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90 kilometers south of Baghdad spread dusty centuries the ruins of ancient Babylon, which represent four huge mound of rubble. Here in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago in one of the first centers of human civilization with the famous "hanging gardens of Babylon" and kuschami paradise, where according to legend, the ancestress Eve plucked the apple, tempted Adam.
Throughout its existence Babylon is not just passed from hand to hand, and eventually it became the capital of one of the most formidable and powerful nations of the ancient world. Powerful Babylonian kingdom lasted until its conquest by the Persian king Cyrus in 538 BC. Almost two centuries later the city was occupied by Alexander of Macedon, who initially even intended to make it the capital of his vast powers. But then the great conqueror founded another town nearby, who gave his name.
Babylon had long ceased to exist, but today these majestic ruins indicate its former grandeur. In ancient times, the locals called it "Babili," which means "Gate of God"; Greeks transformed the name of Babylon, the Iraqis themselves still write and pronounce this word as "Babylon."
First mention of Babylon found in the legend of King Sargon of Akkad, who ruled about the middle of the III millennium BC. It tells that Sargon the Akkadian crushed a revolt in Babylon, became his vassal. Many historians testify to the enormous size of this city, although still not reached a consensus as to its extent. According to Herodotus, who visited Babylon about the middle of V century BC, the city stretched along both banks of the Euphrates as a huge quadrangle width and length of 22 kilometers. It was copper and 25 gates on each side of the gate walked the streets, which intersect at right angles.
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100-150 years later, after Herodotus lived in Babylon Beroz priest, who wrote a great essay about the city. In his book, the priest told the story of Babylon and Assyria, outlined many legends about kings and the principal myths of the gods. Unfortunately, the invaluable work Beroz almost completely died, reached us only a few passages from it, which leads in their writings Christian writer Eusebius of Caesarea.
So sadly the case, and it seemed that, along with Babylon, destroyed during the decline of the Roman Empire, were killed and all written documents that could tell us about the fate of the city. For 44 centuries the city twice disappeared from the historical arena, but the famous ruins of Babylon did not disappear without a trace.
The ruins of Babylon, attracted the attention of archaeologists back in 1850. Their survey involved AG Layard, Rassam, A., J. Smith and other scientists. Among the items discovered in the ruins was found a few bricks with the names of kings and Neriglissara Levineta, but most detected bricks bore the name of Nebuchadnezzar II. It was during the reign of this king, in the VI century BC, Babylon reached its peak. Then it were subject to the land of Sumer and Akkad, and Babylon became a major commercial and cultural center. On the Euphrates to the city from the north came the ships with copper, meat, building materials, and to the north followed the caravans of wheat, barley and fruit. During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon flowing treasures from the Near East were used to restructure the capital and the construction around it mighty fortifications.
Since 1899 the Berlin Museum has entrusted to start digging in ancient Babylon, Robert Koldewey.
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In early 1900 a German expedition discovered a third zone of the Babylonian wall. His thick, they are not inferior to the walls of the Assyrian Dur Sharrukin, and because they were built barracks for the soldiers of the garrison guarding the city. If all the bricks of the walls to pull in one line, then it would have girded the globe at the equator 12-15 times.
Turn the capital into a fortress, Nebuchadnezzar ordered to carve in stone inscription:
"I′m surrounded Babylon with a mighty wall of the East, I dug a moat and fortified its slopes with the help of asphalt and brick. At the base of the pit I built a high and fortified walls. I made a wide gate of cedar wood and an abundance of copper plates. In order for the enemies, plots evil, could not penetrate the limits of Babylon from the flanks, I surrounded it with powerful, as sea water, water ... "
But even more than the walls, R. Koldewey (and with it the whole world) was struck by another discovery. Already during the trial excavation on the hill Qasr German expedition found the streets paved large slabs, some of which was covered with graffiti. This street was "dear to the processions of the god Marduk," and she walked from the Euphrates and the large gate to Esagila - the main temple of Babylon, dedicated to the god Marduk. On the lower side of each plate was engraved in cuneiform:
"I, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, son Nabopalasara, king of Babylon. Babel, I paved the way for pilgrims to the procession of the great lord Marduk stone slabs ...
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Robert Koldewey managed to dig in Babylon and the famous "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", which, however, were not built this legendary queen and not even during her reign. They were built by order of Nebuchadnezzar II for his beloved wife Amitis - Indian princess, which is in a dusty Babylon, and longed for the green hills of their homeland. Beautiful gardens with rare trees, fragrant flowers and cool in the sultry Babylon were truly a miracle of light.
He Babylon, who for several years excavating a German expedition R. Koldewey, was built on the ruins and remains of many other cities, traces of which were found in several places digs area. These were the remains of Babylon, who, throughout its long history has repeatedly been vandalized, but not resigned nor Assyrians or any other enemies. These were also the ruins of Babylon, which for 1000 years before Nebuchadnezzar II was the residence of the famous Babylonian king Hammurabi.
Ancient Babylon occupies a significant place in the Old Testament in connection with its relations with Israel: it is mentioned in almost every chapter of the Book of Jeremiah. " In addition, it is notable also for being the first of four great empires, which he prophesied the death of the prophet Daniel. The kingdom of God, set in the house of David and supported in Judea, at the time it ceased to exist because of transgressions, it "times of the Gentiles." In "Apocalypse" Babylon is called "secret", "mother of harlots and abominations of the earth", which indulged in drink and revel.
But Babylon was not only a city of sin: how E. Zehren wrote in his book "Biblical Hills, Babylon was a religious" founts of deepest piety.
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That tower, the construction described in the Bible, was destroyed, probably even before the era of King Hammurabi. In place of it was built on the other, in memory of the first. Preserved the following words of the king Nabopalasara:
"By this time, Marduk commanded me to the Tower of Babel, which to me was weakened and brought before the fall, to set up, the foundation of its setting on the chest of the underworld, and the peak of her to go away to the heavens."
His son, Nebuchadnezzar II added:
"I put his hand to ensure that the finish the top Etemenanki so that she could compete with the sky."
According to Herodotus, the Tower of Babel was that facility, where the towers stood "one above the other" .1 In the last tower was erected a large temple. In this temple is a large, richly adorned with a bed, and beside it a golden table. No image deity there, but no. Yes, and no one holds the night there, except for one woman who, according to the Chaldeans ... God chooses from all the local women.
The Bible says that God is angry at the people confused their languages so that they no longer understand each other, and the Babylonians scattered around the world. But the destruction of the tower itself in the Bible is silent.
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Babylon itself was captured Gobryas, military commander of the Persian king Cyrus. The ancient city fell, although the walls of Nebuchadnezzar II continued to stand by them and no one has not mastered. Some ancient monuments testify that the capture of Babylon, also underpinned the treachery of some of its residents. Scripture clearly says about the total destruction of the city.
"And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the pride of the Chaldeans, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, are not inhabited ever and all generations will not be people in it, nor will spread his tent, Arabian, and the shepherds with their flocks will not rest there. But there will be wild beasts of the desert, and the houses filled with an owl, and owls shall dwell, and satyrs will dance there. Jackals will howl in their palaces, and hyenas - in the entertainment houses "(Isaiah 13:19-22).
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