went to Tema in the desert of Arabia in his third year, 553 BC, and spent most of his time there from that point on. In that same third year he appointed his son [[Belshazzar]] as king to reign in Babylon.<ref>''ANET'', 313b</ref>.

 

 

If Nabonidus’s mother bore him before the age of 40 his birth year would be 607 BC or earlier, making him 51 years of age or older when he became king in 556 BC. He went to the [[Oasis|oasis]] of [[Tema]], nestled amidst the sands of [[Arabia]] in his third year (553 BC) and spent most of his time there from that point on. In that same third year he appointed his son [[Belshazzar]] as king to reign in [[Akkad]] (in effect [[Babylon]]) .<ref>''ANET'', 313b</ref>.

==Last years of Nabonidus==

==Last years of Nabonidus==