Jewel of the Ancient World

Mesopotamia (“the land between two rivers”) gave birth to many of the world’s first great cities. Among them was the magnificent city of Babylon, located between the waters of the Euphrates and Tigris, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. Unlike many towns that fell and disappeared, Babylon was resilient; It rose again and again from its own ashes, even as new conquerors invaded and took over. However, the invaders’ pleasure came at a price, as the coveted Babylon was always seen as a prize to be taken.

Babylon has resonated with Judeo-Christian culture for centuries. The Old Testament books describe the exile of the Jews to Babylon after the sack of Jerusalem; “they sat down and wept” by the waters of this place. By New Testament times the city had become a powerful symbol: the corrupt earthly twin city of the pure, heavenly New Jerusalem.

Outside the biblical tradition, Babylon attracted the attention of Greek and Roman writers who contributed to the rich store of legends that survive to this day. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about Babylon in the 5th century BC. A number of inconsistencies in his account have led many scholars to believe that he never went there and that his text may be closer to hearsay than historical fact. Popular stories about the fantastic structures of Babylon, such as the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens, may also be the product of myth and confusion. But for historians and archaeologists, Babylon is a real place of bricks and mortar, central to the vibrant Mesopotamian culture that dominated it for centuries.

City of Cities

The settlement of Babylon was first identified in what is now Iraq in the 1800s. Later excavations carried out by the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey in the late 19th and early 20th centuries revealed that the city was buried, especially its king, Henry II. It revealed that it was built and rebuilt many times, including on a generous scale, by Nebuchadrezzar (reigned 605-561 BC). . Koldewey’s findings revealed an ancient center of culture and political power. These excavations, II. It revealed what would become one of Babylon’s most magnificent landmarks, built by Nebuchadrezzar: the dazzling blue Ishtar Gate, now reconstructed and on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

Babylon first came to prominence in the Late Bronze Age, that is, in the early 2nd millennium BC, when it was invaded by people known as the Amorites. A series of powerful Amorite kings, including King Hammurabi, famous for compiling the world’s first legal code, enabled Babylon to eclipse the Sumerian capital Ur as the most powerful city in the region. Although Babylonia declined after Hammurabi’s death, its importance as the capital of southern Mesopotamia, now known as Babylonia, would continue for millennia.

Constant struggles over control of Babylonia ensued throughout the remainder of the 2nd millennium BC. It was occupied by the Hittites and Kassites respectively; Later, Chaldean tribesmen fought for dominance with another tribe, the Arameans from Syria (also a tribe at odds with Israel). By 1000 BC, the Assyrians gained supremacy, establishing a powerful empire in Northern Mesopotamia. However, despite periods of stable rule, Babylon was always falling into someone else’s hands. Given this pattern of continuous conquest – B.C. Cyrus the Great in the sixth century and Alexander the Great two centuries later – it is perhaps more useful to view the city not as a single Babylon but as several Babylons, the product of later traditions. thousands of years.

The Babylonians knew very well that their civilization was very old. Nabonidus, one of Nebuchadnezzar’s successors, is now known to modern historians as the “archaeologist king”. A learned man, he restored the ancient architectural and cultural traditions of the region, especially those of the Akkadian Empire, which dominated Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. past.

Golden Age of Babylon

Babylon, believed to be the largest city in the world, dates back to B.C. It experienced its heyday in the seventh and sixth centuries. A new dynasty founded by a tribe known as the Chaldeans had wrested control from the Assyrians in the early 600s BC. The second ruler of the Chaldean line was infamous for both his cruelty and his wealth: King Henry II, who sacked Jerusalem and sent the Jews captive. Nebuchadnezzar to the capital of his new and increasingly powerful regional empire.

An accomplished soldier, Nebuchadnezzar used the wealth he acquired from other countries to rebuild and glorify Babylon. He completed and strengthened the city’s defenses, including digging ditches and building new walls. Beautification projects were also on the agenda. The Great Ceremonial Way was paved with limestone, temples were renovated and rebuilt, and the majestic Ishtar Gate was erected. The city gate, built of glazed cobalt blue bricks and decorated with bulls and dragons, bears an inscription attributed to Nebuchadrezzar: “I placed wild bulls and wild dragons at the gates and adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people could look on. to them in astonishment.”

Babylonian citizens viewed their city as a paradise, the center of the world and a symbol of the cosmic harmony that emerged when the supreme god, the god Marduk, defeated the forces of chaos. The spread of the Marduk cult throughout Mesopotamia was evidence of Babylon’s prestige. No ancient city was so desired and feared, so admired and denigrated.