Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • An ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia: Babylonia was a significant ancient kingdom and cultural region located in the fertile plains of southern Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is historically notable for its conquest of the Kingdom of Judah and the subsequent exile of the Jewish population.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Hanging Gardens were one of the wonders of the ancient world, located in Babylonia.
  • Many important legal and astronomical advancements originated in ancient Babylonia.

Advanced Usage

• "the Babylonian Empire": Often used synonymously with Babylonia, especially when referring to its periods of imperial power under rulers like Hammurabi or Nebuchadnezzar II.
  • The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II extended its influence across the Near East.

Variants and Related Words

• Babylonian (adjective): Of or relating to Babylonia or its people, culture, or language.
  • Babylonian mathematics was highly advanced for its time.
• Babylonian (noun): A native or inhabitant of ancient Babylonia.
  • The Babylonians developed a complex system of writing known as cuneiform.

Synonyms

• Chaldea: Another name for the region, particularly associated with the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
• Sumer and Akkad: Earlier cultural and political entities in the same region, whose traditions Babylonia inherited and developed.

Related Phrases and Contexts

• The Babylonian Captivity/Exile: A pivotal historical event where Jews were deported to Babylon after Babylonia's conquest of Judah.
  • The prophet Jeremiah lived during the period of the Babylonian Captivity.
• Babylonian law: Refers to the legal code, most famously the Code of Hammurabi, developed in Babylonia.
  • Babylonian law established the principle of "an eye for an eye."

Noun

1. an ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia; Babylonia conquered Israel in the 6th century BC and exiled the Jews to Babylon (where Daniel became a counselor to the king)