At least two kings by this Babylonian name is known to history. Nebuchadnezzar I reigned over the old Babylonian empire c.12th Cent BC and has no relevance in the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, from 605-562 BC, was the sole superpower during the last days of Judah; no foreign sovereign is mentioned more often—90x—in the OT.
Son of Nabopolassar, the founder of powerful dynasty that made Babylon great again, Nebuchadnezzar II was already leading the charge in the battles that finally brought the Assyrian empire to its demise while still a crown prince. The following year he defeated Neco, the Egyptian king, at the battle of Carchemish, effectively establishing the might of Babylon over the entire region (2 Ki 23:29f; 2 Chron 35:20ff). In the process, Judah was subdued (2 Ki 24), King Jehoiachin and a host of other officials and artisans, including Daniel and his companions, taken into exile (Dan 1:1-6), and Zedekiah made a Babylonian vassal on the throne.
He was succeeded on the throne by his son Evil-Merodach under whom Jehoiachin was released from prison and given a favoured place at his table.
©ALBERITH