THE fall of strongly fortified Babylon came with a suddenness that must have surprised the ancient world. The conqueror, Cyrus the Great, diverted the waters of the Euphrates River that coursed through the city. Then his forces marched through the riverbed, taking the city by surprise through the unlocked gates along the quay. In one night Babylon fell, ending centuries of Semitic supremacy and fulfilling Jehovah’s word spoken through his prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.​—Isa. 44:27; 45:1, 2; Jer. 50:38; 51:30-32.

According to the Nabonidus Chronicle, Cyrus, in the month Tashritu (Tishri [September-October]), attacked the Babylonian forces at Opis. The inscription continues: “The 14th day, Sippar was seized without battle. Nabonidus fled. The 16th day, Gobryas (Ugbaru), the governor of Gutium and the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without battle. Afterwards Nabonidus was arrested in Babylon when he returned.”​—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by James B. Pritchard, p. 306.

The reference to Cyrus’ army entering Babylon “without battle” probably means without a general conflict. This agrees with Jeremiah’s prophecy that ‘the mighty men of Babylon would cease to fight.’​—Jer. 51:30.