al. Other sons received important priestly appointments.

Soon after these arrangements were completed Esarhaddon, who was
suffering from bad health, set out for Egypt. He died towards the end
of October, and the early incidents of his campaign were included in
the records of Ashur-bani-pal's reign. Taharka was defeated at
Memphis, and retreated southward to Thebes.

So passed away the man who has been eulogized as "the noblest and most
sympathetic figure among the Assyrian kings". There was certainly much
which was attractive in his character. He inaugurated many social
reforms, and appears to have held in check his overbearing nobles.
Trade flourished during his reign. He did not undertake the erection
of a new city, like his father, but won the gratitude of the
priesthood by his activities as a builder and restorer of temples. He
founded a new "house of Ashur" at Nineveh, and reconstructed several
temples in Babylonia. His son Ashur-bani-pal was the last great
Assyrian ruler.

CHAPTER XX.

THE LAST DAYS OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA

Doom of Nineveh and Babylon--Babylonian Monotheism--Ashur-banipal
and his Brother, King of Babylon--Ceremony of "Taking the Hands of
Bel"--Merodach restored to E-sagila--Assyrian Invasion of Egypt and
Sack of Thebes--Lydia's Appeal to Assyria--Elam subdued--Revolt of
Babylon--Death of Babylonian King--Sack of Susa--Psamtik of
Egypt--Cimmerians crushed--Ashur-bani-pal's Literary Activities--The
Sardanapalus Legend--Last Kings of Assyria--Fall of Nineveh--The New
Babylonian Empire--Necho of Egypt expelled from Syria--King
Jehoaikin of Judah deposed--Zedekiah's Revolt and Punishment--Fall
of Jerusalem and Hebrew Captivity--Jeremiah laments over
Jerusalem--Babylonia's Last Independent King--Rise of Cyrus the
Conqueror--The Persian Patriarch and Eagle Legend--Cyrus conquers
Lydia--Fall of Babylon--Jews return to Judah--Babylon from Cyrus to
Alexander the Great.

The burden of Nineveh.... The Lord is slow to anger, and great in
power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in
the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his
feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the
rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon
languisheth.... He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy
face.... The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall
be dissolved. And Huzzab s