Ancient Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Persian Empire clash in this deep dive into the 539 BC conquest. Tristan Hughes and Reverend Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones discuss the unexpected fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the rise of Cyrus the Great's Achaemenid Persia.

They explore the pivotal moment when the ancient world's largest, most magnificent city, Babylon, capitulated without bloodshed, examining the critical role of its final king, Nabonidus, his son Belshazzar, and the political/religious machinations that paved the way for the new Persian overlords.

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones sheds light on Nabonidus's controversial devotion to the moon god Sin over Babylon's chief deity Marduk, the political manoeuvring of his mother Adad-Gupi, and the devastating, yet strategic, sack of the nearby city of Opis. They also address the Bible's account of the 'writing on the wall' in the Book of Daniel, highlighting how historical sources like the Cyrus Cylinder paint a pragmatic picture of a bloodless takeover that saw Babylon retain its prestige as the 'jewel in the Persian crown' for centuries to come.