EVILMERODACH, the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, King of Babylon1. He first of all governed the Kingdom during the indispostion of his father, who was possessed with a strange fancy of his being metamorphosed into an Ox. But after seven years, the King having recovered his understanding, and his imagination being cured, he once more ascended the throne, and Evilmerodach, as some believe, was imprison’d by his In the Year of the World 3435, before J. C. 565, before the Vulg. Æra 569. || Dan. iv. 31, 33. In the Year of the World 3443, before J. C. 557, before the Vulg. Æra 561. 2 Kings xxv. 27. Jerem. lii. 31. In the Year of the World 3444, before J. C. 556, before the Vulg. Æra 560.father . In this confinement Evilmerodach made an acquaintance and friendship with Jehoiakim King of Judah, who had been carried to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar; so that immediately after the King’s death, Evilmerodach being on the throne, he delivered Jehoiakim out of prison, heaped many favours on him, and placed him above all the other Kings, who were at the court of Babylon.
The Hebrews, and after them St. Jerom, and several other interpreters tell us2, that Evilmerodach, after the death of his father, observing that the first men in the Kingdom made a scruple of acknowledging him, fearing lest Nebuchadnezzar should be still living; he, to convince them that the King was certainly dead, ordered him to be taken out of his grave, and dragged through the streets in the view of all the world. Others add, that Jehoiakim persuaded him to take his father out of the ground, to cut his body in pieces, and give them to three hundred ravens, lest he should return from his grave, as he had before recovered after his metamorphosis into an Ox.
Evilmerodach reigned but one year, according to our Chronology3, and was immediately succeeded by his son Belshazzar. Josephus says, he was succeeded by Neriglissar, then by Laborosoarchod, and lastly by Belshazzar, whom we are here speaking of. And the succession of these Princes is related in the same order by St. Jerom, and some others. This is not a proper place to examine this difficulty with accuracy. See our Discourse upon the Great Monarchies of the East, prefixed to Isaiah, and our Comment upon Daniel v. 1. pag. 627, 628, 629. and our History of the Old Testament.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. He proved a profligate and vicious Prince, and for that reason was called Evilmerodach*, that is to say*, Foolish Merodach*: for his proper name was only* Merodach. ↩
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Hieronym. in Isai. xiv. 19. Haimo & Hugo in Isai. xiv. Hist. Scholast. in Dan. v. Tostat. in 4 Reg. xxv. ↩
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Translators’ note. According to Dr. Prideaux*, two years, and was succeeded, as* this Author says, by Neriglissar his Sister’s Husband, who had been at the head of the Conspiracy formed against him. Connect. P. 1. B. 1. ↩