The Ancient City of Babylon.

In 2 Kings 24:13-14 we read: "And Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and he cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land."

The Ancient City of Babylon - Hebrew: בבל, Bābel; Greek: Βαβυλών, Babylōn) The name Babylon is somewhat of a mystery. The Hebrews traced its origins to a word in their own language that means “confusion,” deriving the name from “The Tower of Babel,” which was also located there. In Genesis, G-d placed "confusion of speech" upon the builders so they could no longer communicate and complete their work. In the Semitic language, which the Babylonians spoke, the name of the city may have meant “Gate of G-d” or “Gate of the G-ds.” The ancient city of Babylon lies in the land of Shinar as revealed in the Bible (Gen 10:10) - it was a city-state located in ancient Mesopotamia between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. The city itself was built upon the Euphrates, and divided in equal parts along its left and right banks, with steep embankments to contain the river's seasonal floods. Today, all that remains of the original city are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq - spread out over a cluster of mounds or tells of broken mud-brick buildings, located in the fertile Mesopotamian plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad, Iraq. The Euphrates river divided the city in two, with the old city to the east and a smaller new city to the west. The river then fed main canals that watered each half. Babylon was one of the most important cities of the ancient Middle East, that flourished in the 3d millennium BCE. The patron god of Babylon, Marduk (identical with Bel), became a leading deity in the Neo-Babylonian pantheon.

Babylon was a huge city on both sides of the Euphrates - both banks of the river were guarded by brick walls, with twenty-five gates connecting the streets with ferry boats. There was one bridge, built on stone piers, one kilometre long and ten metres wide. It had drawbridges which were removed at night. There was also a tunnel under the river five metres wide and four metres high. In Mesopotamia, there was no stone, only clay, so the walls were made with bricks. Houses had walls made of clay. The walls were described by historians Josephus and Herodotus. They were double walls 100 metres high, forming a wide rectangle nearly twenty kilometres around the city. The walls continued below ground to prevent tunnelling. They were built with thirty centimetre square bricks, which were ten centimetres thick. The inner wall of the city, consisted of two parallel walls of brick twelve metres apart, about seven metres thick. The space between was filled with rubble, making the total thickness about twenty-five metres. Beyond the inner wall were wide deep moats, filled with water. The outer wall was built in the same manner. The walls contained one hundred brass gates. 250 high watch towers were built upon the walls, with guard rooms for the soldiers. There was a quarter mile of clear space between and city and the wall all the way round. They thought Babylon was totally impregnable. The most famous gate was the Ishtar Gate with glazed bricks and carved reliefs, which was at the end of a processional avenue 250 metres long, and twenty metres wide. Babylon was the epitome of arrogance. She boasted that no one would be able to conquer this powerful citadel. The Babylonians felt absolutely secure within their mighty fortress, and believed that the capital city would never be vanquished. “I shall be mistress forever. . . I am, and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children” (Isaiah 47:7-8). Inscriptions from the Chaldean archives have also illustrated the haughty disposition that characterized the Babylonian rulers (Millard 1985, 138).

Herodotus (484-425 BCE), known as the father of ancient history, once visited the great metropolis of Babylon. He said that “in magnificence there is no other city that approaches to it” The Scriptures take note of the fame that characterized Babylon. The prophets designated Babylon as “great” (Daniel 4:30), the “glory of the kingdoms” (Isaiah 13:19), the “golden city” (Isaiah 14:4), the “lady of the kingdoms” (Isaiah 47:5) who was “abundant in treasures” (Jeremiah 51:13), and the “praise of the whole earth” (Jeremiah 51:41). In Revelation 17:18 we read that the "new" Babylon also "is that great city that reigneth over the kings of the earth." In Revelation 18:11-19 we read: " And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate." There is a great deal of money and wealth in religion dear one! And always has been!

Nebuchadnezzar's Palace and Hanging Gardens - was one of the most magnificent buildings ever erected on the earth. Daniel often went into this Palace. Its vast ruins were uncovered around 1900. The south walls of the throne room were six metres thick. The north side was protected by three walls. Just north of them were more walls twelve metres thick and more massive walls further away. The hanging gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world described by the Greek Historian Herodotus. Nebuchadnezzar married a Median queen, the beautiful daughter of Cyaxeres, who had helped Nebuchadnezzar conquer Nineveh. She came from the mountains and so was accustomed to greenery. Nebuchadnezzar built the famous hanging gardens for her, a huge terraced garden, on the top of the palace, watered with water from a reservoir at the top. The water was lifted by a hydraulic pump from the River Euphrates, by slaves turning screws to raise the waters. There were several tiers of arches, above each other, each bearing a solid platform 120 metres square. The terraces on the top were covered with flowers, shrubs and trees. In the arches were luxurious apartments, the pleasure ground of the palace. The Hanging Gardens were built while Daniel was chief governor of the wise men (Magi) of Babylon.

The Battle of Carchemish - Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, thinking that it was better to support the failing Assyrians against the Babylonians, who were seen as a greater threat, took his army up to Carchemish to fight against Nabopolassar. There was a significant battle at Carchemish in 605 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians (2 Kings 23:29), and destroyed the remnant of Assyria, giving the Babylonians control of the west, including Judah. It was when Pharaoh Necho was going up for this battle that King Josiah was defeated and killed in 609 BC, Judah then came under Egyptian dominance. About this time, Nabopolassar died and his son Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to claim the throne 605 BCE. He then returned west, and after a siege Jehoiakim was made his vassal in 604 BCE (2 Kings 24:1). Daniel and a small group of bright young men were taken to Babylon at this time. After 3 years Jehoiakim rebelled by forming an alliance with Necho of Egypt, and the Babylonians attacked again. By this time Jehoiakim had been succeeded by Jehoiachin, who was defeated after only 3 months reign (2 Kings 24:8). He surrendered and was deported with a number of people (including Ezekiel) and much spoil in 598 BC (2 Kings 24:10), after this, Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah on the throne. All the Jewish craftsmen were deported to help with Nebuchadnezzar's great building program in Babylon (2 Kings 24:14), leaving only the poorest people in the land. Zedekiah rebelled and in 586 BC, what was left of Jerusalem was taken. The city and temple were destroyed, Zedekiah was blinded and sent to Babylon and Gedaliah left as governor (2 Kings 25). Some final captives were taken from Jerusalem in 581 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar was the only strong king of the Babylonians, those who followed him were weak. His destruction of cities was so fierce, the fires in Lachish were found to have been so hot that the limestone buildings were turned into lime. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the empire was steadily weakened. Amel-Marduk (Evil-Meroach of 2 Kings 25:27) ruled 2 years and was replaced by Neriglessar (Nergal-Sharezur in Jeremiah 39:3). He was ousted and Labashi-Marduk took his place, a weak king, who lasted only a few months. After a coup d'etat in 556 BCE, Nabonidus took the throne. In 553 BCE, he led the army to Palestine and N. Arabia leaving Belshazzar as co-regent in charge of the city of Babylon. Some say he left for health reasons, being better suited to the region of Arabia, others suggest he was so unpopular that he simply left the city. As Belshazzar was only the second in the kingdom, he offered Daniel the reward of third rank in the kingdom for interpreting the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:7,16). Because of Nabonidus's expensive military expenditure and extensive building programs begun by Nebuchadnezzar, inflation rose to fifty percent. This led to widespread famine and brought about much discontent. When Cyrus entered the city of Babylon, there was much rejoicing. Babylon was conquered on Oct 13, 539 BC by Cyrus and the Persians. Cyrus realized after laying siege that it was impossible to scale the huge walls. But Cyrus had noticed that the Euphrates was running literally through the walled city, under the walls, with heavy gates in the river bed. Two deserters came out from the city and Cyrus sent them back into the city to find out how to take Babylon from the inside. The Babylonians were carousing at a feast (Belshazzar's Feast, Dan 5). They were drinking from the Holy vessels which were to be used in the house of the Lord. Cyrus diverted the river Euphrates away from Babylon, so the armies could enter the city under the walls by the dried up river bed. The city was taken without a fight and Belshazzar was killed. The Persians were looked upon as conquering saviours and heros by the Babylonian population.

Predictions of the fall of Babylon - Isaiah lived during the time when the Assyrians were the reigning world power (200 years earlier), but he also prophesied about the time of the Babylonians. Isaiah predicted the fall of the Babylonian empire before it even existed and detailed how the fall would happen. The main passages are: Is 13:1-14:23, 21:1-10, 43:10, 46:1-10, 47:1-15. 14:12-20 is often interpreted as describing the fall of Satan, but it also foretells the fall of Babylon. G-d said that he was stirring up the Medes (Persians) against the Babylonians (13:17). Cyrus said in his diary that Marduk had called him by name. Cyrus thought it is Marduk that is stirring him up, feeling that such a power had taken hold of him. But G-d says it was really him that did it. "I call Cyrus by name" (Isaiah 45:4). In 46:1, Isaiah predicted that Bel bows, Nebo stoops, the gods of the Babylonians. Isaiah predicted that the rivers would be dried up (44:27) and that the gates of bronze and iron would be open to Cyrus (45:1) (prophesied by name), describing the way Cyrus and his armies would enter and conquer the city.

Throughout much of Babylonian history their main rivals for supremacy were their northern neighbors, the Assyrians. Assyria's development was often intertwined with the course of Babylonian history. About 1270 BCE, the Assyrians overpowered Babylonia. For the next 700 years, Babylonia was a lesser power as the Assyrians dominated the ancient world. Around 626 BCE, Babylonian independence was finally won from Assyria by a leader named Nabopolassar. Under his leadership, Babylonia again became the dominant imperial power in the Near East and thus entered into her "golden age." In 605 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II, the son of Nabopolassar, became ruler and reigned for 44 years. Under him the Babylonian Empire reached its greatest strength. Using the treasures which he took from other nations, Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon, the capital city of Babylonia, into one of the leading cities of the world. Babylon's real spendor belongs to the later period after the city was rebuilt and its name was changed to Babylonia. The brilliant color and luxury of Babylon became legendary from the days of Nebuchadnezzar (d. 562 BCE). The Hanging Gardens (600 BCE) were one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The walls of Babylon, its palace, and the processional way with the famous Ishtar Gate were decorated with colorfully glazed brick. Among the Hebrews (who suffered the Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar) and the later Greeks the city was famed for its sensual living. It was the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who in 587 BCE destroyed Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, and carried the leading citizens of the Kingdom of Judah as prisoners to be interred in Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah said that the Jews would be free to return home to Jerusalem after 70 years. The Lord also encouraged His people through Ezekiel and Daniel who were also captives in Babylon. During this 70 year period of captivity, under the rule of Nabonidus the city of Babylon was captured (538 BCE) by Cyrus the Great and was used as one of the administrative capitals of the Persian Empire. When the Persians conquered Babylonia, and the Babylonians passed from the scene as a world power. In 275 BCE its inhabitants were removed to Seleucia which replaced Babylon as a commercial center.

The Bible refers to an act of Cyrus the Great of Persia—allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem after 70 years to rebuild the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem - Cyrus believed he was inspired by Marduk. After his capture of Babylon, Cyrus reversed the policy of his predecessors, who had captured the priests and destroyed the temples of the people they had conquered. He proclaimed the restoration of the indigenous religious cults in the countries he now controlled and provided funds for the rebuilding of their temples to local deities. Ezra 5:13 mentions the event: "In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of G-d." Furthermore, the Book of Isaiah records a prophecy in which Yahweh takes the credit for inspiring Cyrus' act: I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free (Isaiah 45:13) Cyrus' own records, however, give the credit to Marduk rather than Yahweh. The act is memorialized in the "Cyrus Cylinder," which was discovered in 1879 in Babylon. It reads, in part: Marduk, the great Lord, established as his fate for me a magnanimous heart of one who loves Babylon, and I daily attended to his worship... I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [in Babylon], to their places; and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings... at the command of Marduk. The Neo-Babylonian empire was only short lived. It reached its zenith under Nebuchadnezzar (605 - 562) and came to an end only seventy years after its beginning when Cyrus of Persia took Babylon in 539 BCE.

The Bible reveals that all false (demonic) religious systems began in the land of Babylon and will end with the destruction of the Great Whore Babylon and her harlot daughters (who are filled with devils, foul spirits and every unclean and hateful bird) in the last days (See Revelation 14:8; 17; 18;). It is interesting to note that every denominational church in the world today has traces of ancient Babylon. The Bible records in Genesis 10:10, that, after the great flood, all men spoke one common language and a man named Nimrod built a city and established a common religion. Nimrod was a descendant of Noah’s son, Ham. Genesis 11:1-9 describes the building of the city and its famous tower "whose top may reach unto heaven." It also records how G-d came down and punished the people’s arrogance by creating a confusion of different languages. This way man would be forced to obey G-d's original command to "be fruitful and fill the whole earth." The Bible reveals much about the Babylonians all the way back from the time of Hammurapi (2000 BC) to the fall of Babylon (about 500 BCE). Throughout the Old Testament there are references to the Babylonians, their people, culture, religion, military power, etc. Babylonia was a small, long, narrow country about 40 miles wide at its widest point and having an area of about 8,000 square miles. It was bordered on the north by Assyria, on the east by Elam, on the south and west by the Arabian desert, and on the southeast by the Persian Gulf. The earliest known inhabitants of Mesopotamia were the Sumerians, whom the Bible refers to as the people of the "land of Shinar" (Gen 10:10). Sargon, from one of the Sumerian cities, united the people of Babylonia under his rule about 2300 B.C. Many scholars believe that Sargon was Nimrod (Gen 10:8). Nimrod the mighty warrior founded Babylon and other cities around 2500 BC (Gen 10:9). The Tower of Babel (Gen 11) was probably a ziggurat, a temple to the moon god, a tower built with its top in the heavens. The Babylonian people didn't want to be dispersed around the world. Babel was named because G-d confused the language (Gen 11:9). The word "Babel" means "gate of el" or "confusion". Babylon was founded on rebellion against G-d. Throughout the Bible, Babylon and Jerusalem are opposed: Babylon being the kingdom of Satan, and Jerusalem the kingdom of G-d. Modern Babylon also does not want to be dispersed and so it builds "massive church buildings" so they can not be moved. The church (people) are to meet in homes and help one another rather than using all their wealth to build millions of "church buildings". Proverbs 30:4; Matthew 22:9; Romans 16:5.

Around 2000 BCE Hammurapi emerged as the ruler of Babylonia and he expanded the borders of the Empire and organized its laws into a written system, also known as the Code of Hammurapi. About this time Father Abraham left Ur, an ancient city located in lower Babylon, and moved to Haran, a city in the north. Later, Abraham left Haran and migrated into the land of Canaan under G-d's promise that he would become the father of a great nation (Gen 12). Throughout the long period of Babylonia history, the Babylonians achieved a high level of civilization that made an impact on the whole known world. Sumerian culture was its basis, which later Babylonians regarded as traditional. In the area of religion, the Sumerians already had a system of gods, each with a main temple in each city. There were a number of chief gods which the ancient Babylonians worshipped - some of them were:

An or Anu - the god of Heaven
Enlil - The god of the air and storms. He normally was portrayed in human form, but also appears as a snake to the human eye
Enki - The god of water and the fertile earth
Ki - The mother-goddess representing the earth
Ashur - Main god of Assyria (sky god)
Ninlil or Nillina - The goddess of air (possibly the south wind) and wife of Enlil
Inanna - The goddess of love and war
Ea - The god of Wisdom
Marduk or Bel-Marduk - Originally Ea’s son and god of light. He was the main god of Babylon and the sender of the Babylonian king
Nanna - The god of the moon
Utu or Shamash - The god of the sun, as well as god of justice
Ninurta - a solar deity

In the City of Babylon, there was a great temple adjoining the Tower of Babylon and fifty-five smaller altars to Marduk. The temple to Marduk (Bel) was 500 metres square. The golden image of Bel and a golden table stood in the temple, weighed at least 22,000 kg. At the top were golden images of Bel and Ishtar, two golden lions, a golden table ten metres long and five metres wide and a human figure of solid gold six metres high. Babylon was truly a "City of gold" (Isaiah 14:4). The image of gold (Daniel 3:1) may have been set up between the Tower of Babylon and the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar. There were also 300 altars to other gods and 600 altars to other heavenly deities. There were also 180 altars to Ishtar (like Ashtoreth), the goddess of fertility. It was considered a duty for every woman in the empire to be a temple prostitute at one time or another in her life. (Revelation 17:1)

You can imagine how Daniel functioned in the midst of this mess. It took great wisdom and tact. Babylon was a very religious (Not G-d fearing) empire. Nebuchadnezzar named himself after the god Nebo, the god of destiny. Both the Babylonians and the Persians felt they were destined to conquer the world. Marduk was the storm god or child god (similar to Baal). Nebo was the god of science, leaning and destiny. Shamask was the god of the heavens. Other gods were Sin, Gala and Adad.

The Amorites promoted the god Bel-Marduk at the city of Babylon, so that Bel-Marduk became the chief god of the Babylonian religion, starting around 1100 BC. Jeremiah 50:2 records a purported late prophecy of Jeremiah predicting the downfall Babylon: "Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say,'Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror." The word "Merodach," which is found as a surname of several non-Israelite kings in the Bible, is a Hebrew version of Marduk. The name of the biblical character Mordecai, portrayed in the Bible as the uncle of the Queen Esther of Persia and later prime minister under King Xerxes, is also a derivation of Marduk. The deity referred to as Bel in Isaiah 46:1, Jeremiah 50: 2, and Jeremiah 51:44, is also probably Marduk. Finally, the apocryphal story "Bel and the Dragon," appended to the Book of Daniel in some Christian Bibles, describes how the prophet Daniel exposes a fraud by the priests of Bel-Marduk who pretend that an idol was consuming large quantities of food which they are actually using to enrich themselves and their families. Though Babylon remained for over two thousand years the chief city of the Euphrates valley and, indeed, of all the world, yet Babylon was not always able to impose its military might upon the other cities. More than once the metropolis was driven to struggle desperately for mere existence. On two separate occasions it had to surrender to conquerors, who carried off its chief gods and set these up in the conqueror's own capital as tokens of triumph. In this way the great god, Bel-Marduk, was held in captivity by the Elamites, a nation who lived in the mountains of Persia overlooking the Euphrates valley, and who often rushed down in plundering raids. Nebuchadnezzar I., the king of Babylon, led a great army against Elam and compelled the restoration of the god Bel Marduk. The home-coming of the idol was an occasion of gorgeous celebration. Human victims, the captured Elamites and others, probably in large numbers, were sacrificed to the god Bel-Marduk . The Babylonians seem to have been less cruel than most of the Semitic nations in their worship of their gods, but obviously the Babylonian people thought their gods found pleasure, as they did, in every agony inflicted on their foes. (I see some modern-day denominational church leaders that teach hate or at least the lack of brotherly love especially for those unfortunate souls who disagree with them or their "doctrines and/or beLIEfs".)

Babylonian religion was temple-centered, with elaborate festivals and many different types of priests, especially the exorcist and the diviner, who mainly were trained to drive away evil spirits. (Revelation 18:2) Babylonian literature was mainly dominated by mythology and legends. Among these was a creation myth written to glorify their god Marduk. According to this myth, Marduk created heaven and earth from the corpse of the goddess Tiamat. Another work was the Gilgamesh Epic, a flood story written about 2000 BC. Scientific literature of the Babylonians included treatises on astronomy, mathematics, medicine, chemistry, botany, and nature. One of the main aspects of Babylonian culture was a codified system of law. Hammurapi’s famous code was the successor of earlier collections of laws going back to about 2050 BC. The Babylonians used art for the national celebration of great events and glorification of the gods. It was marked by stylized and symbolic representations, but it expressed realism and spontaneity in the depiction of animals. The Old Testament contains many references to Babylonia. Gen 10:10 mentions four Babylonian cities, Babel (Babylon), Erech (Uruk), Accad (Agade) and Calneh. These, along with Assyria, were originally ruled by Nimrod.

The most famous innovation of ancient Babylonian culture was astronomy, which began as a study of astrology. They created stellar catalogues and a nearly perfect calendar, of which the Jews later copied. They were able to predict eclipses, which they believed announced dangerous and evil times. Eclipses were predicted through two mathematical systems they developed. These systems were the scientific basis of the mathematical and astronomic legacy of ancient Babylonia. Ancient Babylon still figures in the future of the world. Many of the religious ideas of the Babylonians are still taught in many of today’s religions. Astrology was held in high esteem in Babylonian society, much as it is today. The Lord used Babylon as a tool to punish His people when they turned from Him. The Bible (Revelation 14:8; 17; 18;) also tells us that in the future, the Lord will punish modern day Babylon, just as He did in the past.

What does the Bible say about Nimrod? Was he a descendant of Noah's son Ham? Genesis 10:6-11

What does the bible say about the Tower of Babel? Genesis 11:1-9

When does the Bible first mention Babylon? 2 Kings 17:24

Did G-d actually predict the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians? Jeremiah 21:10

Did G-d allow the Babylonians to capture Jerusalem? Isaiah 47:5-7

Why was G-d so mad at His chosen people? Jeremiah 32:34-35

Did Nebuchadnezzar carry off all of the Temple treasures or just some of them? 2 Chronicles 36:18-20

Did G-d promise that the Jews would return from Babylon? Jeremiah 42:11-12

Did Jeremiah really predict that the Jews would be in Babylon for 70 years? Jeremiah 25:12-13

Did G-d really give king Nebuchadnezzar authority to rule over other nations? Jeremiah 28:14

Does the Bible mention that Babylon would destroy the city of the Phoenecians? Ezek 26:7-14

What about Egypt? Ezekiel 29:18-20

Does the Bible call Babylon the city of gold? Isaiah 14:4-5

Did the prophet Daniel actually predict that King Nebuchadnezzar would go mad? Daniel 4:24-26

Does the Bible say that Nebuchadnezzar did go mad for a period of time? Daniel 4:33-37

What does the Bible say about Belshazzar and the handwriting on the wall the night Darius the Persian came to conquer Babylon? Daniel 5:22-31

What does the Bible say about the walls of Babylon? Jeremiah 51:58

Does the Bible mention anything about G-d punishing Baal? Jeremiah 51:44

Did G-d pronounce judgment upon the Babylonians? Isaiah 13:19-22

Did G-d say Babylon would rule Judah for 70 years? Jeremiah 25:11-12

Did G-d say Babylon's gates would open for Cyrus? Isaiah 45:1

Did G-d say Babylon's kingdom would be overthrown, like Sodom and Gomorrah? Isaiah 13:19

Did G-d say Babylon would be reduced to swampland? Isaiah 14:23

To what extent is G-d's punishment upon Babylon? Isaiah 14:22-23 - Revelation 14:8; 17; 18; The prophetic details regarding the fall of ancient Babylon, as minutely recorded in the Old Testament narratives, truly are astounding. This is but another example of the amazing evidence that demonstrates the character of the Bible as the inspired Word of G-d. And should sound a clear and present warning to those of you that are still in Babylon today! Who or where is Babylon today? If you listen to all of the voices in the denominational churches today you can clearly hear why Babylon means "confusion" - and G-d is not the author of confusion. Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Corinthians 14:33

In 1983, Saddam Hussein started rebuilding Babylon on top of the old ruins, investing in both restoration and new construction. He inscribed his name on many of the bricks in imitation of Nebuchadnezzar. One frequent inscription reads: "This was built by Saddam Hussein, son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". This recalls the ziggurat at Ur, where each individual brick was stamped with "Ur-Nammu, king of Ur, who built the temple of Nanna". These bricks became sought after as collectors' items after the downfall of Hussein, and the ruins are no longer being restored to their original state. He also installed a huge portrait of himself and Nebuchadnezzar at the entrance to the ruins, and shored up Processional Way, a large boulevard of ancient stones, and the Lion of Babylon, a black rock sculpture about 2,600 years old. When the Gulf War ended, Saddam wanted to build a modern palace, also over some old ruins; it was made in the pyramidal style of a Sumerian ziggurat. He named it Saddam Hill. In 2003, he was ready to begin the construction of a cable car line over Babylon when the invasion began and halted the project. But, Saddam and his plans for the new city of Babylon are now dead!

Old Babylon was clearly a danger to men's lives dear one, but modern day Babylon (denominational churches) are really far more dangerous! In Matthew 10:28 we read: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."