A Historical Sketch of the Ancient City of Babylon.
Sketches of Biblical history are always profitable, and usually interesting, to the student of the Sacred Writings. As we read in the Scriptures, of ancient times, their cities, and countries, and customs, it contributes much to the pleasure of the reader to be in possession of some of the history of such places. To this end we have selected from the "Religious Encyclopedia," the following sketch of ancient Babylon. This noted city was the pride of the Chaldees, the seat of boundless luxury, and nothing, as history asserts, "could be more corrupt than its morals." It was to this city that Daniel, with a multitude of other captives, were brought by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Dan. i, 3. It was also in this mighty metropolis that the great temple of Bel, or Belus, was located, as many say, on the old tower of Babel. On this tower was the golden image, which the three Hebrew worthies for refusing to adore, were cast into the fiery furnace. But on account of the prodigious wickedness of the Chaldeans, a voice from Heaven, by the prophets, proclaimed its overthrow; and to-day, in fulfillment of those prophetic words, it has become "a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant." G. Babylon, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Babylonia, is supposed to have been situated in north latitude thirty-two degrees and thirty-four minutes, and in east longitude forty-four degrees, twelve minutes and thirty seconds. It was founded by the first descendants of Noah, 2234 years B. C., enlarged by Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah, 2000 years B. C., and, in a manner, completely rebuilt about 1200 years B. C., by the Assyrian queen Semiramis. It was greatly strengthened and beautified by various succeeding sovereigns; but it was by Nebuchadnezzar and his daughter Nitocris, that it was brought to such a degree of magnificence and splendor, as rendered it one of the wonders of the world. The antithesis between Babylon and Jerusalem, enters largely into the prophetic language of Scripture. Hence the importance of an accurate knowledge of the real history of both. Babylon stood in the midst of a large plain, in a very deep and fruitful soil. It was divided into two parts by the river Euphrates, which flowed through the city from north to south. The old city was on the east, and the new city, built by Nebuchadnezzar, on the west side of the river. Both these divisions were surrounded by one wall, and the whole formed a complete square, four hundred and eighty furlongs in compass. Each of the four sides of this square had twenty-five gates of solid brass, at equal distances; and at every corner was a strong tower, ten feet higher than the wall. In those quarters where the city had least natural defense, there were also three of these towers between every two of the gates; and the same number between each corner and the nearest gate on its two sides. The city was composed of fifty streets, each fifteen miles long, and one hundred and fifty feet broad, proceeding from the twenty-five gates on each side, and crossing each other at right angles, besides four half streets, two hundred feet in breadth, surrounding the whole, and fronting towards the outer wall. It was thus intersected into six hundred and seventy-six squares, which extended four furlongs and a half on each of their sides, and along which the houses were built, at some distance from each other. These intermediate spaces as well as the inner parts of the squares, were employed as gardens, pleasure grounds, &c.; so that not above one half of the immense extent which the walls enclosed, was occupied by buildings. The walls of Babylon were of extraordinary strength, being eighty-seven feet broad, and three hundred and fifty feet high. They were built of brick, and cemented by a kind of glutinous earth called bitumen, which had the quality of soon becoming as hard as stone. These walls were surrounded on the outside by an immense ditch, from which the earth had been dug to make the bricks; and which, being always filled with water, added very much to the defense of the city. On each side of the river Euphrates was built a quay, or high wall, of the same thickness with the walls around the city. There were gates of brass in these walls, opposite to every street which led to the river, and from them were formed descents, or landing places, by means of steps, so that the inhabitants could easily pass in boats, from one side of the city to the other. There was also a remarkable bridge thrown over the river, near the middle of the city, built with wonderful art, of huge stones, fastened together by means of iron chains and melted lead; and is said to have been a whole furlong in length, and thirty feet in breadth. In order to prevent any inconvenience from the swellings of the Euphrates, two canals were cut from that river, at a considerable distance above the town, which carried off the superabundant waters into the Tigris. From the place where these canals commenced, down the sides of the river, both above and below the city, immense banks were constructed, to confine the stream still more effectually within its channel, and to prevent still more completely all danger of an inundation. In order to facilitate the construction of these works, an immense lake was dug on the west side of Babylon, about forty miles square, and thirty-five feet deep, into which the river was turned by a canal until the banks were completed; and it was then restored to its former course. This lake continued afterwards to receive annually a fresh supply of water from the Euphrates, and was rendered very serviceable, by means of sluices, for watering the lands which were situated below it. At the two ends of the bridge over the Euphrates, were two magnificent palaces, which had a subterranean communication with each other, by means of a vault or tunnel, under the bed of the river. The old palace, on the east side, was about forty furlongs in compass, and was surrounded by three separate walls, one within the other, with considerable spaces between them. The new palace, on the opposite side, was about four times as large as the other, and is said to have been eight miles in circumference. The walls of both these edifices were embellished with an infinite variety of pieces of sculpture; and, among the rest, was a curious hunting-scene, in which Semiramis was represented on horseback, throwing her javelin at a leopard, while her husband Ninus was piercing a lion. The most remarkable structure in the new palace was the hanging gardens, which Nebuchadnezzar is said to have raised, in order to give his wife Amytis, (daughter of Astyages, king of Media,) some representation of the beautiful mountains and woody views which abounded in her native country. These gardens occupied a square piece of ground, four hundred feet on every side, and consisted of large terraces, raised one above the other, till they equaled in height the walls of the city. The ascent from terrace to terrace, was by means of steps ten feet wide; and the whole pile was sustained by vast arches, built upon other arches, and strengthened on each side by a solid wall twenty-two feet in thickness. Within these arches were very spacious and splendid apartments, which are described as having commanded a very extensive and delightful prospect. In order to form a proper pavement for supporting the soil, and confining the moisture of the garden, large flat stones, sixteen feet in length, and four in breadth, were, first of all, laid upon the top of the upper arches; over these was spread a layer of reeds, mixed with bitumen; upon this, two rows of brick, closely cemented; and the whole covered with sheets of lead, upon which the earth or mould was laid to a sufficient depth for the largest trees to take firm root. In the upper terrace154was a large reservoir, into which water was drawn from the river by some species of engine, and kept there ready to be distributed to any part of the garden. Scripture no where notices these celebrated gardens; but it speaks of willows planted on the banks of the rivers of Babylon: "We hanged our harps on the willows in the midst thereof," says Psa. cxxxvii, 2. Isaiah, describing in a prophetic style the captivity of the Moabites by Nebuchadnezzar, says, "They shall be carried away to the valley of willows." (Ch. xv, 7.) The same prophet, (Ch. xxi, 1,) describing the calamities of Babylon by Cyrus, calls this city the desert of the sea. Jeremiah, to the same purport, says, (li, 36, 42,) "I will dry up the sea of Babylon, and make her springs dry. The sea has come up upon her; she is covered with its multitude of the waves thereof." Megasthenes (ap. Euseb. Præp. ix. 41.) assures us, that Babylon was built in a place which had before abounded so with water, that it was called the sea. But the language of the Psalmist above quoted, suggests the idea that the city of Babylon was refreshed by a considerable number of streams; "By the rivers [streams, flowing currents] of Babylon we sat down."—"On the willows (plural) in the midst thereof, we hanged our harps" (plural.) There must, then, have been gardens visited by these streams, easily accessible to the captive Israelites; not the royal gardens, exclusively, but others less reserved; and the phrase, "in the midst thereof," that is, of Babylon, seems to denote—not gardens above or below the city, but strictly in its interior. We know, also, that there was but one river at Babylon then, as there is but one now, the Euphrates, so that when these captives represent themselves as "sitting by the rivers of Babylon," in the plural, they inform us that this river was divided into several branches, or canals; and these were, doubtless, works of art. Moreover, from Jeremiah's threat of drying up the sea of Babylon, we learn that there was a considerable lake or reservoir, in the interior of the city; for to such large receptacles of water the appellation sea was, and still is, applied in the East. Undoubtedly, the water of this lake, and of these canals, being furnished by the Euphrates, the name of that river might be continued to them, in a general sense; and if this be admitted, a great proportion of those difficulties which the learned have hitherto found insuperable, are reduced to trifles, if they do not vanish. Nor ought we to forget, that the Egyptian Memphis, which we suppose to be a copy from Babylon, was, in like manner, surrounded and visited by streams, by canals, &c., all of them drawn from one river, the Nile, and bearing its name. Near to the old palace stood the temple of Belus; and in the middle of the temple was an immense tower, about six hundred feet in height, and the same number square at the foundation. This huge pile of building consisted of eight towers, each seventy-five feet high, placed one above the other, and gradually decreasing towards the top like a pyramid. What has been described is understood to have been the old tower of Babel; but it was greatly enlarged by Nebuchadnezzar, who built around its base a number of other sacred edifices, forming a square nearly three miles in compass. The whole was inclosed by a strong wall, and the various entrances secured by solid gates of brass, which are conjectured to have been formed out of the spoils of the temple at Jerusalem. Dan. i, 2. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 7. In this temple of Belus, or, as some say, on its summit, was a golden image forty feet in height, and equal in value to three and a half millions sterling. There was, besides, such a multitude of other statues and sacred utensils, that the whole of the treasures contained in this single edifice has been estimated at forty-two millions. Many of the above statements, recorded in ancient authors, respecting the wonders of Babylon, are unquestionably greatly exaggerated; but, after every abatement that can fairly be made, this city is understood to have comprehended a regular square, forty-eight miles in circuit, and to have been eight times larger than London and its appendages. See Gillies' Hist. of the World, vol. i, p. 166, and Rennel's Geog. of Herodotus, p. 341.