_Berosus_ tells us, that _Nebuchadnezzar_ built a pensile garden upon arches, because his wife was a _Mede_ and delighted in mountainous prospects, such as abounded in _Media_, but were wanting in _Babylonia_: she was _Amyite_ the daughter of _Astyages_, and sister of _Cyaxeres_, Kings of the _Medes_. _Nebuchadnezzar_ married her upon a league between the two families against the King of _Assyria_: but _Nitocris_ might be another woman who in the Reign of her son _Labynitus_, a voluptuous and vicious King, took care of his affairs, and for securing his Kingdom against the _Medes_, did the works above mentioned. This is that Queen mentioned in _Daniel_, chap. v. ver. 10. _Josephus_ [397] relates out of the _Tyrian_ records, that in the Reign of _Ithobalus_ King of _Tyre_, that city was besieged by _Nebuchadnezzar_ thirteen years together: in the end of that siege _Ithobalus_ their King was slain, _Ezek._ xxviii. 8, 9, 10. and after him, according to the _Tyrian_ records, Reigned _Baal_ ten years, _Ecnibalus_ and _Chelbes_ one year, _Abbarus_ three months, _Mytgonus_ and _Gerastratus_ six years, _Balatorus_ one year, _Merbalus_ four years, and _Iromus_ twenty years: and in the fourteenth year of _Iromus_, say the _Tyrian_ records, the Reign of _Cyrus_ began in _Babylonia_; therefore the siege of _Tyre_ began 48 years and some months before the Reign of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_: it began when _Jerusalem_ had been newly taken and burnt, with the Temple, _Ezek._ xxvi and by consequence after the eleventh year of _Jeconiah_'s captivity, or 160th year of _Nabonassar_, and therefore the Reign of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_ began after the year of _Nabonassar_ 208: it ended before the eight and twentieth year of _Jeconiah_'s captivity, or 176th year of _Nabonassar_, _Ezek._ xxix. 17. and therefore the Reign of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_ began before the year of _Nabonassar_ 211. By this argument the first year of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_ was one of the two intermediate years 209, 210. _Cyrus_ invaded _Babylonia_ in the year of _Nabonassar_ 209; [398] _Babylon_ held out, and the next year was taken, _Jer._ li. 39, 57. by diverting the river _Euphrates_, and entring the city through the emptied channel, and by consequence after midsummer: for the river, by the melting of the snow in _Armenia_, overflows yearly in the beginning of summer, but in the heat of dimmer grows low. [399] _And that night was the King of _Babylon_ slain, and _Darius_ the _Mede_, or King of the _Medes_, took the Kingdom being about threescore and two years old_: so then _Babylon_ was taken a month or two after the summer solstice, in the year of _Nabonassar_ 210; as the Canon also represents.