Which Babylonian king rebuilt Babylon and is linked to the Ishtar Gate in the 6th century BCE?

Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt Babylon and is linked to the Ishtar Gate in the 6th century BCE.

Nebuchadnezzar II ruled the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 605 to 562 BCE. He transformed Babylon into an impressive imperial capital through extensive construction, including city walls, temples, processional avenues, and monumental gateways. The blue-glazed Ishtar Gate was decorated with images of bulls and dragons associated with Babylonian deities.

His reign is also associated in ancient and later traditions with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, although their location and even their existence at Babylon remain debated by historians. The evidence for the city’s other building projects is much stronger.

Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian-backed kingdom of Judah and captured Jerusalem in the early sixth century BCE. Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, shortly after the reign of Nabonidus, Nebuchadnezzar’s successor.