Baboons

Dog-faced monkeys ( Cynocephalus ), living in troops in inacce ible or rocky heights, but descending daily to drink. They live on fruits and grubs, and defend themselves by throwing stones. The ordinary Baboon of n. Africa has a long tail, as has a species from the Cape of Good Hope, but the Drill or Mandrill of w. Africa has a stumpy tail, and peculiarly IMG:content-0394.jpg:[graphic] IMG:content-0395.jpg:[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small] IMG:content-0396.jpg:[blocks in formation] of a square, 14 m. on each side, according to Hero dot us; 101 m. according to Ctesias. It was inclosed by two walls 300 ft. high and 85 wide, outside of which was a deep moat. The walls were pierced on each side by 25 gates of bra , as also were the walls on either bank of the river. The buildings were of brick, burned or sun-dried. Its most famous structures were the Temple of Bel, 8 stages high, rising from a base 600 ft. square, and the Hanging Gardens, raised upon a series of arches ab. 75 ft. high. The A yrians captured B. in 14th century B.C., and established a Semitic dynasty here, which continued till the acce ion of Nabona ar 747; A yrians again gained supremacy 680, and retained it till fall of Ninevah 625, when Nabopola ar secured its independence. Nebuchadnezzar reigned 604-561, and built the walls, hanging gardens, and other ma ive structures; conquered Syria, Judea, Egypt: destroyed temple at Jerusalem 587. Cyrus took B. by stratagem 538; Alexander took it 331, and intended it for his capital, but died here 323. Seat of government transferred to Seleucia ab. 300. Long the center of Asiatic material civilization, her luxury, idolatry, and oppre ion called forth from Hebrew prophets threats of the desolation which has for many centuries been her fate. The name was by analogy used by St. John and St. Peter for Rome.