|
There was a city named Babylon about four to five thousand years ago.
It was in the southern part of the country of Iraq. Iraq is in the Middle east. Back then it was in a land known
as Mesopotamia. The word "Mesopotamia" means "between the rivers". Babylon was on both sides of the Euphrates River.
Near the Euphrates River is the Tigris River. Both rivers flow into the
Persian Gulf. The lower Mesopotamian valley has been called "the cradle of civilization". People believe this is where
humans began in the Garden of Eden. It has also been called, the "dust-heap of the nations". So many ruins of
ancient mighty empires are buried in desert sands. The city lay on both sides of the Euphrates River.
Babylon was
not far south from Baghdad. Today Baghdad is the capital of Iraq.
Archeologists found what was left of the ancient city of Babylon. Their discovery helped them figure out how the ancient city
looked. It was surrounded by two thick walls.
Sometimes historians have different names for northern and southern Babylonia.
Sometimes the northern part is called Akkad. The southern part has been called Sumer, or Chaldea, and "land of the Chaldeans".
Adab, Akkad, Babylon, Borsippa, Erech, Kish, Lagash, Nippur, and Ur are all cities that were in ancient Babylonia. The Babylonian
empire also included Syria and Palestine down to the border of Egypt.
At first the Sumerians used to live in the land
where Babylon is. They are one of the oldest civilizations on earth. Sumerians were the first known astronomers.
They divided the day into twelve double hours. They were the first ones to leave examples of writing. Even though it was such
a long time ago, they had laws, learning, and practiced medicine. After the end of the Sumerian empire there was 300
years of war. City- states were always fighting with each other.
The first Babylonian Empire was founded in about 2100
B.C. Babylonians were Semitic people. They were also nomads. They invaded the Sumerians. Their language was related
to Hebrew and Arabic. Babylonians got ideas from Sumerian writings. Then they developed their own style of writing
called cuneiform. Cuneiform was wedge-shaped writing. Babylonians also adopted laws and customs that were
Sumerian. They built their culture around large cities. The blending of the two cultures (Sumerian and Babylonian)
created Babylonians and Assyrians.
Babylon was the capital of Babylonia. They did a lot of building to
make the empire grow. One kind of building they made was called a ziggurat. A ziggurat was a temple that looked
kind of like a tower. It was built in stages. It had a religious shrine on the top. The Sumerians were the first
to build these kinds of buildings. The Babylonians carried on the tradition. The most famous ziggurat is the Tower
of Babel from the Bible.
This city became the main center for worshiping false gods. Babylon was a very religious
place. There were more than fifty temples. When the tower of Babel was getting built, Jehovah God ruined their
plans. Suddenly, he made people speak all different kinds of languages. The tower got to be about 300
feet high before
that happened. This confused the people. (The word, BABEL, is Hebrew. It means "Confusion." The Sumerian name,
Kadingirra, and the Akkadian name, Babilu, both mean "Gate of God.") Many decided to move to other parts of the earth.
This is how false religions spread from Babylon to the rest of the world. (Ge10:9, 10; Ge 11: 4-9) In a prophecy, Babylon
was symbolized by a lion with eagle's wings. Jehovah predicted Babylon's fall and how it would end up abandoned.
One
of the main Babylonian false gods was Marduk. Marduk was also called Merodach in the Bible. The temple of Marduk
is near the site of the Tower of Babel. It is at the southern end of the road that King Nebuchadnezzar built. The building
is huge. It is made of glazed bricks. Colored figures of bulls and dragons decorate it. Most of it has been
destroyed, except for parts of it that were found underground. His cult spread as the Babylonian empire grew bigger.
Babylonians liked worshiping gods in trinities. This means they worshiped gods in threes. One favorite
trinity of theirs was two gods and a goddess. The two gods were Sin (moon-god) and Shamash (sun-god). The goddess of the trinity
was Ishtar. The Babylonians thought these three gods ruled the zodiac. The zodiac is the path in outer space that
the planets travel on. The ancient Babylonians divided it into twelve zodiac signs. They believed the position of stars and
planets in zodiac path effected life, people and events on earth.
They learned a lot about astronomy. They developed astrology to try to
tell the future. Astrology is the belief that the movement of heavenly bodies can foretell the future. The number
7 was sacred to them. They worshipped the 7 heavenly bodies that they could see. Those bodies were the moon, the sun,
and 5 planets; Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They named planets after Babylonian gods.
Another Babylonian triad (trinity) was made of three devils: Labartu,
Labasu, and Akhkhazu. They used lots of idols and graven images, which Jehovah hated (Jer 50:1,2,38) They also believed
in the immortality of the human soul. Magic, sorcery and astrology were used a lot in their religion. Rulers of
Babylon used divination to make important decisions. In 1450 B.C. a new temple was built for worshipping the mother-goddess
at Warka. It was not a ziggurat. It was small and shaped like a rectangle. Around the whole temple there were big brick
carvings. These carvings were of large gods that decorated the outside the whole temple.
Babylonians wrote many texts.
They invented one of the first forms of writing. They used soft clay tablets which were baked. They made indents with
little sticks. The sticks made small marks shaped like an arrowhead. The knowledge of this kind of writing disappeared
a long time ago.
Before Hammurabi was ruling in Mesopotamia, there were not many life-like sculptures. There were no
portraits of royalty. Egyptians were making royal portraits. Egypt was west of Babylon. Soon Babylon was doing
the same thing. They made sculptures from bronze, gold and stone. They carved writings and laws. They made carvings
of rams, goats, and humans in stone.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It's walls and terraces were 35 stories high. It had flowers, fruit trees, and fountains. It was built by King
Nebuchadnezzar's men. King Nebuchadnezzar had it made for the queen that he married. She was the powerful Queen
Semiramis. She was homesick because she missed the gardens she had back at her home country. Her country had mountain springs.
So King Nebuchadnezzar built her the gardens so she would stay with him. They kept the fountains going because they
used water from a faraway river. They pumped water and used wells, ditches and cellars to store water. The garden was built
in the middle of the city. It was one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. It was made of vaulted archways. And
it was built tier upon tier. Some say it was like a giant stairway in the sky.
People came from far away to see palaces and temples that were made of marble and gold. The main street of Babylon
was called The Processional Way. It was a paved street. It had walls running along the sides. Symbols of honored gods as lions,
bulls and dragons decorated the walls.
The huge city of Babylon was a part of world trading and business. Babylon
was an important manufacturing center. It was in an great location. People trading between the East and West, by land or by
sea, could get there easy. Babylon's fleet of ships could sail very easy from the Persian Gulf to the seas far away.
In
the 6th and 7th century B.C.E. Babylon was the capital of a mighty empire. Nimrod founded Babylon. It was the capital of mankind's
first empire, and first government against God. The Old Testament is the same as the Hebrew Scriptures. These scriptures
talk a lot about the ancient city of Babylon. Babylon was always an enemy of Jehovah God, and his people. The confusion of
languages happened during the building of the Tower of Babel. So the building stopped for a while. (Ge 11:9) Jehovah
was offended that they were building that tower to worship false gods. Even when it wasn't a mighty empire, its customs of
false worship of many gods reached lands that were far away.
From 1792-1750 B.C. there was a group of Kings who ruled
during the First Dynasty. A dynasty is a group of rulers who are in the same family. They had stayed in power for many
generations. There was a famous monarch in this dynasty named Hammurabi. He didn't care about keeping peace with
kings in city-states nearby. He conquered them and made his empire bigger. He united the city-states that kept
fighting with each other. So he also became the ruler of Sumer and Akkad. He had strict laws. He did not have
much mercy. If someone's house fell on them and were killed, the builder of the house would be executed. A doctor
might blamed for making his patient lose his eye or life. Then the doctor's hand would get cut off. The First
Dynasty ended when Hammurabi died, around 1600 B.C. Then the Kassite barbarians took over Babylonia. They borrowed things
from Babylon's culture, but they didn't make that much art. In 1100 B.C. Kassite Dynasty ended, and Assyrians took over.
Then Nineveh became the world's capital. Nineveh was on the bank of the Tigris River. In 7th century B.C. Ninevah was
destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon became a mighty power again.
Nebuchadnezzar II was a King from the Chaldean
Dynasty. He ruled from 605-562 B.C. He rebuilt Babylon after Nineveh was destroyed. He made Babylon the
greatest city in the world. He made the capital very beautiful, with Hanging Gardens. He restored the city to its greatest
glory. He even bragged, "Is not this Babylon the Great, that I myself have built? (Da 4:30) He defeated a bunch of nations.
The
ancient city of Jerusalem was special. It is the only city on earth upon which Jehovah put his name (1Ki 11:36) Jerusalem
was the holy place for the pure worship of Jehovah God. It was called God's "resting place", because his temple was built
there. Jehovah's laws were obeyed there. But then many of Jehovah's people started to take part in false worship.
They began caring about pleasing false Babylonian gods.
So in 597 B.C., Jehovah allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take the
Israelites (the Jews) as his servants. He took thousands of them to Babylon. Some of them were the best educated ones.
Mighty men, craftsmen, and noble ones were also taken. Nebuchadnezzar stole Jerusalem's holy treasures. (2 Ki 24:1;
2Ch 36:5-10) Finally the King destroyed their holy temple in 587 B.C. He burned down the city of Jerusalem. The
Jews who didn't die were taken prisoner and taken to Babylon.
Jehovah allowed his people to become slaves Babylon.
He allowed their city to be burned. The Jews were serving false gods. That is why they got such a punishment. They were warned
by the prophets but didn't listen. They kept worshiping false gods instead of Jehovah.
There was a man named Ezekiel
who served Jehovah. He was one of the best-educated Israelites. King Nebuchadnezzar took Ezekiel to Babylon 10 years before
Jerusalem burned down. Jehovah showed Ezekiel a miraculous dream. Jehovah showed Ekekiel how the Israelites back in Jerusalem
had been worshiping the sun. Also, they were honoring the false god Tammuz, snakes and other animals. (Jeremiah 1:1-8;
10:1-5; 26:1-16; 2Kings 24:1-17) (2Kings 25:1-26, Jeremiah 29:10, Ezekiel 1:1-3; 8:1-18)
Some Israelites were allowed
to stay in Jerusalem after most of it was destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar let a Jew named Gedaliah be in charge of the people
there. Then some Jews murdered Gedaliah. They became afraid of the Babylonians punishing them, for doing such a bad thing.
They all ran away to Egypt, and they made Jeremiah come with them.
The prophet Daniel was also taken to Babylon.
His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were also taken to Babylon around the same time. They were trained
to work for the King in his palace. One day King Nebuchadnezzar told all the people in Babylon that they had to bow down to
an image he set up. They were supposed to bow down whenever they heard special music. The King said that whoever would
not bow down will get thrown in the fire of a really hot furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down
to the image.
When the king found out, he got really mad. He gave them one more chance
to bow down. They wouldn't because they served Jehovah. They told Nebuchadnezzar, "Our God whom we serve is able to save us,
but even if he does not save us, we will not bow down to your image of gold." The king was very angry when they told
him this. He told the strongest men in his army to tie up the men and throw them in the furnace. When they did this, the king's
men were killed by the really hot flames. Then the king got really afraid when he looked in the furnace. He was amazed at
what he had seen. The men were not being burned!
King Nebuchadnezzar double-checked with his servants to make sure
that three men were thrown into the furnace. He was shocked when he saw FOUR men in the furnace. One of the men looked
like a god. The men were not tied up and the fire wasn't burning them. The king told them to get out of the furnace.
Then he said that their God (Jehovah) was the Most High God. (Exodus 20:3; Daniel 3:1-30)
Nebuchadnezzar's grandson
Belshazzar became king next. He invited a thousand important people to his feast. They were eating and drinking out
of holy silver and gold cups and bowls. These holy items were taken from Jehovah's temple when Jerusalem was burned down.
Everyone suddenly got scared when they saw fingers of a man's hand appear in mid-air. The fingers wrote on the wall. Belshazzar
called for his wise men. They didn't understand what the writing meant. The King said, "Anyone who can read this writing
and tell me what it means, will be given many gifts and be made the third most important ruler in the kingdom." The
wise men couldn't help.
The king's mother told him to send for Daniel. She told Belshazzar that Daniel knew the true
holy god, Jehovah. When Nebuchadnezzar was King, Daniel was made chief of all his wise men. She said that Daniel would
be able to know what the writing on the wall meant. Then Daniel was brought in to speak. He reminded him why his own grandfather
lost his rulership. It was because Nebuchadnezzar was very proud and Jehovah punished him. Daniel told Belshazzar that
he was just as proud as Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel said, "You have brought in the cups and the bowls from Jehovah's temple and
drunk out of them. You have praised gods made of wood and stone, and you have not honored our Grand Creator. That is
why God has sent the hand to write these words."
The three words that were written on the wall were: 'MENE, MENE',
'TEKEL' and 'PARSIN'. Then Daniel said, "MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found to be no good. PARSIN means that your kingdom is given to the
Medes and the Persians."
The Medes and the Persians were already attacking Babylon! As Daniel was speaking! They captured
the palace. Belshazzar was murdered. The writing on the wall came true.
Babylon couldn't rule forever. It ended when
Cyrus the Great took the City of Babylon. Cyrus was the commander of the Medes and Persians. On the night of October
5, 539 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great got through the gates of Babylon. He took the city by surprise. They killed anybody who tried
to stop them from invading the city. Jehovah named Cyrus in a prophecy. He predicted Cyrus would take Babylon.
Babylon was taken even though huge double walls protected it. The
eastern part of the city was surrounded by a second set of walls. They were made of burnt brick. There was a moat that
connected to the Euphrates River, too. There were eight gates to get into Babylon. Four of the gates have been found by archeologists.
During the first year that Cyrus ruled Babylon, he let the Jews return to Jerusalem. Jehovah's prophecy about Cyrus
defeating Babylon and freeing the Jews came true, too. (Isa 44:27;
45:1, 2; Jer 50:38; 51:30-32)
Persian rulership over Babylonia ended in 331 B.C.E., when Alexander the Great captured
Babylon. Then Greece was ruling over that land. Alexander the Great wanted to make Babylon his capital too, but he died
suddenly at a young age in 323 B.C.E.
There is still something left from that old city. Today Iraq uses parts of the
irrigation canals that was built by the ancient Babylonians. This is how they help their land that is between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers stay fertile. Also, bricks from ancient cities were used to make buildings for newer towns.
Babylon fell just as Jehovah said. It became "piles of stones",
never to be rebuilt. (Jer 51:37; Isa 44:27-45:2) Babylon was the "decoration of kingdoms" at one time, but now it is
a "desolate waste." (Isa 13:19-22; Jer 50:13)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“A Man Who is Not Afraid.” My Book
of Bible Stories. 1978 ed.
Brooklyn, New York: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York,
Inc. (pg. 74)
“Ancient World, Art of the Babylonians.”
New Book of Knowledge 2000 ed.
Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Inc. (Volume 1A, pg. 236)
“Arrowheads, Letters, Dots” Childcraft
How and Why Library. 1990 ed.
Chicago, Illinois: World Book. (Volume 13: Mathemagic, pgs. 72-73)
“Babylon.” Insight to the Scriptures.
1988 ed.
Brooklyn, New York: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (Volume 1:
Aaron-Jehoshua, pgs. 235-239)
“Babylonia.” New Book of Knowledge.
2000 ed.
Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Inc. (Volume 2B, pg. 5)
“Babylonian Empire.” Insight to
the Scriptures. 1988 ed.
Brooklyn, New York: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New
York, Inc.(Volume 2: Jehovah-Zuzim, pgs. 321-326)
“Four Boys in Babylon.” My Book
of Bible Stories. 1978 ed.
Brooklyn, New York: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New
York, Inc. (pg. 75)
“Hanging Gardens” Childcraft How
and Why Library. 1969 ed.
Chicago, Illinois: Field Enterprises Educational Corp. (Volume
13: Places to Know, pg. 13)
“In the Garden of Eden: Mesopotamia and Its Lost Civilizations.”
Lands and Peoples. 1940 ed. New York: The Grolier Society, Inc.(Volume 3 The
Near and The Middle East,, pgs. 217, 220-221)
“Jerusalem is Destroyed.” My Book
of Bible Stories. 1978 ed.
Brooklyn, New York: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York,
Inc.(pg. 76)
“Seven Days Make a Week” Childcraft
How and Why Library. 1990 ed.
Chicago, Illinois: World Book. (Volume 9: Birthdays and Holidays,
pgs. 130-131)
“The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”
The Bookshelf for Boys and Girls. 1969 ed. New York:The University Society Inc.(Volume 6: Art and Music, pg. 259)
“What’s Left of Beauty?”
Childcraft How and Why Library. 1971 ed.
Chicago, Illinois: Field Enterprises Educational
Corp. (Volume 14: Places to Know, pgs.130-131)
Map and Photos of Babylon
|
