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BABYLONIA Page 1 of 84 BABYLONIA Page 1 of 84 BABYLONIA Mohammed and Mosaib on the Euphrates, the full expansion of the body occurring between Chapter 1. Extent of the Babylonian Empire ... 1 Serut and El Khithr, and the pointed base Chapter 2. Climate and Productions ............. 19 reaching down to Kornah at the junction of Chapter 3. The People ................................. 25 the two streams. This tract, the main region of Chapter 4. The Capital ................................. 30 the ancient Babylonia, is about 320 miles Chapter 5. Arts and Sciences ........................ 41 long, and from 20 to 100 broad. It may be estimated to contain about 18,000 square Chapter 6. Manners and Customs ................ 55 miles. The tract west of the Euphrates is Chapter 7. Religion ...................................... 63 smaller than this. Its length, in the time of the Chapter 8. History and Chronology .............. 66 Babylonian Empire, may be regarded as about 350 miles, its average width is from 25 to 30 miles, which would give an area of about Chapter 1. Extent of the Babylonian 9000 square miles. Thus the Babylonia of Empire Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar may be Daniel 4:10,11. Behold, a tree in the midst regarded as covering a space of 27,000 of the earth, and the height thereof was square miles--a space a little exceeding the great; the tree grew and was strong: and the area of the Low countries. height thereof reached unto heaven, and the The small province included within these sight thereof to the end of all the earth. limits--smaller than Scotland or Ireland, or The limits of Babylonia Proper, the tract in Portugal or Bavaria--became suddenly, in the which the dominant power of the Fourth latter half of the seventh century B.C., the Monarchy had its abode, being almost mistress of an extensive empire. On the fall of identical with those which have been already Assyria, about B.C. 625, or a little later, Media described under the head of Chaldea, will not and Babylonia, as already observed, divided require in this place to be treated afresh, at between them her extensive territory. It is any length. It needs only to remind the reader with the acquisitions thus made that we have that Babylonia Proper is that alluvial tract now to deal. We have to inquire what portion towards the mouth of the two great rivers of exactly of the previous dominions of Assyria Western Asia--the Tigris and the Euphrates-- fell to the lot of the adventurous which intervenes between the Arabian Desert Nabopolassar, when Nineveh ceased to be-- on the one side, and the more eastern of the what was the extent of the territory which two streams on the other. Across the Tigris was ruled from Babylon in the latter portion the country is no longer Babylonia, but Cissia, of the seventh and the earlier portion of the or Susiana--a distinct region, known to the sixth century before our era? Jews as Elam--the habitat of a distinct people. Now the evidence which we possess on this Babylonia lies westward of the Tigris, and point is threefold. It consists of certain consists of two vast plains or flats, one notices in the Hebrew Scriptures, situated between the two rivers, and thus contemporary records of first-rate historical forming the lower portion of the value; of an account which strangely mingles "Mesopotamia" of the Greeks and Romans-- truth with fable in one of the books of the the other interposed between the Euphrates Apocrypha; and of a passage of Berosus and Arabia, a long but narrow strip along the preserved by Josephus in his work against right bank of that abounding river. The Apion. The Scriptural notices are contained in former of these two districts is shaped like an Jeremiah, in Daniel, and in the books of Kings ancient amphora, the mouth extending from and Chronicles. From these sources we learn Hit to Samara, the neck lying between that the Babylonian Empire of this time Baghdad and Ctesiphon on the Tigris, embraced on the one hand the important BABYLONIA Page 2 of 84 country of Susiana or Elam, while on the excellent strategic boundary. Khuzestan is other it ran up the Euphrates at least as high one of the most valuable provinces of modern as Carchemish, from thence extending Persia. It consists of a broad tract of fertile westward to the Mediterranean, and alluvium, intervening between the Tigris and southward to, or rather perhaps into, Egypt. the mountains, well watered by numerous The Apocryphal book of Judith enlarges these large streams, which are capable of giving an limits in every direction. That the abundant irrigation to the whole of the low Nabuchodonosor of that work is a region. Above this is Luristan, a still more reminiscence of the real Nebuchadnezzar pleasant district, composed of alternate there can be no doubt. The territories of that mountain, valley, and upland plain, monarch are made to extend eastward, abounding in beautiful glens, richly wooded, beyond Susiana, into Persia; northward to and full of gushing brooks and clear rapid Nineveh; westward to Cilicia in Asia Minor; rivers. Much of this region is of course and southward to the very borders of uncultivable mountain, range succeeding Ethiopia. Among the countries under his sway range, in six or eight parallel lines, as the are enumerated Elam, Persia, Assyria, Cilicia, traveler advances to the north-east; and most Coele-Syria, Syria of Damascus, Phoenicia, of the ranges exhibiting vast tracts of bare Galilee, Gilead, Bashan, Judea, Philistia, and often precipitous rock, in the clefts of Goshen, and Egypt generally. The passage of which snow rests till midsummer. Still the Berosus is of a more partial character. It has lower flanks of the mountains are in general no bearing on the general question of the cultivable, while the valleys teem with extent of the Babylonian Empire, but, orchards and gardens, and the plains furnish incidentally, it confirms the statements of our excellent pasture. The region closely other authorities as to the influence of resembles Zagros, of which it is a Babylon in the West. It tells us that Coele- continuation. As we follow it, however, Syria, Phoenicia, and Egypt, were subject to towards the south-east into the Bakhtiyari Nabopolassar, and that Nebuchadnezzar country, where it adjoins upon the ancient ruled, not only over these countries, but also Persia, it deteriorates in character; the over some portion of Arabia. mountains becoming barer and more arid, From these statements, which, on the whole, and the valleys narrower and less fertile. are tolerably accordant, we may gather that All the other acquisitions of Babylonia at this the great Babylonian Empire of the seventh period lay towards the west. They consisted century B.C. inherited from Assyria all the of the Euphrates valley, above Hit; of southern and western portion of her Mesopotamia Proper, or the country about territory, while the more northern and the two streams of the Bilik and the Khabour; eastern provinces fell to the share of Media. of Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, Idumaea, Setting aside the statement of the book of Northern Arabia, and part of Egypt. The Judith (wholly unconfirmed as it is by any Euphrates valley from Hit to Balis is a tract of other authority), that Persia was at this time no great value, except as a line of subject to Babylon, we may regard as the communication. The Mesopotamian Desert most eastern portion of the Empire the presses it closely upon the one side, and the district of Susiana, which corresponded Arabian upon the other. The river flows nearly with the modern Khuzestan and mostly in a deep bed between cliffs of marl, Luristan. This acquisition advanced the gypsum, and limestone, or else between bare eastern frontier of the Empire from the Tigris hills producing only a few dry sapless shrubs to the Bakhtiyari Mountains, a distance of 100 and a coarse grass; and there are but rare or 120 miles. It gave to Babylon an extensive places where, except by great efforts, the tract of very productive territory, and an water can be raised so as to irrigate, to any BABYLONIA Page 3 of 84 extent, the land along either bank. The course hundred pure running brooks." Irrigation is of the stream is fringed by date-palms as high quite possible in this region; and many as Anah, and above is dotted occasionally remains of ancient watercourses show that with willows, poplars, sumacs, and the large tracts, at some distance from the main unfruitful palm-tree. Cultivation is possible in streams, were formerly brought under places along both banks, and the undulating cultivation. country on either side affords patches of good Opposite to Mesopotamia Proper, on the west pasture. The land improves as we ascend. or right bank of the Euphrates, lay Northern Above the junction of the Khabour with the Syria, with its important fortress of main stream, the left bank is mostly Carchemish, which was undoubtedly included cultivable. Much of the land is flat and well- in the Empire. This tract is not one of much wooded, while often there are broad value. Towards the north it is mountainous, stretches of open ground, well adapted for consisting of spurs from Amanus and Taurus, pasturage. A considerable population seems which gradually subside into the desert a in ancient times to have peopled the valley, little to the south of Aleppo. The bare, round- which did not depend wholly or even mainly backed, chalky or rocky ranges, which here on its own products, but was enriched by the continually succeed one another, are divided important traffic which was always passing only by narrow tortuous valleys, which run up and down the great river.
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