Baladan

BALADAN, King of Babylon, by profane Is. xxxix. 1. 2 Kings xx. 12.Authors called Belesis, or Belesus, Nabonassar, or Nanybrus¹. Baladan at first was no more than Governour of Babylon. He entred into a confederacy with Arbaces, Governour of Media, and rebell’d against In the Year of the World 3254, of the Julian Period 3964, before the vulgar Æra 750.Sardanapalus King of Assyria. These two Generals marched against Sardanapalus with an Army of four hundred thousand men. The conspirators lost the three first battles. But the Bactrians coming over to their party, and deserting the King’s, Baladan and Arbaces attacked the Enemy in the night, and made themselves masters of his Camp. After this misfortune, Sardanapalus retreated to Nineveh, and left the command of his Army to his Brother-in-law Salæmen. The conspirators attacked Salæmen and defeated him in two great Battles; after which they laid siege to Nineveh. Sardanapalus sustained the siege for three years; but the third year the Tigris overflowing its banks, beat down twenty furlongs or two thousand five hundred paces of the walls. Whereupon the Conspirators entred, and Sardanapalus burnt himself with all that he had most valuable, upon a funeral pile erected for this purpose in his palace. Arbaces was acknowledged King of Media, and Baladan King of Babylon. Berodach-Baladan, who sent Ambassadors to Hezekiah, was the Son of Baladan.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages