13 Facts About Amel-Marduk

Amel-Marduk, known as Awil-Marduk, or in the biblical rendition of his name, Evil-Merodach, was the third emperor of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from 562 BCE until his overthrow and murder in 560 BCE.

Amel-Marduk, originally named Nabu-shum-ukin, was not Nebuchadnezzar's eldest son nor the oldest living son at his appointment as crown prince and heir.

Amel-Marduk is remembered mainly for releasing Jeconiah after 37 years of imprisonment.

Amel-Marduk is known to have conducted some building work in Babylon, and possibly elsewhere, though the extent of his projects is unclear.

Amel-Marduk was the successor of his father, Nebuchadnezzar II.

Amel-Marduk was chosen as heir during his father's reign and is attested as crown prince in 566 BC.

Additionally, evidence of altercations between Nebuchadnezzar and Amel-Marduk makes his selection as heir seem even more improbable.

In one text, Nebuchadnezzar and Amel-Marduk are both implicated in some conspiracy, with one of the two accused of bad conduct against the temples and people:.

The Assyriologist Irving Finkel argued in 1999 that Nabu-shum-ukin was the same person as Amel-Marduk, who changed his name to "man of Marduk" once he was released as reverence towards the god to whom he had prayed.

Whether the opposition towards Amel-Marduk resulted from his earlier attempt at conspiracy against his father, the tension between different factions of the royal family, or from his mismanagement as king, is not certain.

The Bible states that Amel-Marduk freed Jeconiah, king of Judah, after 37 years of imprisonment in Babylon, the only concrete political act attributed to Amel-Marduk in any extant source.

However, there is no indication that Amel-Marduk made any attempt to restore Judah.

Amel-Marduk spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.