Grade 1 - Early world Civilizations

Early World Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 4A | The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 79

Presenting the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

 Show image 4A-1: City of Babylon on banks of Euphrates

You may remember that Babylon stood on the banks of the

Euphrates (you-FRAY-teez) River and was the home of King

Hammurabi (hah-moo-RAH-bee), who wrote the laws called “The

Code of Hammurabi.”

 Show image 4A-2: Nebuchadnezzar sitting on throne

Well, many years after Hammurabi ruled Babylon, there was

another famous king in Babylon with another long name. This

king’s name was Nebuchadnezzar (NEB-oo-cud-NEZ-ur). That could

be a hard name to say, but everyone in Babylon learned it.^1

 Show image 4A-3: Caravan of travelers on donkeys 2

Here we fi nd a whole group of travelers that make up a

caravan 3 headed for Babylon. Let’s pretend that you and I are

traveling to Babylon with this caravan. We have been traveling for

weeks to get there so that we can sell fi ne cotton cloth, which for

now is all rolled up on the backs of our donkeys. Most of us are

hoping to sell things in Babylon and then buy new things to trade

back home.^4 There are guides and guards to lead us through

the desert and to protect us from bandits^5 on the way. Some of

the travelers actually come from Babylon, including a merchant

named Ili (I-lee), with whom we have become friends.^6 Ili has been

away from home for months, and he is glad to be getting home to

Babylon. As we approach the high walls of the city, you tell him, “I

have seen lots of cities with walls, but I have never seen a wall as

big as this one.”^7

“Yes,” Ili tells us proudly, “it is about sixteen thousand cubits

long, so that it can go all around Babylon.^8 The wall is so strong

and wide that soldiers have room to turn their chariots and horses

around on top!^9 But, wait a few minutes, and you will see one of

the loveliest sights along that wall.”^10

1 What is the name of this king of
Babylon?

2 [Have students describe what they
see in the picture.]

3 or traveling group

4 What does the word trade mean?

5 or thieves

6 So we are pretending that you are
characters in this story. You and the
storyteller, or narrator, have met a
merchant, someone who buys and
sells goods.

7 Why do yo think there might be an
enormous wall around Babylon?

8 A cubit is an ancient unit of
measure based on the length of
the forearm from the elbow to the
tip of the middle fi nger. [Show this
length on your arm to students.]

9 Chariots are two-wheeled, or
four-wheeled, horse-drawn carts
often used by soldiers in battle. The
Mesopotamians invented wheels.

10 Who is telling us about the wall?
(Ili)