NIGLISSOR, or Niglisar, or Neriglissor, or Neriglissoror, the Successor of Evilmerodach in the Kingdom of Chaldea. Josephus speaks of Niglissor in two Places, and this is what he says of him, in the Tenth Book of his Antiquities, chap. 12. p. 350. Evil-merodach being dead, after he had reigned eighteen Years, Niglissor his Son succeeded to the Kingdom, and having reigned forty Years, he died, and left his Kingdom to Laborosoarchod his Son. He reigned but nine Months, and had Balthasar for his Successor, whom the Babylonians call Naboandel. Cyrus, and Darius King of the Medes, made War against him, &c. In the First Book against Appion, p. 1045. he cites the Historian Berosus, who speaks of him thus in his Third Book. After the Death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach his Son succeeded him in the Kingdom of Chaldea. Evilmerodach having given himself up to all sorts of Irregularities and Debaucheries, was treacherously kill’d by his Brother-in-Law Niriglissor, after he had reigned two Years. His Assassin usurped his Throne, and held it for two Years. After his Death his Son Laborosoarchod ascended the Throne, tho’ he was but a Child, and reigned only nine Months. His Courtiers made him away, because he appeared to have evil Inclinations. Those that put him to Death having consulted together, resolved to translate the Government to a Babylonian call’d Nabonides. In the seventeenth Year of his Reign came Cyrus to attack Babylon, &c.
Lastly, Megasthenes quoted by Eusebius1, says, that Nebuchadnezzar having disappeared from among Men, had Evilmerodach for his Successor, who was treacherously kill’d by his Brother-in-Law Niriglissor, and who left a Son named Labassoarach, who ended his Life also by a violent and tragical Death. After his Death they set upon the Throne Nabannidoch, who was not of the Family, nor did he belong to it in any Manner. Cyrus having made 1 Thess. v. 5.himself Master of all Babylon, gave Nabannidoch the Government of Carmania.
‘Tis indeed not very easy to reconcile these various Accounts. Josephus seems only to have followed Berosus; for the Scripture says nothing either of Niglissor, or Laborosoarchod, or Nabonides, but only of Nebuchadnezzar, of Evil-merodach, and Belshazzar. Thus Usher endeavours to set this to rights. Nebuchadnezzar dies in the Year of the World 3442. Evil-merodach succeeds him, and is kill’d in 3444 by Neriglissor, who succeeds. He dies in 3448, and Laborosoarched succeeds him. He holds the Empire but nine Months, and has Balshazzar for Successor, who is called Nabonides by Berosus, Labynites by Herodotus, and Nabannidoth by Abydenus. Berosus and Ptolemy allow him seventeen Years Reign at Babylon. Several skilful Interpreters believe, that the Reason why the Scriptures mention only Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach, and Balshazzar, is, because these only were lawful Heirs to the Crown of Chaldea, the others being only Usurpers and Intruders. But I doubt much of the Sufficiency of this Reason. The Scripture, as well as other Histories, mention indifferently lawful Kings and Usurpers, those of the Royal Family, and those that are not. The Laws of History do not require, that the Historian should judge of the Rights of Princes, but record their Actions and Successions.
M. Du Pin2 has proposed a System, to reconcile sacred and prophane History, concerning the Succession of the Princes now mentioned. After Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned forty three Years, succeeded his Son Evilmerodach, who reigned two Years compleat, and begun upon the third Year. This, says he, is the same as Balshazzar, so often called the Son of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel3. It is to be observed, that the Name Evil-merodach is not to be found in this Prophet, which may confirm the Conjecture that makes Evilmerodach and Balshazzar the same Person. Evil-merodach is kill’d by Neriglissor his Brother-in-Law, who reigns four Years. He may still pass for the Son of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, as being his Son-in-Law, and having marry’d his Daughter. Laborosoarchod his Son reigned nine Months, and was kill’d by a Conspiracy of Babylonian Nobles, who set up in his stead one of the Conspirators, named Nabonides, being sixty two Years old; a Babylonian indeed, but a Mede by Descent, and Son of Abasuerus. He is called Nabonides by the Babylonians, but Darius by the Medes. He reigned seventeen Years.
But this System is incumber’d with great Difficulties. 1st, Because it confounds Evil-merodach with Balshazzar. 2dly, Because it confounds Nabonides with Darius the Mede. 3dly, Lastly, it reconciles Josephus neither with Scripture, nor with Berosus, especially in that Duration of eighteen Years; which this Historian assigns to Evilmerodach, and in that of forty Years, which he allows Niglissor. So that it must be own’d to be absolutely impossible, to reconcile Things so directly contrary to each other, and to extricate Historical Facts that have so great a Degree of Perplexity.
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