In 630 BC Babylonia (southern Mesopotamia) was governed by the northern Mesopotamian empire of Assyria. Four years later a man of unknown background named Nabopolassar acceded to the Babylonian throne, established power, and by 616 BC was able to launch attacks on Assyrian territory. However, it was only when the Babylonians established an alliance with the Medes from Iran that the most important cities of the Assyrian Empire were sacked, including the capital Nineveh in 612 BC. Nabopolassar now ruled much of the territory previously controlled by Assyria, establishing what has become known as the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In 605 BC Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar II, succeeded to the throne and fought with Egypt for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. He captured Jerusalem in 597 BC.

Following Nebuchadnezzar’s death in 562 BC, there was a rapid change of Babylonian rulers. Nebuchadnezzar’s son Amel-Marduk reigned two years before being assassinated by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar (reigned 559-556 BC). Neriglissar’s son, Labashi-Marduk, survived only a month before Nabonidus came to the throne (555 BC).

Meanwhile in western Asia, Iran under King Cyrus was becoming the new power. Having already defeated the Medes and the Lydians, Cyrus invaded Babylonia in 539 BC, captured Nabonidus and took control of his empire. From that point onwards, the politics of western Asia were dominated by Iranians rather than Mesopotamians, Anatolians or Egyptians.