Babylon

the capital of Babylonia, on both sides of the Huphrates, one of the largest and most splendid cities of the ancient world, now a scene of ruins, and earth-mounds containing them. Babylon was a royal city 1600 years before the Christian era; but the old city was almost entirely destroyed in 683 B. c. A new city was built by Nebuchadnezzar nearly a century later. This was in the form of a square, each side 15 miles long, with walls of such immense height and thickne as to constitute one of the wonders of the world. It contained splendid edifices, large gardens and pleasure-grounds, especially the hanging-gardens, a sort of lofty terraced structure supporting earth enough for trees to grow, and the celebrated tower of Babel, or temple of Belus, rising by stages to the height of 625 feet. (See Baset.) After the city was taken by Cyrus in 538 Bz. c., and Babylonia made a Persian province, it began to decline, and had suffered severely 4 the time of Alexander the Great. e intended to restore it, but was prevented by his death, which: took place here in 323 B. c., from which time its decay was rapid. The great city of Babylon, or Babel, was the capital of Babylonia, which was called by the Hebrews Shinar. The — was, as it still is, exceedingly fertile, and must have anciently supported a dense population. The chief cities, besides Babylon, were Ur, Calneh, Erech, and Sippara.