Anci entBabyl on Babyl oni awasast at ei nanci entMesopot ami a.Theci t yofBabyl on,whose r ui nsar el ocat edi npr esent -dayI r aq,wasf oundedmor et han4, 000year s agoasasmal lpor tt ownont heEuphr at esRi ver .I tgr ew i nt ooneoft he l ar gestci t i esoft heanci entwor l dundert her ul eofHammur abi .Sever al cent ur i esl at er ,anew l i neofki ngsest abl i shedaNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r e t hatspannedf r om t hePer si anGul ft ot heMedi t er r aneanSea.Dur i ngt hi s per i od,Babyl onbecameaci t yofbeaut i f ulandl avi shbui l di ngs.Bi bl i caland ar chaeol ogi calevi dencepoi ntt owar dt hef or cedexi l eoft housandsofJews t oBabyl onar oundt hi st i me. Wher eI sBabyl on? Thet ownofBabyl onwasl ocat edal ongt heEuphr at esRi veri npr esent -day I r aq,about50mi l essout hofBaghdad.I twasf oundedar ound2300B. C.by t heanci entAkkadi an-speaki ngpeopl eofsout her nMesopot ami a. Babyl onbecameamaj ormi l i t ar ypowerunderAmor i t eki ng Hammur abi , whor ul edf r om 1 792t o1 750B. C.Af t erHammur abiconquer ednei ghbor i ng ci t y-st at es,hebr oughtmuchofsout her nandcent r alMesopot ami aunder uni f i edBabyl oni anr ul e,cr eat i nganempi r ecal l edBabyl oni a. Hammur abit ur nedBabyl oni nt oar i ch,power f ulandi nf l uent i alci t y.He cr eat edoneoft hewor l d’sear l i estandmostcompl et ewr i t t enl egalcodes. Knownast heCodeofHammur abi ,i thel pedBabyl onsur passot herci t i esi n t her egi on. Babyl oni a,however ,wasshor t -l i ved.Theempi r ef el lapar taf t er Hammur abi ’sdeat handr ever t edbackt oasmal lki ngdom f orsever al cent ur i es. Neo-Babyl oni anEmpi r e Anew l i neofki ngsest abl i shedt heNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r e,whi chl ast ed f r om 626B. C.t o539B. C.TheNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r ebecamet hemost power f ulst at ei nt hewor l daf t erdef eat i ngt heAssyr i ansatNi nevehi n61 2 B. C. TheNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r ewasaper i odofcul t ur alr enai ssancei nt he NearEast .TheBabyl oni ansbui l tmanybeaut i f ulandl avi shbui l di ngsand pr eser vedst at uesandar t wor ksf r om t heear l i erBabyl oni anEmpi r edur i ng t her ei gnofki ngNebuchadnezzarI I . Fal lofBabyl on TheNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r e,l i ket heear l i erBabyl oni a,wasshor t -l i ved. I n539B. C. ,l esst hanacent ur yaf t eri t sf oundi ng,t he l egendar yPer si anki ngCyr ust heGr eatconquer edBabyl on.Thef al lof Babyl onwascompl et ewhent heempi r ecameunderPer si ancont r ol . Babyl onI nJewi shHi st or y Af t ert heBabyl oni anconquestoft heKi ngdom ofJudahi nt hesi xt hcent ur y B. C. ,NebuchadnezzarI It ookt housandsofJewsf r om t heci t y ofJer usal em andhel dt hem capt i vei nBabyl onf ormor et hanhal facent ur y. ManyJudeansr et ur nedt oJer usal em af t ert heNeo-Babyl oni anEmpi r ef el l t oCyr ust heGr eat ’sPer si anf or ces.Somest ayed,and aJewi shcommuni t yf l our i shedt her ef ormor et han2, 000year s.Many r el ocat edt ot henewl ycr eat edJewi shst at eofI sr aeli nt he1 950s. TowerofBabel Theci t yofBabyl onappear si nbot hHebr ew andChr i st i anscr i pt ur es. Chr i st i anscr i pt ur espor t r ayBabyl onasawi ckedci t y.Hebr ew scr i pt ur est el l t hest or yoft heBabyl oni anexi l e,por t r ayi ngNebuchadnezzarasacapt or . Famousaccount sofBabyl oni nt heBi bl ei ncl udet hest or yoft heTowerof Babel .Accor di ngt ot heOl dTest amentst or y,humanst r i edt obui l dat ower t or eacht heheavens.WhenGodsaw t hi s,hedest r oyedt het owerand scat t er edmanki ndacr osst heEar t h,maki ngt hem speakmanyl anguages sot heycoul dnol ongerunder st andeachot her . Wal l sofBabyl on Ar tandar chi t ect ur ef l our i shedt hr oughoutt heBabyl oni anEmpi r e, especi al l yi nt hecapi t alci t yofBabyl on,whi chi sal sof amousf ori t s i mpenet r abl ewal l s. Hammur abif i r stenci r cl edt heci t ywi t hwal l s.NebuchadnezzarI If ur t her f or t i f i edt heci t ywi t ht hr eer i ngsofwal l st hatwer e40f eett al l . TheGr eekhi st or i anHer odot uswr ot et hatt hewal l sofBabyl onwer eso t hi ckt hatchar i otr aceswer ehel dont opoft hem.Theci t yi nsi det hewal l s occupi edanar eaof200squar emi l es,r oughl yt hesi zeofChi cagot oday. NebuchadnezzarI Ibui l tt hr eemaj orpal aces,eachl avi shl ydecor at edwi t h bl ueandyel l ow gl azedt i l es.Heal sobui l tanumberofshr i nes,t hel ar gestof whi ch,cal l edEsagi l ,wasdedi cat edt oMar duk.Theshr i nest ood280f eet t al l ,near l yt hesi zeofa26-st or yof f i cebui l di ng. Hangi ngGar densofBabyl on TheHangi ngGar densofBabyl on,acol ossalmazeoft er r acedt r ees,shr ubs, f l ower sandmanmadewat er f al l s,ar eoneoft heSevenWonder soft he Anci entWor l d. Yetar chaeol ogi st shavet ur nedupscantevi denceoft hegar dens.I t ’s uncl earwher et heywer el ocat edorwhet hert heyeverexi st edatal l . Somer esear cher shaveuncover edevi dencet hatsuggest st hehangi ng gar densexi st ed,butnoti nBabyl on—t heymayhaveact ual l ybeenl ocat edi n t heci t yofNi nevehi nupperMesopot ami a. I sht arGat e Themai nent r ancet ot hei nnerci t yofBabyl onwascal l edt heI sht arGat e. Thepor t alwasdecor at edwi t hbr i ghtbl uegl azedbr i cksador nedwi t h pi ct ur esofbul l s,dr agonsandl i ons. TheI sht arGat egavewayt ot heci t y’sgr eatPr ocessi onalWay,ahal f -mi l e decor at edcor r i dorusedi nr el i gi ousr i t ualt ocel ebr at et heNew Year .I n anci entBabyl on,t henew yearst ar t edwi t ht hespr i ngequi noxandmar ked t hebegi nni ngoft heagr i cul t ur alseason. Ger manar chaeol ogi st sexcavat edt her emai nsoft hegat ei nt heear l y t went i et hcent ur yandr econst r uct edi ti nBer l i n’sPer gamon Museum usi ngor i gi nalbr i cks. Babyl onToday UnderSaddam Hussei n,t heI r aqigover nmentexcavat edBabyl oni anr ui ns andat t empt edt or econst r uctcer t ai nf eat ur esoft heanci entci t y,i ncl udi ng oneofNebuchadnezzar ’spal aces. Af t ert he2003i nvasi onofI r aq,Uni t edSt at esf or cesbui l tami l i t ar ybaseon t her ui nsofBabyl on.TheUni t edNat i onscul t ur alher i t age agencyUNESCO r epor t edt hebasecaused“maj ordamage” t ot he ar chaeol ogi calsi t e.Thesi t ewasr eopenedt ot our i st si n2009.
