Babylon and Old Testament

Babylon and Old Testament

Introduction

Babylon that became the capital of Babylonia actually meant “the Gate of God(s)”it is addressed in the bible as a symbol and state of confusion cause due to godlessness. It is considered to be a Greek form of Hebrew named Babel. Babylon - the capital of the kingdom, at this time was the greatest and richest city in the world and was decorated with numerous temples and palaces .The Old Testament which is a Christian term used in reference to religious writings of the ancient era, when Israelis were considered as sacred and were there religion was chosen of Judaism and Christianity. It contains many parts which refer to the times of Babylon, when it was the capital city and was ruled by Nimrod, who is also the first king to have his name in the Bible. This city and the rule of Babylon were disregarded by God, as it went against the main belief of sovereignty of God. It is quite certain to say that the date when the era of Babylon is said to begin was the era during the rule of Israelite kings.

Discussion

How Babylon came into being

The reason that led to the creation of Babylon was people began to settle in the valley which was located between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates from the Ararat valley. The fertile soil and other favorable conditions of Mesopotamia attracted post-Flood mankind, and soon the Babylonian civilization began to develop. Bible tells us that the founder of the first Babylonian empire and the conqueror of Assyria was Nimrod. Nimrod founded the city (Babylon), which quickly grew into a great capital city and proudly became the head of numerous other cities. It was founded by Nimrod as the center of his government, and was the place where he built the tower of Babel. According to Genesis 11:9, the name Babylon means confusion, and probably derives from the Hebrew Babel.

The city was the center of government of various dynasties, including the Amorites, which belonged to Hammurabi, author of a famous legal code. This remained an important religious and cultural center during the time of the empire of Assyria and then again became an independent monarchy and the head of a mighty empire during the time of Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar. During the reign of the latter, who built the famous hanging gardens, Babylon once had a perimeter of about 16 km, making it possibly the largest city in ancient times in 597. BC. When Nebuchadnezzar and his armies invaded Palestine and captured Jerusalem they took much of the population as prisoners and subjected to exile in Babylon. In 586, eleven years later, the Babylonians returned to Jerusalem to end the rebellions of the Jews and their king and destroyed the temple, the royal palace and murdered or deported most of the inhabitants who remained in the city.

Not surprisingly, such a success became a reason for Nimrod and his descendants' pride. They began to dream about ...