Much to the consternation of archaeologists, Saddam raised city walls of 38 feet (11.5 meters) and built a Roman-style arena on the ruins of old Babylon. ALLEN: So what happens is the salts get into the brickwork and dissolves brickwork matrix. But there's almost nobody here. 1. Jeremiah 51:12. It's a sad ending to such a fabled city. No, but the site was once again open to tourists in 2009. 3. yet there are PHOTOGRAPHS of Inhabitants at Babylon. Like many Iraqis, he feels Babylons past is not just ancient history but his history. An Iraqi worker chiseling out modern concrete that was used in Babylon between the ancient brick and is now damaging it. The new initiative is part of the WMFs 15-year commitment to conservation efforts as part of its Future of Babylon project, initiated in 2008. Jesus ChristTo Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, (Revelation 1:5, " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." All of this coincides exactly with the prophecies of the Old Testament and shows that Babylon must be rebuilt in the Tribulation in order to be destroyed as prophesied in "the Day of the Lord." Unemployment will plummet. It's so well-defined it looks like it might have been made yesterday instead of more than 2,000 years ago. Its still-eerie, grandiose Hussein-era palaces and guesthouses are filled with international artists invited for the Babylon festival, and thousands of Iraqis flock here every month for parties, weddings and musical boat rides along the Euphrates river. This prophecy has never been fulfilled. In February 2021, National Public Radio reportedon the state of tourism in Babylon. 4. then Literal Babylon must Rise Again to meet its Final Fall in the future. Slowly but surely, we are seeing the Bible prophecies regarding Babyloncome to pass. Babylon's ruins, reconstructed in part by Saddam Hussein, lie about an hour and a half's drive south of today's Baghdad. Babylon is called, "mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations" in Revelation 17:5.Just as Satan is called the father of lies, the evil world system . Ex-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein rebuilt the ruins in the early 1980s; his new vision of Babylon was harmful to the original ruins, scientists say, because he used cheap, modern materials on the . Site proudly built by Amazee Labs. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Jane Arraf, NPR News, Babylon. Later excavations, undertaken by the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, established that the city had been built and rebuilt several times, most notably on a lavish scale by its king, Nebuchadrezzar II (reigned 605-561 B.C.E . At the height of its glory in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C.E., the ancient city of Babylon was the largest and wealthiest in the world. The north faade of the Ishtar Gate, similar to the one pictured here in Babylon, was smuggled out of Iraq and is now housed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin Photo: Hadani Ditmars. 10. How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work. These cookies do not store any personal information. Isaiah 13:19. The biblical exegesis you did was clear, systematic, comprehensive and captivating doctrinally sound", Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The Gospel Ministries, June 4, 2019, Will the literal city of Babylon, in modern Iraq, be Rebuilt? Later, Iraq built an adjacent highway. A story that will confound atheists and agnostics. Click to reveal As NPR's Jane Arraf reports, archaeologists working in the ruins of Babylon in present-day Iraq are hoping to change that. The city was renowned for its majestic temples, hanging gardens, and temple towers. As a result of WMF and SBAHs partnership, Babylon was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 5, 2019. Skeptics and cynics abound, but there is growing evidence the Iraqi government is serious about rebuilding this ancient wonder of the world. Babylon of Chaldea has not been "REPLACED" by another "Babylon". HERE and HERE My eyes simply don't see that, either today, or throughout history "from generation to generation", as prophesied in the passage. Because King Nebuchadnezzar built palaces and temples on top of previous ones, there are entire layers of the city underground, and underwater. In 2006, I wrote my first non-fiction book, Epicenter,in which I explained that according to Bible prophecy, the ancient and long-forgotten city of Babylon will one day be literally rebuilt. But it's extraordinary. The fall of Babylon was complete when the empire came under Persian control. Therefore After its Final Fall, there can be NO MORE Photographs of Inhabitants at Babylon. True, neither the city nor the country is what they will one day be. After years of conflict, although not violence-free, Iraq is safe enough for younger Iraqis who have never seen most of their own country to come to Babylon. So if they're irreversible, how do you deal with them as a material? Since the liberation of Iraq in 2003, however, a great deal has happened. Just days after Hammurabi's death, Babylon's old enemies declared their independence and readied their armies for invasion. Prophecies about Babylon in Jeremiah (and the entire Old Testament) specify "Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans" (Jer 50:1; Isa 13:19, etc.). The city, built along both banks of the Euphrates river, had steep embankments to contain the . As foretold by Old Testament prophets, the grand ancient city fell to the Persians in 539 B.C.E. Unfortunately it has no Scriptural validity and contradicts the plain statements of God's Word. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Should the trend continue, and security continue to improve, Iraq will be awash with petrodollars. It remains in ruin after decades of war in the area. Terrorist insurgencies. A fascinating story is being written in the shifting sands of Arabia. Construction on their second corporate headquarters is expected to begin next year and when completed in 2025 at a cost of $2.5 billion. If you took a trip to Babylon today, located 55 miles (85 kilometers) south of Baghdad, you'd see a tacky recreation built by Saddam Hussein in the 1970s that's been partially destroyed by decades of war. Should we believe the Apostle John, the author of the Book of Revelation, that Babylon will one day become a great city and a center of extravagant luxury, as he wrote in Revelation chapter 18? LEFT: Workers, Inhabitants, Arabs, begin work on excavating the Ishtar Gate in 1902. Tel: +1 646 424-9594. Last fall, the Babylon International Festivalwas held again for the first time in two decades. It has a rich past. So it looked more like an archaeological site than it did a minimal correctional facility. The Book Of Revelation, apocalyptic and foreboding, is actually "FRAMED" by the GOSPEL OF SALVATION in Jesus Christ. And should thrill Jews and Christians. It's part of the history of the monument. When Headlines Seem To Conflict With Prophecy, Peace & Safety Occurs at Death of 2 Witnesses. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built and rebuilt over the course of many years . For a city that has figured so large in the worlds imagination, remarkably little is known for certain about Babylon. When the Iraq War broke out in 2003, it quickly became one of the biggest threats to cultural heritage in the region, exacerbating existing problems and creating new ones. Why is the city of Babylon uninhabited? All that caused significant damage, a British Museum report found. This, then, is PHOTOGRAPHIC-PROOF that Babylon has NOT YET met its Final Destruction. It is only some large and well-known buildings that are excavated, said Olof Pedersen, professor emeritus in Assyriology at Swedens Uppsala University and a consultant to the World Monuments Fund. In the New Testament Book of Revelation, the "Whore of Babylon" makes an appearance "adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.". Will people one day say of Babylon a city that didnt exist for much of the past 2,000 years Where is there another city as great as this? as John predicts in Revelation 18:18? This is another key event for everyone to really keep an eye on. He told me he absolutely loved the idea of rebuilding Babylon. THEREFOREBabylon of Chaldea Must Rise Again. Why is it an "interpretation-imperative" that we quit skipping over the word"Chaldea" ? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Here's how you can be saved My "lying eyes" & Babylon We often hear from certain political circles (in 2022) that the economy is great, crime is under control, and the border is closed. Documentation of Ishtar Gate, Babylon (Arabic version), Panel Discussion: The Destruction of Memory, World Monuments Fund and the U.S. State Department, Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management Training Program 2014-2015, Lisa Ackerman on Al Jazeera America Discussing Babylon. The delicate repair job unfolds brick by brick, with layers from interventions in 1958, when King Faisal was in power, joining Hussein-era concrete and mud bricks, being replaced where possible by newly made baked and fired mud bricks, produced in local workshops in nearby Borsippa. Yet, in every case, there exists PHOTOGRAPHS. Cultural tourism could become Iraqs second biggest industry, after oil, said Philippe Delanghe, a United Nations official helping with the project. FACT #3-- After the FINAL FALL Babylons Stones will Never Again be Used. ARRAF: Iraq is awash in archaeological sites. to the Persian Empire and two centuries later to Alexander the Great, who died there. It was great and terrible Nebuchadnezzar II who rebuilt Babylon as a magnificent paean to the creator god Marduk. PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF of the RE-use of Babylon's Stones since the First Fall of Babylon 4. Allen calls training local technicians to conserve the site the future of Babylon. Cultural, religious, archeological, and biblical tourism is a big opportunity for Iraq, Allawi told me. They comfort my soul.. What my eyes do see--literally-- in both photographs and historical accounts, is human habitation and vibrant life far removed from Isaiah's description of post-'Final-Fall' Babylon. After 2003, there was a Polish military base here as part of the U.S.-led military occupation that included landing helicopters on the ancient site. On the Date that Babylon is Finally Destroyed, for ever-after there will be no more Photographs at Babylon of Inhabitants, Arab Dwellers, Recycled Stones, Trees and Gardens, Shepherds and Sheep, or Visitors. But it's never been listed as a modern World Heritage Site by the United Nations. The 2,500-year-old dragon relief behind him is related to Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon. Ancient sources attributed the Garden to King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century BC as a gift to his wife, Amytis. After a solid sacking by the Parthians in the second century C.E., Babylon never made a comeback. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. "And Babylon the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Workshops for SBAH members both on- and off-site through WMFs Iraq Cultural Heritage Conservation Initiative helped develop local capacity toward the future preservation of Babylon and sites across Iraq, working with local stakeholders to support their continued stewardship of these treasured places. Skeptics and cynics abound, to be sure, but the fact is Babylon is being rebuilt right now, in part with U.S. taxpayer funds. It reminds me of the feeling I get when a Bible Study on Isaiah 13:19-20 concludes that "Original Babylon on the Euphrates River in Iraq has disappeared like Sodom and Gomorrah". The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were sometimes referred to as the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis after the semi-legendary and semi-divine female Assyrian ruler thought by the Greeks to have extensively rebuilt Babylon in the 9th century BCE. Jeff Allen has been working on the Babylon site since 2009. Although some of the recreations were damaged during the prolonged occupations of the Iraq War (2003-11), many of the gaudily painted buildings remain and are open to the public, including Saddam's Babylonian palace. For instance, when Saddam Hussein was in power, he vowed to rebuild Babylon and make it the great city it . Sign upfor our newsletter to receive regular updates on our projects, stories from the field, upcomingevents, and more! 1. According to an About.com article, "Saddam Hussein said that Babylon's great palaces and the legendary hanging gardens of Babylon (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) would rise from the dust.". It was Saddam Hussein who took up Nebuchadnezzar's mantle and tried to reconstruct some of Babylon's former glory, but ended up with what art historians decried as "Disney for a despot." We can only guess how deep it could be, said Dr. Pedersen, one of the worlds leading experts on the archaeology of Babylon. Accuracy and availability may vary. 3. ALLEN: Everything that's happened is - it leaves a mark on the site. Saddam actually began rebuilding the city of Babylon in the 1980s, but ran out of money during his war with Iraq. 162.214.125.20 ALLEN: So be very careful about how you put down so you maintain these edges. This initiative led to the creation of the Future of Babylon project in 2008, designed to serve as a template for documenting heritage, assessing conditions, and developing conservation plans at sites across the country. But as has so often been the case for Babylon over the years, the biggest threats to the fragile site are human-made. 2. since the Bible says there will never again be Inhabitants at Babylon of Chaldea after its Final Fall. ( Isaiah 47:5) Like the Egyptian and . Should we believe him when he describes Babylon as one of the worlds great commercial hubs, where the merchants of the world come to trade great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls, along with all kinds of other expensive goods and services that entice the kings of the world and draw ships from everywhere on the planet (Revelation 18:9-12)? ARRAF: If Babylon's application to be a World Heritage Site is accepted, it would give Iraq's antiquities department more power to protect it. There are still three existing but non-functioning oil pipelines, two of which were built in the 1970s and 80s and the third of which is more recentwork on it was blocked after the SBAH filed a lawsuit in 2012. 7 QUESTIONS That Deserve An ANSWER BELOW. Because Babylon is being promoted as being the city of the future, and of the most advanced technology, wicked corporations & individuals such as . Babylon has seen it all. Among those who accept a tradition (Jeremiah 29:10) that the exile lasted 70 years, some choose the dates 608 to 538, others 586 to about 516 (the year when the rebuilt Temple was dedicated in Jerusalem). That identity of Babylon never changes in the Old or New Testament. Subscribe to The Art Newspapers digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox. Join us in safeguarding significant places. Excavating the Ishtar Gate in 1902 for Iraq, Allawi told me Babylon of Chaldea after Final! City was renowned for its majestic temples, hanging gardens, and more us analyze and understand you... Case for Babylon over the years, the patron deity of Babylon 4 was used in Babylon the. History but his history neither the city was renowned for its majestic temples, hanging gardens, biblical... Apocalyptic and foreboding, is PHOTOGRAPHIC-PROOF that Babylon has not yet met its Final Fall be at! 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