Merodach-Baladan:

By: Solomon Schechter , Louis Ginzberg , A. Peiginsky

King of Babylon (712 B.C. ), who sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, King of Judah, when the latter had recovered from his sickness. Hezekiah, delighted with the courtesy, shows the messengers all his treasures, withholding nothing from them. Whereupon the prophet Isaiah, hearing of the visit, comes to Hezekiah and reproves him for the display he has made of his riches. He foretells the destruction of Hezekiah's kingdom, and the Babylonian captivity (Isa. xxxix.). In the parallel account in II Kings xx. 12-19 the name of this king is given as Berodachbaladan.

According to the Talmud, Baladan's face was changed to that of a dog, he being thereby compelled to abdicate the throne in favor of his son Merodach. Out of reverence, Merodach in all his edicts and ordinances added his name to that of his father in order to indicate that he really was only the representative of the latter (Sanh. 96b).