Nebuchadnezzar: Seeing Twice Double in Babylonia and the Levant

This article works on both the temporal and spatial axes. In the spatial axis, it is shown how Nebuchadnezzar created for himself a slightly different image in the Levant than the one propagated in Babylon, as reflected in his monuments and in biblical prophetic literature. On the temporal axis, Nebuchadnezzar's image won renewed attention in the Hellenistic period, both in Babylonia and the Levant. The article traces these twice-double reflections of Nebuchadnezzar, especially as reflected in the pair of monuments at Brisa, and uses them to explain some details in Daniel chapter 4 and in the Book of Giants.