Nebuchadnezzar II

Greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (reigned 605-562 BCE), who destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Exile that shaped Jewish theology for centuries. After defeating Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish (605 BCE), he dominated the Levant and besieged Jerusalem multiple times, exiling Daniel, Ezekiel, and tens of thousands to Babylon. Jeremiah called him “my servant” (Jeremiah 25:9)—God’s instrument of judgment against Judah’s covenant-breaking. He transformed Babylon into the ancient world’s most magnificent city with the Ishtar Gate and Hanging Gardens. In Daniel’s narratives, Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and was struck with madness for seven years before confessing: “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:37). His destruction of the Temple is still mourned on Tisha B’Av.