BABYLON

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

—Rev. 17:5

371 Babylon To Be Rebuilt?

Ancient Babylon was located on the Euphrates River about 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. It was an important city in the dawn of history.

Bible scholars differ as to the identification of the prophetic “Babylon” in Revelation 17 and 18. More and more prophetic students are leaning towards the actual and literal rebuilding of the ancient city of Babylon. The rebuilding of Babylon is also found in Isaiah 13:17–22; Jer. 50:23–46; 51:1–58.

The great importance of the ancient site of Babylon today may be seen in its strategic location on the Persian Gulf. Any future great power with a base on the Persian Gulf would be in command of events in the Far East as well as in the Middle East—and the world!

372 Ancient City Of Babylon

Ancient Babylon reached its greatest glory during King Nebuchadnezzar (604–562 BC). The city was divided into two equal parts by the River Euphrates. It had 25 avenues, 150 feet wide, which ran across the city from north to south. The same number crossed them at right angles from east to west, making a total of 676 great squares, each nearly 3/4 of a mile on each side. The entire city of Babylon was an immense square totalling 15 miles on each side.

373 Babylon Rebuilding Plans

The Los Angeles Times, Dec. 3, 1975, reported that UCLA and the University of Turin, Italy, are working with the Iraqi Department of Antiquities on rebuilding ancient Babylon. Presently called Hillah, which has a population of over 30,000, this city is within the ancient confines of Babylon.

374 Babylon As Tourist Attraction

According to Christianity Today, Iran is quietly pushing ahead on the rebuilding of Babylon. Italian archaeologist Giorgio Gulliam has been hired to direct the attempt to dig out the past from beneath more than 5,000 years of civilization. Gulliam says his first big task will be the draining of subsurface water. He then hopes to uncover the ruins of the immense walls that surrounded the city, along with the street network inside.

Eventually, the restoration will include the rebuilding of the Towers of Babel and the Hanging Gardens as a tourist attraction there.

375 Highway Linkage To Babylon

Another report from the Reuter Agency in Baghdad indicates that plans are underway for the restoration of Babylon. The first step calls for the project of supplying artificial irrigation to the area before the gardens can be planted. After the irrigation problem is solved, a part of the city wall and several temples and palaces will be rebuilt. Easier access to the city will be provided by a multimillion-dollar highway which is being built across the Syrian desert. The new road will link Damascus and Baghdad.

See also: Merchandising ; Roman Catholicism ; Zech. 5:5–11; Rev. 16:19; 18:2, 4, 6.