Nabu-shuma-ukin was a son of Nebuchadnezzar II. Yet there was a time when he found himself in prison.
Archaeologists have discovered a clay tablet in Borsippa (southern Mesopotamia) that preserved a prayer of lament and appeal to the god Marduk, which Nabu-shuma-ukin had written while in prison.
Historians do not know why Nabu-shuma-ukin had been imprisoned, but the accusation(s) must have been serious — possibly even accused of crimes against the king or an offense against the gods. Otherwise, his transgressions would probably have been overlooked due to his status as prince of Babylon.
The text of the prayer tablet makes it clear that Nabu-shuma-ukin was convinced that he was the victim of a conspiracy by his enemies within the court of Babylon. Given what happened later (spoiler alert!) he was probably right, which prompted his prayer of lament for his condition and appeal to Marduk for justice and for his release.
Nabu-shuma-ukin was freed in 586 BC, and became king after the death of his father Nebuchadnezzar II. He changed name to Amel-Marduk (sometimes rendered as Evil-merodach in many Bible translations) to honor and thank Marduk for his release.
After becoming king of Babylon, Amel-Marduk also released the former king Jehoiachin of Judah from prison, whom he had apparently met and become friends with when the two were both incarcerated during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.
Two Historical Side-notes
- The 63-year-old Jehoiachin, after being imprisoned for 37 years, was given a position of honor in Amel-Marduk’s court, and was shown greater favor than the other exiled kings in Babylon, as it is also recorded in the Book of Jeremiah.
- Amel-Marduk only reigned for two years, from about 562-560 BC. He was murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglissar (also known as Nergal-sar-ezer the Rabmag) who then usurped the throne and ruled from about 562-556 BC.
Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. (Jeremiah 52:31-32 NASB95).
