Seeking to Restore Old Babylon
THE Turkish government holds the territory where once stood the old and proud city of Babylon. It is affirmed that since the Young Turks have taken hold of the government, they are trying to inject new life into the old system, and make their nation somewhat modern. Among the things they have in mind is the restoration of the territory of the ancient Babylonian kingdom to its original fertility and fruitage. In carrying out this plan, a British engineer, Sir William Willcocks, has been employed to draw up extensive plans for irrigation. The dream of restoring the old city on its old site to all its original splendor enters into the project. Alexander the Great made a big attempt to carry out a similar project, but was not successful. It has been the dream of many another. Concerning old Babylon a Scripture prophecy reads as follows: "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 be 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 creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged." Isa. 13:19-22. The foregoing prophecy was uttered about 2,600 years ago. It was given nearly 150 years before the city of Babylon was overthrown by Cyrus the Great. It has met with a most marked and literal fulfilment thus far. It will be interesting to watch the developments of the present projects. God erected in ancient times some great monuments to His ability to read the future accurately and definitely. The prophecies concerning Babylon form one of these imposing monuments. But there are a great many people who do not believe the Bible, while there are many others who, while claiming to believe it, do not know what it contains. It is not surprising that these should enter into a scheme to rebuild old Babylon in her great valley filled with tempting alluvial soil. But those who both believe and actually know the Bible, will not invest in the enterprise.