The Fallen Tyrants of Babylon

Evil tyrants are nothing new to the region of Babylon, present-day Iraq. One of the most vicious in history was Nebuchadnezzar (sixth century BCE), the Babylonian king who built the most powerful nation in the world by ruthlessly attacking and annexing neighboring countries.
In Jewish tradition, the Tenth of Tevet (January 4, 2004) commemorates the day when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. The Babylonians eventually destroyed the First Temple, slaughtered 100,000 Jews, rounded up the rest and sent them into exile.
Whenever Nebuchadnezzar made a conquest, he used the stolen wealth to…