Today history has more knowledge about the past than before. The amount of this knowledge is growing like a snowball: more and more every year. It would seem that, having such vast historical experience, humanity will be able to get rid of any crisis. But is this how it really works? The threat of thermonuclear, chemical, biological disasters, the constant increase in the number of starving people around the world, the growing number of wars and ethnic conflicts, global atmospheric pollution - all this and much more is like a pre-Mocles sword over the heads of humanity. We are witnessing that the crisis phenomena of individual states not only do not stop, but are even more multiplying, gradually developing into a general world crisis. From different sources information, we gain the knowledge that not today, but tomorrow our world may be completely depleted of energy resources, drown in the growing wave of the criminal world, or die from an environmental explosion or epidemic.
Has our world become uncontrollable? Every single revolution of “reason,” from the Fall to the present day, has been crowned with complete defeat. The most striking example of this is final stage French Revolution 1789, which is marked by the slogan of 1793: “Down with God! Long live reason! AND rushing river The blood of innocent people flowed through the streets of France. The guillotine invented at that time did not have time to “do its job.” Thanks to the legalized “sacrament of adultery,” many happy families. The best minds of France fled abroad, and 7,000 nobles lost their palace titles in one day. Of course, this is far from a complete list of the consequences of the revival of the religion of atheism or, as secular minds like to call it, the religion of reason.
On the other hand, it is very remarkable that the people who remained faithful to God always had success in their righteous deeds. He did not die in the flood, nor was he destroyed in Egyptian slavery, despite Pharaoh's decree to destroy all Jewish newborn boys. God's people did not perish along with the world powers under whose authority they were, and who themselves perished during their period greatest prosperity. And moreover, the same Biblical God does not ambiguously promise that in the imminent complete worldwide crisis, His people not only will not perish, but will also receive eternal life simultaneously with all the resurrected righteous people of all ages.
So, let's look at the mechanism: how does the hand of God operate in world history, if at all? What traces has history itself left for us? Let's try to show the action of God's providence using the example of that part of the earth where the richest world superpower known in history, the Babylonian kingdom, was once born, flourished and died. Let us pay attention to the birth of Babylon as a piece of terrain. Let's consider what the state of Babylon was like in general. Then we will look at the birth of Babylon as a world power, under the influence of the hand of God, that is, at the emergence of the second Babylonian monarchy, the political power of which lasted only a few decades and was directly related to the name of the famous king Nebuchadnezzar. In our discussions we will place special emphasis on the fall of Babylon and its replacement by a new world state.
In our discussions we will use various sources, telling the truth about the birth, rise and fall of the Babylonian Empire. Among these sources, the Book was written before the birth of Babylon, prophetically describing this event, and continued to be written during the existence of Babylon and its destruction. This Book is the Bible. Let's take a look at the detailed commentary on the events described in the Bible - the books of E.G. White "Patriarchs and Prophets" and "Prophets and Kings". Also, as additional information, we use the textbook “General History of State and Law” edited by K.I. Batyr, and a monograph by Kharkov researcher A.A. Oparin "Biblical prophecies and world history."
2.1. Birth of Babylon
“The whole earth had one language and one dialect. Moving from the East, they (people, descendants of the sons of Noah) found a plain in the land of Senaar and settled there. And they said to each other: Let us make bricks and burn them with fire. And they used bricks instead of stones, and earthen resin instead of lime. And they said: Let us build ourselves a city and a tower, its height reaching to heaven; and let us make a name for ourselves, before we are scattered over the face of all the earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men were building. And the Lord said: Behold, there is one people, and they all have one language; and this is what they began to do, and they will not deviate from what they planned to do. Let us go down and confuse their language there, so that one does not understand the speech of the other. And the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore the name was given to it: Babylon; for there the Lord confused the language of all the earth, and from there the Lord scattered them throughout all the earth.”
This was the period when the earth had not yet been divided into continents after the great flood. All the people lived together then. But soon three great nations or races were to be formed. By the name of the three sons of Noah Shem, Ham and Japheth, three nationalities were formed: the Simts - the peoples of the East, the Aphenites - the peoples of Europe and the Hamites - the peoples of Africa.
“For some time, the descendants of Noah continued to live among the mountains where the ark stopped, but soon apostasy led the multiplied people to division. Those who wished to leave the Creator and withdraw from obedience to His law were constantly irritated by the God-fearing life of their fellows, by the instructions with which they tried to convert them; after some time they decided to separate themselves from the children of God. And they moved to the Sennar plain, located on the banks of the Euphrates. They were attracted by the excellent location of these places and the fertile soil, and they decided to settle in this valley.
They planned to build a city and a tower here - so huge that it would become a miracle of the world. All this was done in order to keep the people from scattering. God commanded people to scatter throughout the earth, to develop and populate it. But the builders of the Tower of Babel intended to create monarchical form rule in order to subsequently subjugate the whole earth. Thus, their city would become the center of the empire, its glory would evoke the universal admiration and admiration of the whole world and would bring fame to its founders. The majestic tower, rising to the skies, was supposed to become a monument to the power and wisdom of its builders, perpetuating their glory in all future generations...
The construction of the tower had the sole purpose of providing shelter in case of another flood. By erecting a tower of enormous height, which would not be afraid of the waters of the flood, people wanted to insure themselves against the coming danger. Considering it quite possible for themselves to penetrate into the transcendental spheres, they hoped to find out the causes of the flood. This was supposed to further enhance the pride of those who built the tower and distract the thoughts of future generations from God, turning them to idolatry.
Even before the tower was completely completed, part of it was set aside as housing for the builders, and the other part, luxuriously furnished and decorated, was dedicated to idols. People rejoiced at their successes and praised the silver and gold gods, thus challenging the Lord of heaven and earth. Suddenly the successfully progressing work was suddenly interrupted. Angels sent from heaven were given the task of destroying people's plans. The tower had already reached an extraordinary height, and the builders at the top could not directly contact those working below. Therefore, on all tiers of the tower there were people standing in various places who passed along the chain orders regarding required material or instructions for work. When the workers communicated various instructions to each other in this way, it suddenly turned out that everyone spoke different languages. From below they sent what was not needed; instructions were often carried out the other way around. Confusion and anxiety reigned. Work has stopped. There was no question of working together. Unable to explain the misunderstanding, people reproached each other in anger and frustration. Their common cause ended in discord and bloodshed. Heavenly lightning, as witnesses of God's wrath, destroyed the upper part of the tower, and it collapsed...
The inhabitants of Babylon wanted to establish a government independent of God. Among them, however, there were people who felt the fear of God, but they too were deceived by the feigned actions of the wicked and drawn into their plans. For the sake of these faithful ones, the Lord delayed His judgments and gave people time to discover their true aspirations.”
2.2. Babylon - a world power
A few centuries later, “...dozens of small city-states (nomes) formed between the Tigris and Euphrates. They still retain the features of primitive democracy for a long time. At the head of such a state was a ruler who bore different titles in different communities: high priest (en), building priest (ensi), big man(lugal, king). At first, the power of the ruler was not hereditary, since he was the chosen one of the people. Relying on his squad and the support of the tribal nobility, the Lugal over time concentrates more and more power in his hands and it becomes hereditary. Part of the communal land ends up in the hands of the ruler.
Already in ancient times, there was a union of Mesopotamian “nomes” with a center in Nippur (around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC). At this time, there is a struggle between individual nome centers for hegemony over the entire Mesopotamia. Such contenders were Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Ulma.
Several centuries are characterized by alternating predominance large states- Semitic Akkad (in the north) and Sumerian Ur. In the conditions of continuous wars, the victors enriched themselves, and the defeated cities were subjected to merciless plunder. The changeable fortunes of war brought forward one or another winner.
The first who managed to create the first “great power” covering all of Mesopotamia was Saragon the Ancient, an humble man, but who managed to advance to military service. At first he captured the town of Akkad, and then all of Southern Mesopotamia obeyed him. The nome structure was preserved, but now the rulers of the nomes became nothing more than officials appointed by the king. Saragon introduced a uniform system of weights and measures throughout Mesopotamia. However, the resistance of the old nomes was still strong. The confrontation between the Sumerians, who were at a higher cultural level, also had an effect. It is no coincidence that the Sumerian language remained the official language.
The state had to be reassembled again. And this share fell on the III dynasty of Ur of Sumerian origin. She considered her ancestor Gilgamesh, the legendary ruler of the city of Uruk (circa 26th century BC).
The political chaos that arose after the fall of the Ur dynasty lasted for about two centuries. Continuous wars between small kingdoms and fierce enmity between clans led to the conquest of all of Mesopotamia by the warlike tribes of the Amorites. These newcomers quickly adopted the local language and culture.
One of the Amorite dynasties established itself in Babylon, a former village that later grew into a modest provincial town. As a result of the purposeful and flexible policy of this dynasty, Babylon at the end of the reign of King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) became the capital of a huge kingdom, subjugating the territory from the Persian Gulf in the south to Nineveh in the north.
The main source of information about the state and law of Babylon were hundreds of thousands of inscriptions on clay tablets, stone and metal, made in cuneiform. The key to reading cuneiform texts was found only in 1802 by the German teacher Georg Friedrich Grotenfend. This amazing discovery made it possible to read many texts of laws and decrees of kings. According to the custom of that time, the main collection of laws was carved on a basalt pillar and displayed in the main square for public viewing and study. It was called the Code of King Hammurabi."
Unlike the great cities of the Ancient World, Babylon, in addition to being the largest political center, was a world spiritual center throughout its history. And if Babylon often lost political dominance and for long periods of time, it always retained religious dominance. This city was the capital of the world priesthood, where the priests of Egypt, Syria, Elam, Assyria, Tire, Persia, Sidon, Arabia, Media, Ethiopia, Libya, Asia Minor, etc. gathered, where they studied priestly science and reported secrets to the chief Priest their countries, received orders from him.
In the center of Babylon stood a huge temple complex Esagila, the seat of the chief priest and the secret center of all the then politics of the Ancient World. The central structure of Esagila was the huge temple tower of Etemenanka, founded on the site of the famous Tower of Babel and challenging everyone and everything, speaking of the eternity of Babylon. In addition to Esagila, the city had countless temples dedicated to the gods of the entire world of that time. However, the especially revered gods of Babylon were Marduk, Ishtar, Enlil, An, Utu, Nanna, Tammuz. The following story is connected with the name of the latter. The founder of Babylon, Nimrod, had a wife, Semiramus, who led an extremely riotous lifestyle, which intensified, especially after the death of Nimrod. One of her illegitimate children was Tammuz. The queen declared his birth from God and therefore, when young Tammuz accidentally died, Semiramus elevated him to the rank of gods and ordered his day to be celebrated on December 25th. And that is why today's Christmas falls on this day. For the day of the birth of the Savior of the world is unknown, but in order to satisfy a large part of society, Emperor Constantine, having adopted Christianity, ordered to celebrate Christmas on the day on which the feast of Tammuz-Mithra was previously celebrated, that is the day sun. In Babylon, the first books on astrology and fortune telling were also compiled, and techniques for summoning spirits were developed, i.e. the foundations of spiritualism were laid. The teachings of ancient Babylon quickly spread to different countries, filling their people with satanic philosophy. And today horoscopes, astrological forecasts, sorcerers, fortune tellers, and healers have again gained enormous popularity. The theses of the Babylonian priests that for a happy life both on earth and after death it is enough to donate a lot of money, are also more widespread today, not to mention the magnificent church rituals, the whole principle of which is taken from Babylon, instead of the modest Divine service that was held Christ and whose main meaning was to preach.”
But here it is very interesting to note that despite all our diligent descriptions of the beauty of Babylon, it was not a world power until God, through his chosen people, began to participate in the political life of Babylon. And this time began in 605 BC, i.e. when King Nebuchadnezzar came to power. It is about this period of time, interpreting the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar II about an idol, which “had a head of pure gold, a chest and arms of silver, a belly and thighs of copper, legs of iron, legs partly iron, partly clay,” the prophet speaks to his face to the king: “You are the king, the king of kings, to whom the God of Heaven has given kingdom, power, strength and glory; And He gave all the sons of men, wherever they lived, the beasts of the earth and the princes of heaven into your hands and made you ruler over them all, you are this golden head! After you another kingdom will arise, lower than yours...” Another prophecy compares Babylon to a lion with eagle wings. Why did Babylon have global influence at this particular time and not at any other time? Why did other powers become world powers only when God's people had a special influence on the development of these states (Examples of this are Egypt, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Divided Europe and America)? Why did all the world powers fall, but the people of God remained the chosen people of God? If we carefully consider in more detail the description of the fall of Babylon, which even in our democratic times historians try to keep silent about, then I think we ourselves will be able to give clear answers to the questions posed.
2.3. Fall of Babylon
Even in our time, having behind us vast historical experience of the collapse of the world’s largest civilizations, we often look at today’s world powers with thoughts about what a strong state is, such as the United States of America or the Federal Republic of Germany or a number of other “superpowers” can never come to a complete crisis. But it would be foolish to doubt that this is exactly what both King Nebuchadnezzar and his grandson Belshazzar, who took the throne of the then most powerful power in 539 BC, thought about Babylon.
“From his youth, admitted to the joint government of the country, Belshazzar was proud of his power and rebelled against God.” And this despite the fact that “he knew about the expulsion of his grandfather from the society of people, which took place by God’s command, and he was aware of Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance and his miraculous return. But the love of pleasure and self-glorification erased from Belshazzar’s consciousness the lessons that he was obliged to always remember.
Shortly before all the misfortunes began. Babylon was besieged by Cyrus, the nephew of Darius of Media and the chief commander of the allied forces of Media and Persia. But being in a seemingly impregnable fortress, which had massive walls and bronze gates, was protected by the Euphrates River and had a large supply of food, the voluptuous monarch felt safe and spent his time in cheerful feasts.
Proud and arrogant, carelessly not feeling the danger, “King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine before the eyes of thousands.”... At that royal feast, among the guests were charming women and the smartest, highly educated men. Princes and dignitaries drank wine like water and had fun, intoxicated by it...
At the height of the feast, he “ordered to bring the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar... brought out of the temple of Jerusalem, so that the king, his nobles, his wives and his concubines could drink from them.” The king wanted to show that for him there was nothing so sacred that he could not use it at his whim. “Then they brought golden vessels... and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them, drank wine and glorified the gods of gold and silver, copper, iron, wood and stone.”
How little did Belshazzar think that the heavenly Witness was present among the guests; that the invisible Divine Guardian watched this scene of desecration, heard the noise of blasphemous revelry, saw idolatry. But soon uninvited guest discovered Himself... In the midst of the feast, a hand suddenly appeared and began to write letters on the wall of the palace, sparkling like fire - words incomprehensible to those gathered, but an omen of the fate awaiting the conscience-stricken king and his guests.
Instantly there was silence in the hall, and everyone, shackled in horror, watched the hand writing mysterious signs. Their whole sinful life passed before people’s eyes; It seemed to them that they were standing in the judgment of the eternal God, whose power they had just neglected. Where only a few moments ago there had been carefree fun and blasphemous jokes, now deathly pale faces were visible and cries of fear were heard...
Belshazzar was the most frightened of all. He, more than anyone else, was responsible for the rebellion against God that reached its climax that night in the Kingdom of Babylon. In the presence of the invisible Guardian, the representative of Him whose authority was challenged and whose name was disgraced, the king was paralyzed with fear. His conscience was awakened. “The ties of his loins loosened, and his knees began to beat against each other.” Belshazzar boldly rebelled against the heavenly God and, relying on his power, did not think that anyone would dare to ask him: “Why are you doing this?” But now he realized that he had to answer for everything he had done, for missed opportunities, for his defiant and unjustifiable behavior.
In vain the king tried to read the words burning like fire. His wild cries were heard throughout the hall, calling on astrologers, Chaldeans and fortune-tellers: “Whoever reads this written and explains to me the meaning of it,” he promised, “he will be clothed in purple, and a golden chain will be around his neck, and the third ruler will be in the kingdom." But this was not a session of occultism, as the king’s sages initially believed. Otherwise they could easily explain this phenomenon. “All the king’s wise men...could not read what was written and explain its meaning to the king.” They were also unable to read these mysterious words, just as the wise men of old had been unable to explain the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar.
“Finally, the queen mother remembered Daniel, who more than fifty years ago told Nebuchadnezzar a dream about a great image and interpreted it.” She entered the banquet hall and begged the king to call Daniel. And after some time, a venerable old man with a long beard appeared before the whole meeting. His hair was white, his face was wrinkled. but the mind was clear, as before, and faith in God did not fade. Belshazzar promised Daniel the same reward as the wise men if he told the meaning of the writing on the wall.
“Indifferent to the king’s promises, clothed with the majestic calm of the servant of the Most High, Daniel appeared before the horror-stricken crowd, not for flattering speeches, but to interpret the news of death.” “Let your gifts remain with you,” he said, “and give honors to someone else; and I will read what is written to the king and explain the meaning to him.”
There was silence; those gathered, straining their ears, expected to hear an important revelation. Addressing the frightened ruler, the prophet said: “King! The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingdom, greatness, honor and glory... But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to the point of insolence, he was overthrown from his royal throne and deprived of his glory... until he knew that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and appoints over him whomever he wants. And you... Belshazzar did not humble your heart, although he knew all this; but you ascended against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of His House were brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them, and you praised the gods of silver and gold, copper, iron, wood and stone, which no one sees, neither hear nor understand; but you have not glorified God, in whose hand is your breath and with whom are all your ways. For this reason the hand was sent from Him and this scripture was written.”
Turning to the wall on which the heavenly message was written, the prophet read: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” The hand that had written the letters was no longer visible, but these four words continued to burn with terrifying clarity, and now all the people, holding their breath, listened to the aged prophet.
“This is the meaning of the words: ME - God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; TEKEL - you are weighed on the scales and found very light; PERES - your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
More than a hundred years before this event, the Lord predicted that the “night of joy,” in which the king and advisers would compete with each other in blasphemy, would suddenly turn into a night of fear and destruction. And now the rapidly unfolding events followed one after another exactly as had been predicted in the prophecies many years before the birth of the main characters this drama.
The king was still in the palace, surrounded by those whose fate had already been decided, when the messenger informed him that “his city was taken” by enemies whom he did not fear, that “the fords were captured... and the warriors were struck with fear.” . While the king and his entourage drank wine from the sacred vessels of Jehovah and praised their gods, the Medes and Persians, having diverted the waters of the Euphrates River from its bed, made their way to the heart of the unguarded city. Now Cyrus's troops were at the walls of the palace; the city was filled with enemy soldiers “like locusts” , their triumphant cries drowned out the desperate cries of the amazed participants of the feast.
“That same night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was killed,” and the monarch Darius the Mede, “being sixty-two years old,” ascended the throne of world history. As predicted in the prophecy, the kingdom of the Medo-Persians is poorer than the Babylonian one, but more extensive in territory, and is represented in the form of the silver chest of the image of their dream Nebuchadnezzar or in the form of a bear with three fangs. This kingdom is just embarking on the path of its world domination. But God has already predicted in the future both its fall and its replacement by copper Greece, and that, in turn, by iron Rome and divided Europe, which is now realizing its world rule. And in the place of the ancient majestic Babylon, as predicted biblical prophets, desolation still reigns.
Thus “Babylon, the beauty of the kingdom, the pride of the Chaldeans,” was “overthrown by God, like Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, and for generations there will be no inhabitants in it. The Arabian will not pitch his tent, and the shepherds and their flocks will not rest there. But the beasts of the desert will dwell in it, and the houses will be filled with eagle owls; and ostriches will settle, and shaggy ones will gallop there. Jackals will howl in their palaces, and hyenas in their houses of pleasure.” “And I will make it a land of hedgehogs and a swamp, and I will sweep it with a destroying broom, says the Lord of hosts.” .
“Having taken Babylon, Cyrus did not destroy it, and everyone thought that Babylon, the center of the world, would live forever. However, despite its favorable geographical location and more than 1,500 years of history, the city became completely extinct in less than 350 years. Under Alexander the Great and a number of other rulers, active and intensive attempts were made to restore it. However, all of them, for various reasons, failed. Moreover, by the beginning of our era, local residents could not find out exactly the place where the city was located, because it was captured by the desert. The ancient part of the city, founded by Hammurabi (1792-1750), was completely buried under swamps and overflowing rivers. Even the inhabitants of these places, despite the passage of time, walk for many kilometers around this desert with the remains of the hills, believing that the spirits of its old inhabitants live in them.”
3. Conclusion
After conducting thorough research, we can draw some conclusions. Firstly, Babylon appeared on the site where the Tower of Babel was once built. From the description of the events associated with the construction, we can conclude that this construction was allowed by God in order to speed up the dispersion of people across the earth, who, instead of fulfilling the good will of God, decided to make a name for themselves. That is why the Lord was forced to mix up the languages of people. This is the reason for the name of the tower “Babylon”, which means “confusion”. From that time on, the Tower of Babel became a monument to apostasy from God. Secondly, the Lord allowed the creation of a majestic state on this site, which achieved its supremacy during the time of King Nebochadnezzar II. And this happened only at the moment when God began his administration of the state through God’s people, who were there in captivity, but had earned special favor from the king. As we know from history, Daniel was appointed by Nebochadnezzar as the chief manager of the palace. We also saw that Babylon fell in one day when the cup of iniquity was overflowing by King Belshazzar and his people. And it is very important to note that despite all these ups and downs of world power, God has always remained and still has His people, who were not and will never be destroyed either by glory or by sword. God still has this people today. And precisely, thanks to him, the world has not yet completely drowned in evil and has not yet brought upon itself the final judgments of God. But as it was in Ancient Babylon, when each resident could make his own clear choice: to side with the pious men of God and stay alive or experience a moment of drunken pleasure and die with the wicked, so it will be in Lately just before the second coming of Christ.
Fall of Babylon
After this I saw another angel descending from heaven. He had great power, and the earth was illuminated radiance his glory. 2 The angel announced loudly:
“Babylon the great has fallen, fallen!
Became the capital depraved the abode of demons
and a haven for every unclean spirit,
a haven for every unclean bird
and every unclean beast that is hated.
3 All nations became drunk with the wine of her lust;
even the kings of the earth committed adultery with her;
the merchants became rich from its unbridled luxury.”
"Come out of her, My people,
so that you will not be an accomplice in her sins
and not be subject to punishment, her waiting.
5 The mountain of her sins grew to heaven -
God remembered them all, All her lies.
6 Reward her as she repaid,
and repay her deeds twice as much.
In the bowl in the same in which she served wine,
give it to her too now, but more doubled.
7 How much she exalted herself and lived luxuriously,
Repay her with the same amount of torment and sorrow;
repay for that that in her heart she says:
“I sit like a queen, I’m not a widow and I don’t have to grieve.”
8 But one day punishments, death, sorrow and famine will fall upon her;
she will be burned with fire,
Great is the power of the Lord God who condemned her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who fell into fornication and luxury with her, will beat their breasts and weep about her when they see smoke from the fire, in which it will burn she. 10 They will look at her torment from afar with fear, and then they will cry out:
"Woe, grief you, great capital,
the mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your judgment has been completed!”
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her, because no one will buy goods from them anymore, 12 goods of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet; various incense trees and various ivory products no one will buy; and all kinds of utensils made of expensive wood and copper, iron and marble they won't buy it either. 13 And cinnamon won't buy anymore and spices, incense won't buy and peace and incense; wine and oil, semolina, wheat won't buy; won't buy cattle and sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies and souls of men 14 ( it will be said about that: “The ripe fruits that your soul thirsts for are gone from you, all your luxury and all your splendor are gone, nothing will return to you”).
15 Fear will seize the merchants who sold all these things and became rich through the great harlot, when will they see everything her torment. They will turn away in horror and cry desperately:
16 “Woe, woe, great capital,
dressed in the finest linen, in purple and crimson,
gold, precious stones and shining with pearls!
17 In one moment, your wealth turned into nothing!”
And everyone who lives from the sea, all the helmsmen and sailors, seafarers - they all stood at a distance 18 and shouted, looking at the smoke, that rose over the fire: “What city comparable to the city this great? 19 They sprinkled ashes on their heads and cried out, mourning and sobbing:
"Woe, grief you, the capital is great!
Who had ships at sea,
with yours they were all enriched with jewels -
in the blink of an eye you turned into nothing!”
20 And you, heavens, rejoice!
And you, people of God, apostles and prophets, rejoice!
God exacted it from her for you!”
21 Then one mighty angel took a large stone, the size of a millstone, and threw it into the sea, saying:
“With such force the great capital Babylon will be overthrown
and will no longer be found After that.
22 They will no longer hear the sound of the cithara or singing in you;
will not sound on your streets flutes and trumpets;
they will not find a single person with you,
who would continue to practice his craft;
and the noise of millstones will no longer be heard in you.
23 The lamps will no longer shine in you,
That's all because they considered themselves superior to everyone else
your merchants are on earth,
because by your sorcery all nations were deceived.
24 Babylon will be punished,
because the blood of the prophets is on him,
everyone's blood people of God and at all everyone on earth innocently killed."
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From the book The Explanatory Bible. Volume 5 author Lopukhin Alexander50:1 - 51:64 Against Babylon The prophecies about various pagan peoples end with a long series of predictions about the fate of Babylon the destroyer, about which the entire book is devoted to reflection. Its meaning as an instrument of God’s wrath directed at a people unfaithful to God,
From the book of the Bible. Modern translation (BTI, trans. Kulakova) author's Bible From the book Holy Scripture. Modern translation (CARS) author's BibleChapter Eighteen. THE FALL OF BABYLON - THE GREAT harlot This chapter extremely vividly and figuratively depicts the death of Babylon - the great harlot, which was accompanied, on the one hand, by the crying of the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth who sold her various things
From the book of the Bible. New Russian translation (NRT, RSJ, Biblica) author's Bible19. The Desolation of Babylon 19. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God, like Sodom and Gomorrah, 19-22. Babylon, after its destruction by the Medes, will be completely desolate. No one will want to settle in the places that this vast city occupied, and only wild
From the book A Guide to the Bible by Isaac AsimovChapter 47 1. The Fall of Proud Babylon This chapter is a direct continuation of the previous one: that one talked about the overthrow of the deity of Babylon, this one talks about the fall of the city itself. But just as in the previous chapter the deities of Babylon were not taken
From the book History of World Religions author Gorelov Anatoly AlekseevichThe Fall of Babylon After this I saw another angel descending from heaven. His power was great, and the earth was illuminated with the radiance of his glory. 2 The angel announced loudly: “Babylon the great is fallen, fallen! The corrupt capital has become the abode of demons and the haven of every unclean thing.”
From the book The Explanatory Bible. Old Testament and New Testament author Lopukhin Alexander PavlovichFall of Babylon 1 - Come down, sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon a; sit on the ground, not on the throne, daughter of the Babylonians. You will no longer be called gentle and refined. 2 Take the millstone, grind flour; take off your veil. Pick up your skirts, bare your feet, cross the rivers.3 Let him be naked
From the author's bookThe Fall of Babylon 1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great power; the whole earth was illuminated by his glory. 2 He said with a mighty voice: “The great harlot Babylon has fallen, fallen, and has become a dwelling place for demons, a haven for every unclean thing.”
From the author's bookFall of Babylon 1 - Come down, sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon a; sit on the ground, not on the throne, daughter of the Chaldeans. You will no longer be called gentle and refined. 2 Take the millstone, grind the flour; take off your veil. Pick up your skirts, bare your feet, cross the rivers.3 Let yours be exposed
From the author's bookRivers of Babylon Psalm 136 has a clear origin in the period of captivity: Ps. 136: 1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Babylon is located on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, about forty miles to the east. The exiled Jews, spreading throughout all this
From the author's bookMythology of Babylon The main plots of Middle Eastern literature come from Sumerian ones. The Akkadians, having conquered the Sumerians, adopted their culture, which then passed through Babylon and Assyria. The myths of the Babylonians and Assyrians are related to their Sumerian prototypes. Two of them - “Descent
From the author's bookXLVIII Fall of Babylon. The situation of the Jews under Cyrus. Manifesto for the release of prisoners. Chronology The ancient eastern monarchies, being based on conquest and oppression, did not have the makings of strength and vitality. They were mostly forcibly united
In the middle of the sixth century before Christ, Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of one of the most powerful and famous monarchies of the ancient world, died. This power was ancient Babylon. A state that, according to God's providence, played important role in the history of God's chosen Jewish people.
Many events in Babylonian history were announced by the Jewish prophets long before they happened. And humanity witnessed how everything predicted by the true God through His chosen ones was fulfilled.
The prophets predicted the rise and power of Babylon, but when the Babylonian kingdom was still in the splendor of its glory, the prophets predicted its fall. And this prediction came true twenty years after the death of King Nebuchadnezzar.
This happened under his son, Belshazzar. Babylon fell under the onslaught of the Persians, a people who had just entered the political arena of the ancient world.
The founder of the Persian kingdom, which extended east of Babylon, was King Cyrus. IN a short time this new conqueror, whose symbol was the eagle, conquered all the countries lying to the west and east of Babylon. Its appearance was predicted by the Jewish prophet Isaiah long before: “I called an eagle from the east, from a far country, to fulfill my purpose.”
The fast and predatory eagle moved east, all the way to the Himalayan mountains, which then formed the limit of the known world. Then King Cyrus triumphantly swept west, to the very shores of the Aegean Sea. And all the nations bowed their knees to him.
For some time, Babylon remained undefeated, but it was the conquest of this city that became the main and most glorious victory of the young ruler. Babylon was destined to become the capital of the new monarchy.
Babylon was greatest city, it can rightfully be considered the center of world life of its time. The main trade routes of Asia passed through it. The labor of many captives transformed the desert around him into a most fertile plain with luxurious gardens, irrigated by numerous artificial canals. Sciences and arts flourished in the schools of Babylon, and in its palaces were collected countless treasures, taken from conquered kings and peoples.
The Persian Empire would not have been world-class if it had not conquered it. And King Cyrus marched on Babylon. He was driven by the spirit of conquest. But without realizing it, he was called to become an instrument of God's providence in the world.
Cyrus approached the walls of Babylon and besieged it. The inaccessibility of the walls and huge food reserves made it possible for residents to indulge in all the pleasures of life, despite the siege. Being quite confident in the safety of the capital, King Belshazzar once gave a magnificent feast, to which up to a thousand nobles and court ladies were invited.
The Babylonian feasts were famous for centuries for their licentiousness, but this feast was also famous for its greatest blasphemy. King Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had captured from the Jerusalem Temple to be brought to the royal chambers. These vessels were used to serve God and were therefore sacred.
The king and his nobles ate and drank from these vessels, glorifying idols and mocking the God of the Jews. At that moment, a human hand appeared in the air and wrote mysterious and incomprehensible words on the wall. The prophet Daniel, summoned by the king, read his sentence to Belshazzar. For desecrating the Most High God, the reign of the Babylonian king came to an end.
This prediction came true that same night. King Cyrus, not hoping to take the city by storm, used military stratagem. He ordered the water of the Euphrates to be diverted into a special canal, and entered the city along the freed channel. Babylon fell, and Belshazzar was killed by the soldiers of Cyrus.
Having taken possession of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree that the captive Jews had been waiting for during the long seventy years of their captivity. This decree read: “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the Lord, the God of Heaven; and He commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Whoever is of you, of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go to Jerusalem.”
By conquering Babylon, Cyrus became the liberator of the Jewish people. He became the executor of the Divine will, which was that the period of repentance and correction of the people of God had expired. The Jews returned to the promised land and restored the destroyed temple in Jerusalem.
The power founded by Cyrus lasted no more than two hundred years. It was replaced by the next Empire, Greek and then Roman. They were as fragile and short-lived as all the previous ones. After all, they, like all the previous ones, were based on slavery and violence.
But there was very little time left until the True King would come to earth. He will build His Kingdom on the principles of love and freedom, and therefore His Kingdom will endure forever. This King will be the incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the decline of the Babylonian kingdom began. The new king, Nabonidus, was neither a brave commander nor a talented statesman. Over time, Nabonidus completely stopped engaging in government affairs, left Babylon and settled in his palace in Northern Arabia. The capital was ruled by Nabonidus's son, Belshazzar. Meanwhile, menacing political clouds were once again gathering over Mesopotamia. In 558, Cyrus, a little-known tribal leader and then king of Assan, appeared on the political horizon. This ruler turned out to be a brilliant and formidable commander. He conquered Media and declared himself king of the Persians. To fight the new conqueror, Nabonidus organized an alliance, which, in addition to the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, included Media, Sparta and Egypt. Cyrus accepted the challenge, defeated the Median king Croesus and captured Asia Minor. Then he moved against his main enemy - the Chaldeans. In 540, a battle took place, as a result of which the Chaldean army was defeated. In 539 Cyrus approached Babylon.
Relying on the powerful city walls, Belshazzar blithely feasted in his palace, not thinking about the danger. One day he threw a big feast and invited all the nobles to it. The intoxicated king ordered to bring all the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had once taken from the Jerusalem temple so that the guests would drink wine from them, glorifying their gods.. When this blasphemy was being committed, a hand appeared in the air, which wrote three mysterious words on the wall of the palace: " Mene, tekel, perez" Deathly silence immediately reigned: the feasting people looked in fear at the incomprehensible vision, and the king turned pale and trembled all over with fear. Daniel was called to the palace and explained the meaning of these mysterious words as follows. He said to the king: you, king, “have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of His house were brought to you, and you and your nobles, and your wives and your concubines drank wine from them... For this reason a hand was sent from Him, and this Scripture was written... This is the meaning of the words: Mene - numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; Tekel - you are weighed on the scales and found very light; Peres - your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians» ().
That same night, Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled. The troops of the Medes and Persians, led by King Cyrus, invaded the city and took possession of it. Belshazzar was killed. Thus the kingdom of Babylon fell. On the ruins of this kingdom, Cyrus erected the mighty Medo-Persian monarchy. In Babylon he installed Darius, a Mede, as king.
Prophet Daniel thrown to the lions
King Darius fell in love with Daniel and made him one of the three main leaders in his kingdom, subsequently intending to place him over the entire kingdom. Consumed by envy, the princes and satraps decided to overthrow and destroy the royal favorite. But he honestly fulfilled the duties assigned to him, and it was difficult to denigrate him in the eyes of the king. However, they all knew about his devotion to the True God and that he zealously observed religious rituals. And Daniel’s enemies decided to strike him from this side. At their insistence, Darius issued a decree that no one in his kingdom should dare to make a request to any god for thirty days, but only to pray to the king. Daniel could not obey an order that was contrary to the covenants of Moses. Opening the windows of his house overlooking Jerusalem, he secretly prayed to the God of Israel three times a day. Envious people spied on him praying and reported this to the king. Then Darius realized that he had been deceived, but could not cancel his order and was forced to allow his pet to be thrown into a ditch to be torn to pieces by lions.
The next day, early in the morning, the king hurried to the ditch and loudly asked: “Daniel, servant of the living God! could yours, Whom you always serve, save you from the lions?” Daniel’s voice was heard from the deep hole: “ Tsar! live forever! mine sent His Angel and stopped the mouths of the lions, and they did not harm me, because I turned out to be pure before Him, and before you, king, I did not commit a crime" (). Then the king ordered Daniel to be pulled out of the pit and all his previous titles and positions returned to him. But the king ordered those who accused him to be thrown into the ditch, and the lions immediately tore them to pieces and ate them.
Daniel lived to see the beginning of the reign of Cyrus and enjoyed respect and fame not only as a prominent dignitary, but also as an inspired prophet. He accurately predicted to the Jewish people the time of the coming into the world of the Anointed of God - the Messiah, who would free people from suffering and restore justice on earth.
Return from captivity
After the death of Darius, Cyrus became king of the entire empire. In less than twenty years, he created a huge state, the borders of which extended from India to the Mediterranean Sea. The peoples conquered by the Chaldeans greeted him as a savior. Cyrus turned out to be a conqueror and statesman of a completely different type than the Assyrian and Chaldean kings. Unlike them, he did not exterminate the conquered peoples, did not destroy their cities, and did not allow his soldiers to plunder and commit outrages. The flow of the conquered countries was normal, merchants and artisans continued to quietly go about their business. The Persian king turned out to be a new type of figure in another respect: he gave the conquered peoples greater political autonomy and allowed them to worship their gods. His religious and political tolerance was also expressed in the fact that he allowed the evicted tribes to return to their native places and returned to them the statues of gods and various utensils from their temples captured by the Chaldeans at one time.
The Jewish exiles greeted Cyrus with indescribable delight. They saw in him not only a liberator, but also a messenger of God. Soon their hopes were realized; in 538, Cyrus, by a special decree, allowed the Jews to return to their homeland. He also ordered the return to them of all the liturgical utensils taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the Jerusalem Temple.
Preparations for the return lasted a long time. Those who expressed a desire to return were collected in camps and lists were compiled. Not everyone, however, decided to leave Babylon. Wealthy people who owned land and trade enterprises or held large government positions were not very keen to move to the devastated, provincial country. But everyone, both poor and rich, generously gave funds for the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple, so that the repatriates brought with them great treasures.
Forty-two thousand people expressed a desire to return to their homeland. Most of them were patriots, zealous servants of Jehovah, priests, Levites, but there were also those who did not succeed very well in a foreign land. The repatriates were led by the high priests Joshua, Zerubbabel and twelve elders. The former captives chose the old, beaten path of trade caravans. And finally, after many weeks of travel, the ruins of Jerusalem appeared in the distance. The tired travelers cried, laughed and thanked God. Thus, after seventy years, the Jews returned to their homeland.
Construction of the second temple
Daily life in destroyed Jerusalem was extremely difficult. The repatriates had to first of all take care of the roof over their heads and clear the city streets of ruins. That is why they built the altar to God only in the seventh month after their return, and began rebuilding the temple in the second year, i.e. in 536. The Samaritans found out about this and asked permission through ambassadors to take part in the construction. But Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua resolutely refused the help of those who introduced a pagan element into the Jewish faith. The results of this refusal were disastrous. The Samaritans and other tribes, who took possession of the deserted Judean territory, interfered with construction in every possible way, organizing armed raids, destroying the rebuilt walls and sowing chaos in Jerusalem. The Jews, exhausted by difficulties and constantly deteriorating living conditions, interrupted work on the restoration of the temple and began to improve their personal lives. In pursuit of their daily bread, they forgot religious matters. So about fifteen years passed.
After Cyrus and Cambyses, Darius I (522–485) took the Persian throne. At this time, a sermon was heard in Judea by two prophets - Haggai and Zechariah, who denounced the inertia of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and called on them to make a new attempt to restore the temple. Inspired by God's messengers, the Jews set to work with even greater zeal, and in five years (from 520 to 515) the construction of the temple was completed. It was, of course, not that magnificent temple sparkling with gold. The second temple was a poor, small, devoid of decorations building.
The Holy of Holies, where the golden Ark of the Covenant had previously been kept in splendor and splendor, was now empty, since the Ark was lost during the destruction of the temple. The old people who saw the old temple said with tears that the new temple was not as magnificent as the first. Comforting the Jews, the prophet Haggai said that although the second temple was poorer than the first, its glory would be greater than the glory of Solomon’s temple, since the expected Messiah would enter the second temple. The Prophet Zechariah also encouraged the Jews, pointing to the imminent coming of the Messiah, and predicted the triumphal entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
Activities of the priest Ezra
Forty-three years have passed since the restoration of the temple. The Persian throne was occupied by King Artaxerxes I (465–424). At that time there lived in Babylon a Jewish learned priest named Ezra. People coming from Jerusalem brought him alarming news that the Jews were neglecting their religious duties and that they were in danger of mixing with the surrounding Arab tribes, with whom they constantly intermarried. Ezra was already old, but nevertheless decided to return to his homeland in order to guide his people on the true path. Artaxerxes, to whom he turned for permission to leave, reacted very favorably to his request and not only allowed him to leave, but gave him a lot of gold and silver to decorate the Jerusalem Temple. The Jews who remained in Babylon also donated large amounts of money.
Together with Ezra, in 458, a second batch of repatriates, numbering one thousand five hundred and seventy-six people, went to Judea. Arriving in Jerusalem, the priest Ezra energetically set about carrying out reforms that were supposed to revive Judea. What he saw at home horrified him. Many Jews, because there were few Jewish women, married the daughters of Canaanites, Hittites, Philistines, Jebusites, Moabites and Egyptians. Even priests and leaders of the people had foreign wives. The streets of Jerusalem were filled with multilingual chatter, and the chosen people were facing the threat of extinction. Ezra was shocked. He tore his clothes and sat sadly at the temple for a long time. He then gathered the Jewish people to Jerusalem and demanded that all Jews married to foreigners dissolve their illegal marriages and send their wives back to their homeland. Only with such harsh measures did Ezra manage to save the Jewish people from assimilation. The main merit of the priest Ezra was that he restored the Mosaic legislation, which was the basis of the religious and civil life of the Jewish people. His equally important merit was that he collected all the inspired books and thus created the canon of the sacred books of the Old Testament. The books were multiplied and distributed throughout Judea. In order for the people to know the contents of the holy books, Ezra ordered the construction of synagogues (houses of prayer) in cities and villages, where believers could listen to the reading and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures every Saturday. The interpretation of sacred books was carried out by learned people who were called scribes. They also bore the title of rabbis, i.e. teachers. Ezra founded the Great Synagogue - the supreme court of priests and Levites, who, in addition, were entrusted with the preservation and reproduction of the sacred books.
Nehemiah's activities. Book of Nehemiah
Although Ezra carried out many useful reforms that played a huge role in the religious and civil life of the Jewish people, he still could not raise Jerusalem from the ruins. This city was still a heap of ruins.
At this time, Nehemiah held a high position at the court of Artaxerxes I in Susa. He was the king's chief cupbearer. One day a Jew came to him and told him about the tragic situation of Judea. The capital never rose from the ruins. The rich oppressed the poor, and usurers' taxes and high prices brought the majority of the population into extreme poverty. The sad news shocked Nehemiah. For many days he cried, fasted and prayed to God in order to somehow correct the situation in Judea. One day the king noticed his condition and asked him: “Why is your face sad?” Nehemiah told the king the reason for his grief and expressed his desire to him: “ If it pleases the king, and if your servant is well pleased before you, then send me to Judea, to the city where the tombs of my fathers are, so that I can build it.» ().
Artaxerxes loved Nehemiah and trusted him completely. He not only allowed him to leave, but appointed him governor of Judea and gave him a letter to the keeper of the royal forests with an order to provide the required amount of wood for the restoration of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem in 445. Having examined the destroyed walls of the city, he immediately set to work. Nehemiah distributed sections of the walls for restoration among families, not excluding the families of even the priests, and the inhabitants of the city, inspired by his enthusiasm and energy, unanimously set to work. When work began on restoring the walls of the city, the Samaritans and other tribes hostile to the Jews tried in every possible way to interfere and threatened to attack Jerusalem. Nehemiah did not allow himself to be intimidated and organized resistance. He armed the builders with swords, spears, bows and shields. Some of them worked at construction sites, and some guarded the city. The work was carried out day and night. The enthusiasm of the builders allowed them to complete the construction of the walls in fifty-two days, and the capital breathed a sigh of relief.
After this, Nehemiah proceeded to resolve social problems. He freed the poor from taxes and duties, demanding only modest supplies for the maintenance of his home. He then called a meeting and ordered the rich to swear that they would stop usury and return to the poor the fields, vineyards and orchards that had been taken away for non-payment of debts. Nehemiah also continued Ezra's work in dissolving illegal marriages.
Having completed his mission, Nehemiah returned to Susa, to the court of Artaxerxes. During the reign of Nehemiah over Judah, the Lord sent the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, to His people. The Messenger of God called on the Jews to purify their hearts and prepare themselves for the glorious coming into the world of the Anointed of God - the Messiah. The Prophet predicted that before the coming of the Messiah, the Lord would send them a great Prophet who would prepare the way for the coming of the Son of God.
After Nehemiah, power over the Jewish people was concentrated in the hands of the high priests, who stood at the head of the Great Synagogue, later renamed the Sanhedrin ( Supreme Court). The Sanhedrin consisted of high priests, elders and lawyers. The first category included, in addition to the high priest chosen for this period, also former high priests and heads of priestly orders. According to the Talmud, the number of members of the Sanhedrin was 70. Concentrating political and religious power in its hands, the Sanhedrin at the same time was subject first to Persian and then to Greek rule.
Each prophecy was fulfilled uniquely. Taken together, biblical prophecies provide grounds for viewing history as one multifaceted process.
One of the most unusual prophecies in the Bible concerns fate ancient city Babylon. The fate of Babylon amazes modern scientists.
The mysterious city of Babylon, the capital of the ancient world, the center of the Babylonian Empire, where trade, education, culture and much more flourished, was also the subject of some prophecies.
Scriptures and Dating (Prophecies)
(783-704 BC)
Isaiah 13:
19. And Babylon, the beauty of the kingdom, the pride of the Chaldeans,
Will be overthrown by God, like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20. Will never be settled,
And from generation to generation there will be no inhabitants in it.
The Arabian will not pitch his tent,
And the shepherds and their flocks will not rest there.
21. But the beasts of the desert will dwell in it,
And the houses will be filled with eagle owls;
And the ostriches will settle in,
And the shaggy ones will jump there.
22. Jackals will howl in their palaces,
And hyenas - in houses of entertainment.
Isaiah 14:
1. His time is near, And his days will not slow down.
Isaiah 14:
23. And I will make it a land of hedgehogs and swamps,
And I will sweep it away with a destroying broom.
The Lord of hosts speaks.
(626-586 BC)
Jeremiah 51:
26. And they will not take from you a cornerstone,
And a foundation stone.
But you will forever be desolate,
The Lord speaks.
43. Its cities became empty,
A dry land, a steppe, a land where no one lives
no one,
And where the son of man does not pass.
Predictions.
1. Babylon will be like Sodom and Gomorrah (Isa. 13:19).
2. Will never be inhabited again (Jer. 51:26; Isa. 13:20).
3. The Arabs will not pitch their tents there (Isa. 13:20).
4. No sheep will graze there (Isa. 13:20).
5. The beasts of the desert will inhabit the ruins of Babylon (Isa. 13:21).
6. The stones of Babylon will not be used for construction work(Jer. 51:26).
7. Few will visit the ruins (Jer. 51:43).
8. Babylon will be covered with swamps (Isa. 14:23).
Specific fulfillment of prophecies
The above history of Babylon has already given us some examples of the concrete fulfillment of biblical predictions.
Babylon was indeed destroyed and became "like Sodom and Gomorrah." Note that this prediction (1) does not say that Babylon will perish in the same way as these two cities, dwelling only on its fate after the destruction.
Austin Layard gives a vivid picture of contemporary Babylon, compares it with Sodom and Gomorrah, and also recalls other prophecies. “The place where Babylon stood became a bare and terrible desert.
Will never be inhabited again (Jer. 51:26; Isa. 13:20). Prediction (2)
Saddam Hussein wanted to restore ancient palaces, temples and even Tower of Babel"Rebuilding Babylon is his goal in trying to control not only Iraq, but ultimately an empire from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.
Babylon is helping to unite the Iraqi people around it." And Saddam liked what happened so much that he decided to build one of his palaces next to Babylon. In the form of a ziggurat. And for better visibility, he ordered a hill 50 meters high to be built. And the palace is already put on top. Now this palace stands idle.
Owls soar into the sky from rare trees, and a fetid jackal whines in an abandoned furrow. Verily, the day of the fulfillment of prophecy has come for Babylon. The beauty of the kingdom, the pride of the Chaldeans, became like Sodom and Gomorrah. Desert animals live in it, houses are filled with eagle owls, shaggy creatures gallop around the surrounding area. Jackals howl in abandoned houses, and snakes nest in palaces" (Isa. 13:19-22).
Desert beasts will inhabit the ruinsBabylon
"In the bushes around Babylon", adds Layard, "flocks of gray owls may be found, reaching a hundred or more birds." Modern travelers and archaeologists almost invariably speak of wild animals around the ruins of Babylon.
“What a contrast between the level of ancient civilization and the present desolation! - exclaims, in agreement with prediction 1 , famous archaeologist Kerman Kilprect. “Wild animals, wild boars, hyenas, jackals and wolves, sometimes even - that’s what now inhabits the thickets near Babylon.” (Prediction 5).
According to stories traveler V
“According to the stories of travelers, writes Floyd Hamilton, “not even Bedouins live in the city.” Various superstitions do not allow the Arabs to pitch their tents there; In addition, the soil around Babylon does not grow grass suitable for grazing sheep." "There is not a single sheep pasture around Babylon," Stoner points out.
Here are some excerpts from a letter written by Edward Chiera from the places where Babylon stood: “The sun has just set, and the purple sky smiles, not thinking about the abandonment of these lands... A dead city! I visited Pompeii and Ostra, but those cities were not dead, only temporarily abandoned. The babbling of life is heard in them, and life itself blooms in their surroundings... Death is the only reality of these places.
I wish I knew the reason for all this desolation. Why did a thriving city, the capital of an empire, have to completely disappear? Or was the prophecy about the transformation of the wondrous temple into the abode of jackals simply fulfilled?” “The hooting of owls and the howling of lions can still be heard in the vicinity of Babylon,” writes Nora Kubi. She also writes that the workers hired by the archaeologist Layard “refused to pitch their tents near the abandoned ruins of Babylon. Mystery and horror seemed to hang over the crumbling heaps of bricks and sand..."
Talking about prediction 6
Talking about prediction 6, stating that “the stones of Babylon will not be used in the construction,” Peter Stoner points out that “bricks and other building materials from the ruins of Babylon were used in the construction of the surrounding cities, but the stones, the same ones, were brought to Babylon from distant places at considerable expense , were never used and remained in their places."
Understand the execution prophecies 6 not so easy. First, the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:26 does not say who exactly “will not take” the corner stone and the foundation stone. If we are talking about conquerors, then, indeed, in the case of the conqueror of Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia, the prophecy is fulfilled as we have seen above.
However, bricks from Babylon can be found in other cities. How to explain this? Here it is worth asking the following question: can a brick be considered a “stone”? Or did Jeremiah literally mean the stones that were used to lay foundations? The latter seems more likely.
Prediction 7
Few people will visit these ruins, says prediction 7 . Stoner notes in this regard that, unlike most other ancient cities, Babylon still lies off the popular tourist routes and is rarely visited.
Prediction 8
According to prediction 8 , the city will be covered with swamps. And indeed, writes the Encyclopedia Britannica, “a significant part of the city has not yet been discovered, because it is hidden under a thick layer of silt. As for Hammurabi’s Babylon, only minor traces remain of it, and it itself is now hidden under water.”
“A significant part of the territory under ancient Babylon has been one giant swamp for several years,” Layard points out. “The river embankments, which no one looked after, collapsed, and the waters flooded the surrounding lands” (Is. 21:1).
“Not a single blade of grass grows from this soil, as if poisoned with a deadly poison,” writes Nora Kubi about the flooded part of Babylon, “and the reed swamps surrounding the ruins of the city exude the fumes of fever... Layard,” she continues, “saw malarial swamps, which the Arabs called a “water desert”... After the fall of the city, the great engineering structures of Babylon fell into disrepair, irrigation canals became clogged, and rivers overflowed their banks.”
Probability of random fulfillment of prophecies
The Babylonian people were destined to disappear, the Egyptian people to continue to play an important role in the ancient world, which is what happened. How is it that both of these unlikely events happened exactly as prophesied, and not the other way around?”
Peter Stoner estimates the probability of random execution prophecies 1-7 , multiplying the corresponding probabilities for each prediction: „1/10 (destruction of Babylon) x 1/100 (never to be repopulated) x 1/200 (Arabs will not pitch their tents there) x 1/4 (lack of sheep pasture) x 1/5 (wild animals will live in the ruins) x 1/100 (stones will not be used in the construction of other buildings) x 1/10 (people will not pass by the remains of the city). This brings us to a probability of one in five billion."
The archaeologist wrote:" Dead city! I've been to Pompeii, I've been to Ostia, I've wandered through the empty corridors of the Palatine. But those cities were not dead, just temporarily abandoned. The hum of life echoed there, and life itself blossomed around. These cities were a step in the development of civilization, which received its share from them and now continues to exist before their eyes. And here is the real kingdom of death.
Keller makes an interesting remark. “Babylon was not only a trade center, but also a religious center. This is evidenced by one ancient inscription, which states that “In total, there are in Babylon 53 temples of the supreme gods, 55 temples of Marduk, 300 prayer houses for earthly gods, 600 for heavenly gods, 180 altars to the goddess Ishtar, 180 to the gods Nergal and Adad, and 12 altars dedicated to various other deities."
In the ancient world there were many centers of religious worship, such as Thebes and Memphis, Babylon, Nineveh and Jerusalem. Pagan deities, which according to those who believed in them were as powerful as God, eventually began to fall out of favor, especially after the birth of Jesus. At the same time, God never agreed to be even considered next to pagan gods, moreover, he cursed those cities where they were worshiped.
The next photo shows a road with its original asphalt surface preserved. This asphalt is 4,000 years old.
