Berodach-baladan

Berodach-baladan (meaning: the son of death; also written Merodach-baladan in Isaiah) was the king of Babylon who sent a friendly diplomatic mission to Hezekiah king of Judah when he heard that Hezekiah had recovered from a severe illness. The embassy included a letter and a gift, and Hezekiah in his pride showed the messengers all his treasuries—his silver, gold, spices, oil, armory, and everything in his storehouses—an act of imprudence that prompted Isaiah's stern warning of coming Babylonian captivity.

Berodach-baladan is identified with the historical Marduk-apla-iddina II, a Chaldean chieftain who twice seized the Babylonian throne in the late eighth century BC, challenging Assyrian dominance. His diplomatic contact with Hezekiah likely reflected a desire to forge a western anti-Assyrian alliance, placing the biblical account within the documented political struggles of the period. The episode in 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 39 is significant as an early prophetic anticipation of the Babylonian exile.