Babylon “fell” in 539 BCE, when it was conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, bringing the Neo‑Babylonian Empire to an end.

Quick Scoop

Core Date You’re Looking For

  • The famous “fall of Babylon” most historians mean is the capture of the city by the Persians in 539 BCE.
  • More precisely, the city was taken in October 539 BCE (often correlated with mid‑October on modern calendars).

In many history books, when you see the phrase “when did Babylon fall?” it’s pointing to this 539 BCE conquest by Cyrus and the end of the Neo‑Babylonian (Chaldean) dynasty.

A Couple Of Extra Nuances

  • Ancient Babylon existed for many centuries, so you’ll sometimes see:
    • Earlier setbacks or declines for “Old Babylon” long before 539 BCE.
    • Later conquests, like Alexander the Great taking Babylon in 331 BCE, which mark political shifts but not the original “fall” everyone quotes.
  • Still, for general history, biblical studies, and most forum discussions, “when did Babylon fall?” = 539 BCE under Cyrus the Great.

Would you like this framed more from a biblical/prophetic angle, or from a straight political‑history angle?