You've Gotta Love Those Chaldeans! Quiz

Answer: Assyrians

The Assyrians had stretched themselves too thinly. As their empire grew in size, a policy was developed which allowed for rule by only native born Assyrians. In addition, their policy of terrorizing their subjects into submission created hatred, hostility, and constant rebellions in their empire. With cruel acts such as roasting and skinning their enemies alive, as well as stacking their heads at the entrance to the city, the Assyrians were not going to win a popularity contest. Rebellion was put down brutally and swiftly, but after a time there were too many rebellions for the army to handle. Assyrian cities were eventually burned to the ground and never rebuilt.

Answer: Neo-Babylonia

Nabopolassar was governor of Babylon, and you can bet he took advantage of the hatred people felt for the Assyrians! He encouraged revolt, and in 612 BC the Chaldeans joined with the Medes to destroy Nineveh, the Assyrian capital.

Babylon, the great city of Hammurabi fame, had originally been built by the Amorites in the eighteenth century BC. After his death, the Amorites were attacked by many groups including the Hittites and Kassites. Babylon continued to exist, but was no longer the grand capital of an empire. Neo-Babylonia or New Babylonia is the term used to describe the Chaldean society that rebuilt the ancient city into a once-again powerful, thriving capital.

Many people are confused by the fact that there are actually two periods of Babylonian greatness that are really only connected by the site of the city.

Answer: Herodotus

Herodotus said that the walls around the Chaldean Babylon were so wide that people actually lived on top of them at the edges of the wall! Not only that, but both edges were lined with homes that were separated by a street which was wide enough for a chariot with four horses to turn around! In 1899 Robert Koldeway discovered the ruins of the ancient city and confirmed Herodotus' claim.

The walls were 300 feet high and 80 feet thick with 250 watchtowers and 100 bronze gates. Herodotus also described a 400 foot long bridge, which crossed the Euphrates River and formed part of what was called Procession Street.

Answer: Nebuchadnezzar II

Much is known about Nebuchadnezzar II, since many of his exploits have been recorded in the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Daniel. As the picture shows, Daniel interpreted the king's dreams; Daniel said that one dream showed Nebuchadnezzar II would have a seven year bout of insanity!

Nebuchadnezzar II is known in history for turning New Babylonia into the showcase capital. In addition, in order to satisfy his goal, he deported rebellious Jews to Babylon to work on his structures. The Jews were allowed to return to their homeland when the Chaldeans were defeated by the Persians soon after Nebuchadnezzar's death.

Answer: Babylonian Exile

When Nabopolassar died, the Egyptian pharaoh, Necho, tried to incite a rebellion by encouraging Jehoiakim, the King of Judah, to revolt against the Chaldeans. Nebuchadnezzar II sent an army to Palestine in 597 BC and after successfully laying siege to Jerusalem, seized the wealth in the king's palace as well as the Temple of Solomon.

This period, which lasted until 538 BC is also called the Babylonian Captivity. Approximately 8,000 Judeans, including the new king, Johoiakim and his mother, were deported to Babylon to labor on building projects for the victorious king. Ten years later, Nebuchadnezzar's army once again besieged Jerusalem and destroyed the city.

Answer: Ishtar Gate

The gate, dedicated to Ishtar, the goddess of fertility and love, was a double-width gate that led into New Babylonia. Blue glazed bricks were used that were decorated with aurochs and dragons. Originally the gate was listed as one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, but was replaced by the Pharos of Alexandria in the 300's BC.

Robert Koldeway took bricks he excavated in 1899 back to Germany, where the gate was partially reconstructed and displayed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin by the 1930s; however, pieces from the original gate are in museums all over the world.

Answer: Hanging Gardens

There are many representations of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It is believed the garden had several terraces that were supported by huge man-made vaults. Although historical evidence to prove the existence of such a garden is scant, many ancient historians described the wonder. Philo of Byzantium, who drew up the list of the Seven Wonders of the [Ancient] World, described the plants as well as the irrigation system and said, "exuberant and fit for a king is the ingenuity, and most of all, forced, because the cultivator's hard work is hanging over the heads of the spectators." As the story goes, the king built the Gardens for his wife, Queen Amytis, who missed the plants of her homeland.

Answer: Liver

The Chaldeans believed the liver was the source of blood and the basis of life, and used the liver of special sheep to uncover the will of their gods. They wrote numerous essays on the art of predicting the future by studying the liver, even dividing it into sections with each section representing a different deity. Models of clay and stone livers that were probably used in training priests have been found.

Answer: First astronomers

The Chaldean are considered the first astronomers because their studies enabled them to forecast lunar eclipses and equinoxes, and determine the tilt of the earth. Why the interest in astronomy? It was believed that knowledge of celestial events would help with the Chaldean belief of astrology, predicting future events.

Answer: True

The Chaldeans were able to study the five planets closest to earth, as well as the sun and the moon, and connected these bodies to major deities they worshipped. Since they believed life was a cycle of reoccurring events, they established a pattern where one day they would worship a planet and its deity (Sunday, Moonday, etc.), and then go on to the next.

This practice led to the formation of a seven-day week and was later adopted by the Romans.