The Ishtar Gate

Did the Jewish captives pass through this gate after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.? The Ishtar Gate was built and dedicated to the goddess Ishtar around 575 BC. It was awesome in appearance and one of the most impressive monuments of the ancient Near East. It was decorated with glazed brick reliefs, in tiers, of dragons and young bulls. The gate was a double gate, and it was the starting point for the half mile Processional Way to the Temple of Marduk. This gate was built by Nebuchadnezzar II, the same monarch who conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Ishtar Gate foundations were discovered in 1899, and were reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, from the glazed bricks and other material excavated by the Robert Koldeway expedition in the early 1900's. This discovery was monumental in the study of Biblical Archaeology, the very Gate which the Jewish captives must have passed through, including Daniel and Ezekiel. It shows the might and glory of the Babylonian Empire. "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you." Daniel 4:30-31

Read More about The Ishtar Gate