Page "Nebuchadnezzar II" Paragraph 7

Nebuchadnezzar engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Syria and Judah.

An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BCE was met with setbacks, however, leading to numerous rebellions among the states of the Levant, including Judah.

Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BCE and deposing King Jehoiakim, then in 587 BCE due to rebellion, destroying both the city and the temple, and deporting many of the prominent citizens along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judea to Babylon.

These events are described in the Prophets ( Nevi ' im ) and Writings ( Ketuvim ), sections of the Hebrew Bible ( in the books 2 Kings and Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles, respectively ).

After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in a thirteen year siege of Tyre ( 585 – 572 BCE ), which ended in a compromise, with the Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority.