1. While King Nebuchadnezzar was ruling over the Assyrians from his capital city of Nineveh, King Arphaxad ruled over the Medes from his capital city of Ecbatana.
2. Round Ecbatana King Arphaxad built a wall thirty metres high and 22 metres thick of cut stones; each stone was 130 centimetres thick and 260 centimetres long.
3. At each gate he built a tower 44 metres high, with a foundation 26 metres thick.
4. Each gateway was thirty metres high and eighteen metres wide — wide enough for his whole army to march through, with the infantry in formation.
5. In the twelfth year of his reign King Nebuchadnezzar went to war against King Arphaxad in the large plain round the city of Rages.