Mesapotamia and the surrounding lands, during the second millenium B.C.E. through to the middle of the first millenium B.C.E. can be found to be a battleground for the domination and survival of various small kingdoms, some quickly sprouting into empires, only to soon after fold and be swallowed up within another emerging power. A basic knowledge of this power struggle is necessary for understanding how eventually the Persian tribes were able to unite and come to prominence and with their expansion, spread a Zoroastrianized Mithraism through all of the Middle East, Caucasus, and Asia Minor, which, in turn, played as the philosophical backdrop for the later emerging Christianity, and the earlier Jewish movements towards monotheism.

We find at this early time the Hittite kingdom, situated initially in Anatolia during the 18th century B.C.E., rapidly spreading east, and south-east eventually sacking Babylon in the 16th century, coming to prominence. In the mid 15th century B.C.E. the egyptian pharoah, Thutmose III, broke Hurrian control of Syrian (where, the Hurrians ethnically composed of a fussion of aborginal and Indo-European peoples distinct from the Hittites), annexing the region, however, during the reign of Amenhotep II, egyptian dominance in the region waned somewhat, allowing Hurrian forces to once again revive under the Mitanni kingdom (The Mitanni were of Aryan stock, their language showing close association with Sanskrit; the Hittites too were of Indo-European stock, altho not Aryan).

By the beginning 14th century B.C.E. struggles ensued between the Hittites and the Mitanni, who through their King Tushratta, had forged a close alliance with Egypt. Unfortunately, by this time Ackhenaton had ascended the Eyptian throne, and attemping a revolution of the Egyptian religion, displacing all other deities by a monotheistic belief in Aton, the sun god, the resulting political troubles in Egypt disabled them from interfering with the burgeoning Hittite forces in Anatolian, Syria and Mesapotamia. As such, by the mid of the 14th century the Mitanni kingdom had been drained and collapsed under Hittite pressure, to be absorded by the Assyrian kingdom, who had allied with the Hittites. Babylon at this time rose to greater power, and friction between Assyria and Babylon continued until Assyria's final collapse in 609 B.C.E. roughly 700 years later.

The Zagrus region, east of Mesapotamia, by this time had long been over-run by Iranian peoples, and by the 14th century B.C.E. found itself amidst the Assyrian kingdom, under king Shulman-asharid, who for the first time, penetrated more deeply into the eastern mountains (The Zagrus Mts.). For the next several centuries we find Mesapotamia and Asia Minor undergo great vissicitudes. By the 12th century B.C.E. we find the culture of Babylon advancing significantly, as well do we witness the recession of the Hittite kingdom from that of an empire into a conglomoration of smaller city-states. Tiglath-pileser I of Assyria advanced and overwhelmed Hatti, the upper central region of Anatolia, and the home of the Hittite empire, while from the west a massive influx of Phrygians came across from the Aegean, speculated to have sourced around the region of Macedon, and being specifically of Indo-European extraction.

With this, we see an expansion of a new Assyrian Empire. By the 9th century B.C.E. we see again an Assyrian drive beyond the Zagros mountains into Iranian lands by Ashurnasirpal, who was known for his viciousness towards his enemies. He also subjugated the Aramaean tribes of Mesapotamia, and conducted campaigns to the Mediterranean, receiving tribute from the Hittite kinglets in northern Syria, remnants of the once impressive Hittite kingdom. His son, Shulman-Asharid III continued successfully campaigns against the Aramaeans who had by now been displaced to the region of the Persian Gulf, in southern Babylon after taking Babylon itself. During the 8th century B.C.E. the general Tukulti-apal-Esharra III usurped the Assyrian throne and crystalized the Assyrian empire with his deportation policies, strongly centralizing it. He also successfully led campaigns to the north, annexing a southern portion of the Urartu kingdom in the southern Caucasus, stretching his empire to the borders of Egypt, subjugating Damascus, Syria, and Gaza, and uniting Babylon with Assyria. Ironically, his subjugation of several Aramaean tribes, called now Chaldaeans, destined to be a significant force in the final collapse of Assyria.

With the ascent of Tukulti-apal-Esharra III's son, Shalmaneser V in 727 B.C.E. who continued in his father's tradition, maintaining the empire, a relatively quiet time passed. However, as next came Sargon II in 722 B.C.E., the stretches of the empire could only be maintained by constant war. Assyria was buffeted from all sides by infringing forces. A large Baylonian revolt occured which took 12 years to subdue, in which time the Elamites and Chaldeans united with the Babylonians. This prepared the stage for Assyria's final collapse in a little over a hundred years later.

Under Sennacherib, Sargon's son, the Chaldaean Merodach-baladan, who had 27 years earlier suffered defeat under Tukulti-apal-Esharra III and 7 years earlier under Sennacherib's father, once again revolted. The coalition of Babylonians, Elamites, and Chaldaeans was, however, suppressed, but, it instilled in Babylon a drive for vengeance to be realized all too soon. Merodach-baladin instigated now a revolt in Judah, resulting in a bitter seige against Jerusalem, which finally was broken off in defeat.

Now, Sennacherib was known for his negative disposition towards Babylon from the beginning, as such, when Babylon revolted once again and was suppressed in 700 B.C.E. the city was razed. The destruction of Babylon was widely considered a grave sin. Following Sennacherib's assassination by his own sons in 681 B.C.E. one of his sons, Esarhaddan came to the throne. He represented a pro-Babylonian faction (which obviously influenced his participation in the plotting of his father's death) and helped to rebuild Babylon. He also expanded Assyria even further, conquering Egypt.

After Sennacherib's death, Ashurbanipal came to power and his older brother, as Sennacherib had desginated before his death, took a reduced position as king of Babylon under Ashurbanipal's lordships. In 652 Shamash-shum-ukin revolted against his brother, and with a coalation between the newly revived Egyptians, Elamites, Chaldaeans and Arab tribes, he withheld for four years.