Nebuchadnezzar II is depicted from other sources in the ancient world as a great king who restored Babylon and transformed it into a city of glory and light, and a centre for the Arts and Intellectual pursuits. Although depicted negatively by Hebrew scribe, this does not mean those narratives are historically accurate. Nebuchadnezzar II and Babylon receive poor treatment in the Bible – being described as a tyrant, and a city of sin and evil. Because Nebuchadnezzar II had orchestrated the “ Babylonian Captivity”, Hebrew authors had no love for him or Babylon. It is believed that after this seize, 20,000 people, about 25% of the population were deported to Babylon with a further deportation in 582 BCE. Zedekiah (Jehoiachin’s Uncle) was then installed as puppet-King of Judah but when he rebelled against Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar brutally crushed it in 587 BCE in the second siege of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, which culminated in the destruction of King Solomon’s Temple (First Temple). King Nebuchadnezzar II first seized the Kingdom of Judah and captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE, deporting King Jehoiachin to Babylon along with 10,000 prominent citizens, 7,000 craftsman, and 1,000 blacksmiths (according to the Book of Kings). View of Babylon from Saddam Hussein’s Palace (formerly Qawarish village) Exterior view of Saddam Hussein’s Palace in Babylon Interior of Saddam Hussein’s Palace in Babylon View of Euphrates River from Saddam Hussein’s Palace in Babylon View of a ceiling in Saddam Hussein’s Palace

In 1986, Saddam’s workers bulldozed the village which was made up of 120 houses to build the location of his Palace. Today the Palace is in a state of neglect having been looted, gutted, and full of graffiti. Hussein to overlook Babylon, and Qawarish village stood in the perfect location. During theġ980ies, Saddam Hussein decided to envision himself as Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (who ruledįrom 605 to 563 BCE), and spent millions reconstructing Babylon. When Saddam Hussein was in power, he built more than 100 opulent palaces and villas. Some archaeologists believe that a maze ofįoundations next to the reconstructed Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II may be the site of the Hanging

South of Ishtar Gate and has been reconstructed today. The ruins of this large and ornately decorated palace is located Ishtar GateĪccording to Babylonian records, Alexander the Great died in the south Palace of Nebuchadnezzar The Lion of Babylon is a 2600 year old basalt statue of a lion trampling a man, a symbol of power in overcoming misfortune, and enemies. Figures of bulls (symbols of Adad, God of Weather), mušḫuššu-dragons (mythological symbols of Marduk, God of Creation, Water, Agriculture, Justice, Medicine, and Magic), and lions (symbols of Ishtar, Goddess of Fertility, Love, War, & Sex) are adorned on Ishtar Gate facing visitors to protect the city from evil influences, and give blessings of good luck. Dating back to 1600 BCE, the Ishtar Gate is one of the 8 main gates that provided entry Mušḫuššu-Dragon at Ishtar Gate in BabylonĪlthough no one lives there today, you could visit Babylon and see treasures such as Ishtar Gate, and the Nebuchadnezzar II who commissioned the completion of the ziggurat* Tower of Babel which was almostġ00m (328 feet) tall however, there are no remains of the tower today. Marduk was the patron God of Babylon (being Lord of the Gods of Heaven and Earth), and it was Worship of more than one God, and each city in ancient Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) had a patron Tower of BabelĪccording to archaeologists and historians, people who lived in Babylon practiced polytheism – the Upon seeing this, God confuses the language (creates multiple languages) of the workers so they couldn’t understand each other hence the Tower was never completed, and people scattered to different lands.

The Babylonians under the leadership of Nimrod (Noah’s Great Grandson) decided to build a ziggurat* The Tower of Babel was heart of the vibrant Babylon metropolis. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is attributed to Nebuchadnezzar II who built it around 600 BCE for his wife Amytis, who missed the greenery of her homeland. Known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was the capital city of the Babylonian Empire built around the banks of the Euphrates River. The remains of Babylon is in present day city of Hillah, about 85 km (53 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq.

Ziggurat of babylon