Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II

1 9.9
A Babylonian king around 600 BC who destroyed Jerusalem and sent many Israelites to Babylon
  • proper noun
  • /ˌnɛbʊkədˈnɛzər tuː/
: Nabucodonosor II
  • King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 BC.

Examples

  • The Hanging Gardens are sometimes attributed to Nebuchadnezzar II, though their existence remains debated.

  • Historians continue to study the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II for its profound impact on ancient Mesopotamia.

  • The conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II changed the course of Jewish history.

  • Did Nebuchadnezzar II really destroy Jerusalem?

  • The conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II changed the course of Jewish history.

  • Historians continue to study the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II for its profound impact on ancient Mesopotamia.

  • King Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 BC.

Synonyms

Nebuchadnezzar
vsNebuchadnezzar II
8 9.9

A king of ancient Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem and sent the Israelites to live in Babylonia in the 600s BC

gives a more precise date range rather than only century
Nebuchadrezzar
vsNebuchadnezzar II
1 9.9

A king of Babylon who destroys Jerusalem and sends the Israelites into exile

is used more broadly in historical accounts beyond that text
Nebuchadrezzar II
vsNebuchadnezzar II
9.9

The king of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem and sent the Israelites to Babylonia

uses a wider birth-death range starting around 630 BC

Surface Forms

Nebuchadnezzar II main

Morphology

Nebuchadnezzar + II

This is a proper name composed of the personal name 'Nebuchadnezzar' plus the ordinal 'II'; a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer it refers to the second Nebuchadnezzar (the ruler). The use of ordinals/Roman numerals to indicate succession is a common, predictable naming convention across languages, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Nebuchadnezzar II is the name of a powerful king of ancient Babylon who 'captured' Jerusalem and 'exiled' many Israelites to Babylon. His dramatic actions are remembered in the Bible, so the name brings to mind a ruler who destroyed a city and forced people to leave their homes.