Babylon in Easton's Bible Dictionary
the Greek form of BABEL; Semitic form Babilu, meaning "The
Gate
of God." In the Assyrian tablets it means "The city
of the
dispersion of the tribes." The monumental list of
its kings
reaches back to B.C. 2300, and includes Khammurabi,
or Amraphel
(q.v.), the contemporary of Abraham. It stood on the
Euphrates,
about 200 miles above its junction with the Tigris,
which flowed
through its midst and divided it into two almost
equal parts.
The Elamites invaded Chaldea (i.e., Lower
Mesopotamia, or
Shinar, and Upper Mesopotamia, or Accad, now
combined into one)
and held it in subjection. At length Khammu-rabi
delivered it
from the foreign yoke, and founded the new empire of
Chaldea
(q.v.), making Babylon the capital of the united
kingdom. This
city gradually grew in extent and grandeur, but in
process of
time it became subject to Assyria. On the fall of
Nineveh (B.C.
606) it threw off the Assyrian yoke, and became the
capital of
the growing Babylonian empire. Under Nebuchadnezzar
it became
one of the most splendid cities of the ancient
world.
After passing through various vicissitudes the city
was
occupied by Cyrus, "king of Elam," B.C. 538, who
issued a decree
permitting the Jews to return to their own land
(Ezra 1). It
then ceased to be the capital of an empire. It was
again and
again visited by hostile armies, till its
inhabitants were all
driven from their homes, and the city became a
complete
desolation, its very site being forgotten from among
men.
On the west bank of the Euphrates, about 50 miles
south of
Bagdad, there is found a series of artificial mounds
of vast
extent. These are the ruins of this once famous
proud city.
These ruins are principally (1) the great mound
called Babil by
the Arabs. This was probably the noted Temple of
Belus, which
was a pyramid about 480 feet high. (2) The Kasr
(i.e., "the
palace"). This was the great palace of
Nebuchadnezzar. It is
almost a square, each side of which is about 700
feet long. The
little town of Hillah, near the site of Babylon, is
built almost
wholly of bricks taken from this single mound. (3) A
lofty
mound, on the summit of which stands a modern tomb
called Amran
ibn-Ali. This is probably the most ancient portion
of the
remains of the city, and represents the ruins of the
famous
hanging-gardens, or perhaps of some royal palace.
The utter
desolation of the city once called "The glory of
kingdoms"
(Isa.13:19) was foretold by the prophets (Isa.13:4-
22; Jer.
25:12; 50:2, 3; Dan. 2:31-38).
The Babylon mentioned in 1 Pet. 5:13 was not Rome,
as some
have thought, but the literal city of Babylon, which
was
inhabited by many Jews at the time Peter wrote.
In Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; and 18:2, "Babylon" is
supposed to
mean Rome, not considered as pagan, but as the
prolongation of
the ancient power in the papal form. Rome, pagan and
papal, is
regarded as one power. "The literal Babylon was the
beginner and
supporter of tyranny and idolatry...This city and
its whole
empire were taken by the Persians under Cyrus; the
Persians were
subdued by the Macedonians, and the Macedonians by
the Romans;
so that Rome succeeded to the power of old Babylon.
And it was
her method to adopt the worship of the false deities
she had
conquered; so that by her own act she became the
heiress and
successor of all the Babylonian idolatry, and of all
that was
introduced into it by the immediate successors of
Babylon, and
consequently of all the idolatry of the earth."
Rome, or
"mystical Babylon," is "that great city which
reigneth over the
kings of the earth" (17:18).
Read More about Babylon in Easton's Bible Dictionary