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How long did Ashurbanipal’s siege of Babylon last?
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Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal depicted in a lion hunt in an Assyrian relief from his northern palace in Nineveh; now in the British Museum.
Ashurbanipal’s siege of Babylon, which was held by his brother Shamash-shum-ukin, lasted for three years. During this period, the city suffered from famine as the conflict continued with perpetual clashes. The siege concluded in 648 BCE when the city fell and Shamash-shum-ukin died in his burning palace.12