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Babylonians B
Ruins of BaBylon
about 55 miles (90 km) south of
Baghdad, iraq, lie the ruins of ancient
Babylon. although the ruins are sparse,
it is still possible to see where the palaces
and ziggurat once stood. During the
19th century, archaeologists excavated the
site. Today various parts of the ancient city
wall have been rebuilt, as shown above.BaBylonian empiRe
Babylon was one of several
important cities in mesopotamia.
for about 2,000 years, its fortunes
rose and fell. at its height, under
King Hammurabi, and later
King nebuchadnezzar ii, the
Babylonian empire controlled
the entire southern area
of mesopotamia.HammuRaBi
under King Hammurabi
(1792-1750 bce), Babylon gained control of a
large part of mesopotamia. Hammurabi is famous
for the laws he introduced, which are carved on a
stela, or pillar, of stone. The stone shows a portrait
of Hammurabi standing before shamash, the god
of justice. Beneath this are the laws of Babylon,
carved in cuneiform (wedge-shaped) writing.
They deal with all aspects of life and show that
Babylon was a sophisticated civilization.one of THe fiRsT CiViliZaTions developed about 6,000 years ago
in the middle east, between the Tigris and euphrates rivers. This region was
known as mesopotamia, meaning “land between rivers.” The land was fertile,
and farming methods were highly refined. The people were among the first
to develop a system of writing, use the wheel, and build cities. one of these
cities was Babylon, founded before 2500 bce. it became the capital city of
Babylonia (now part of iraq). Babylon was an important trading center. it
was also a religious center and the site of many splendid temples. its people
were strong and prosperous under the great king Hammurabi, who united
the different areas into one empire. Babylon became even more magnificent
later, under King nebuchadnezzar ii. in 538 bce, the persian king Cyrus the
Great conquered Babylon; alexander the Great of Greece conquered it
again in 331 bce. The city was then ruled by the parthians and the persian
sassanid dynasty until the 7th century ce, but by then it had lost its
importance and fallen into ruins.CylinDeR seal
The Babylonians wrote using cylinder
seals. These seals were often made of
semiprecious stone and were very
delicately carved. To sign or stamp a
document, a person rolled a cylinder
seal over damp clay.
This seal clearly
shows the god
shamash, the
goddess ishtar
(with wings),
and the
god ea.neBuCHaDneZZaR ii
nebuchadnezzar ii (605-562 bce) was one of the most famous
kings of Babylonia. among other conquests, he captured
Jerusalem and forced thousands of its people into exile in
Babylonian territory. This story is told in the Bible, in the Book
of Daniel. nebuchadnezzar ii is said to have gone crazy at the
end of his reign, as shown in this picture of nebuchadnezzar ii
by the english artist William Blake (1757-1827).BaBylon
The city of Babylon was rebuilt many times before its
final destruction. it reached the height of its glory
around 600 bce. it was an impressive city, with massive
walls and elaborate religious buildings, including a
pyramidlike ziggurat. Babylon also had a fabulous
hanging garden—one of the seven Wonders of the
ancient World.Find out more
alphabets
assyrians
phoenicians
Wonders
of the ancient worldIshtar Gate was named after the
goddess Ishtar. The gate has been
reconstructed, and today it stands
in the Berlin Museum, Germany.ZigguratNinevehMariBabylonUS_061_Babylonians.indd 61 20/01/16 4:33 pm