Skip to main content

Nabucodonosor (more commonly Nebuchadnezzar)

Index: Los teĆ³logos.

Fishburn and Hughes: "The name of three kings of Babylon, the most famous being Nebuchadnezzar II (c.630-562 BC) who drove the Egyptians out of Asia and annexed Syria to Babylon. Apart from being a brilliant commander, Nebuchadnezzar II patronised the arts throughout his empire and made Babylon one of the 'wonders of the world'. CF 204: the 'Nabucodonosors of Nitria' who 'grazed like oxen and their hair grew like an eagle's' is an allusion to the story of Nebuchadnezzar's second dream: of a tree reduced to a stump, presaging the divine punishment of his arrogance by madness. The quotation stems from Daniel 4:33 and tells of the fulfilment of the prophecy of the king's downfall: 'he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heaven, till his hair grew like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.'" (137)