<P> After the reign of Hammurabi, the whole of southern Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia, whereas the north had already coalesced centuries before into Assyria . From this time, Babylon supplanted Nippur and Eridu as the major religious centers of southern Mesopotamia . Hammurabi's empire destabilized after his death . Assyrians defeated and drove out the Babylonians and Amorites . The far south of Mesopotamia broke away, forming the native Sealand Dynasty, and the Elamites appropriated territory in eastern Mesopotamia . The Amorite dynasty remained in power in Babylon, which again became a small city state . </P> <P> Texts from Old Babylon often include references to Shamash, the sun - god of Sippar, treated as a supreme deity, and Marduk, considered as his son . Marduk was later elevated to a higher status and Shamash lowered, perhaps reflecting Babylon's rising political power </P> <P> In 1595 BC the city was overthrown by the Hittite Empire from Asia Minor . Thereafter, Kassites from the Zagros Mountains of north western Ancient Iran captured Babylon, ushering in a dynasty that lasted for 435 years, until 1160 BC . The city was renamed Karanduniash during this period . Kassite Babylon eventually became subject to the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365--1053 BC) to the north, and Elam to the east, with both powers vying for control of the city . The Assyrian king Tukulti - Ninurta I took the throne of Babylon in 1235 BC . </P> <P> By 1155 BC, after continued attacks and annexing of territory by the Assyrians and Elamites, the Kassites were deposed in Babylon . An Akkadian south Mesopotamian dynasty then ruled for the first time . However, Babylon remained weak and subject to domination by Assyria . Its ineffectual native kings were unable to prevent new waves of foreign West Semitic settlers from the deserts of the Levant, including the Arameans and Suteans in the 11th century BC, and finally the Chaldeans in the 9th century BC, entering and appropriating areas of Babylonia for themselves . The Arameans briefly ruled in Babylon during the late 11th century BC . </P>

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