BABYLON, Part two

Would you believe at one time the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was One of the Seven Wonders of the World? Built by Nebuchadnezzar for his Median wife. She was the daughter of Cyaxeres, who had helped his father capture Nineveh. The gardens were built on tiers of arches, one over the other. There were flowers, trees and shrubs which were on solid platforms, 400 feet square. They used hydraulic pumps to draw water from the river to water the Gardens and roof top plants. Underneath this were apartments used for pleasure. They were built while Daniel was chief governor of the wise men of Babylon.

Processional Street, the great royal and scared road, you came in at the North, gradually went up and came to the palace grounds the Northwest corner, went through Ishtar’s gate, high over the city’s center, slowly went down to the Southwest corner of the Tower of Babylon wall, turned West to the river bridge. Both sides had high defensive walls 20 feet thick. On these walls were highly glazed, brilliant multi-colored relief's of lions. The streets were paved with stone slabs, 3 feet square. Near the entrance to the palace the blocks are still in their place, just as they were when Daniel walked over them. (Koldeway uncovered the Gardens and this area).

The destruction of the City of Babylon prophesied, Isaiah 13:17:22 and Jeremiah 51:37-43, (only Isaiah quoted here), Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. There bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it e dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful (weird) creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs (he-goats, hairy one) shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons (jackals) in their pleasant palaces and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Remained an important city all through the Persian Period. Had not death stopped Alexander the Great, he would have restored its glory. Declined after him. By the time of Christ it no longer had its supremacy of political and commercial importance. In the first century A.D. the greater part of the city was in ruins. Its bricks have been used in building Baghdad and repairing canals. It is not inhabited as was prophesied. There is one small village at the Southwest corner.

God's blessings on each of you,

LJG

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