Neriglissar

Neriglissar: king of ancient Babylonia, ruled 559-556.

Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 and was succeeded in by his son Amel-Marduk, who was almost immediately murdered and replaced by his brother-in-law Neriglissar, who is probably identical to an officer of Nebuchadnezzar known from the Bible (Jeremiah 39.13) and had maried princess Kasšaya. The new king invaded Anatolia, was victorious in Cilicia, and -according to Chronicle 6- even crossed the Taurus in 557/556. King Appuašu was removed.

But in spite of his success, Neriglissar's reign was but brief. He was succeeded by his son Labaši-Marduk, who was immediately removed by a coup d'état by a powerful Babylonian nobleman named Belshazzar and several officers. They put the old scholar Nabonidus on the throne.

The reason for this coup may have been that Neriglissar and his son were commoners - rich, certainly, but without noble blood.

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