Historia alternativa

Etymology

The name of the town of Babylon undoubtedly comes from the name pre-sumérien Babulu , that the Akkadiens explained étymologiquement by bab-ili (m) , “the Door of God”, become later bab-ilāni , “the Door of the Gods”. This name was translated into Sumérien according to the same direction in KA.DINGIR.RA. The Greek translated this name into Babylon , which was taken again thereafter by Europeans.

Phases of the history of Babylon and its urban development

Babylon is mentioned for the first time at the XXIV E, under the name of Babil , in a text Cunéiforme, at the time of the reign of Shar-kali-sharri, king of the empire of Akkad of which it forms part. But the oldest traces of settlement on the site go back to the Neolithic era, and of the levels of the times of Obeid and Uruk were identified.

The city is a secondary administrative center of the Empire of Ur III. The city does not have the prestige of its neighbors of the South, like Nippur. It becomes an important political center only with the installation of a dynasty amorrite at the beginning of the 2nd millenium.

Babylon under the dynasty amorrite

The dynasty amorrite of Babylon is founded towards 1894 av. J. - C. by Sumu-abum (1894 - 1881 av. J. - C.). Its successor Sumu-la-El (1880 - 1845 av. J. - C.) is the true founder of the Babylonian kingdom, which takes under its reign a certain importance. Its successors increase the kingdom, and under Sîn-Muballit (1812 - 1793 av. J. - C.) Babylon becomes a power able to compete with the large close kingdoms amorrites which are Larsa, Eshnounna, Isin and Uruk. His/her son Hammurabi (- 1793 - -1750) can intelligently play his part in the international concert of his time and this first Babylonian dynasty becomes powerful only under its reign. After a first not very profitable part of reign, he manages to subjugate the kingdoms which surround it: Larsa, Eshnunna, then Husband. He disengages also supervision of the Élam. Babylon then becomes more the political great power of Mésopotamie. It is at this time that the city also emerges like religious and cultural center of foreground.

The site of the city is a little excentré compared to the other old and future capitals of Mésopotamie Agadé (Akkad), Eshnunna, Séleucie, Ctésiphon and Baghdad. However it is close to the place or the Tigre and the Euphrate are not very distant one from the other. That brings the presence of a strong network of ways of irrigation and on the basis of there a strong productivity of the arable lands. Finally after the time of Hammurabi the south of Mésopotamie sees a strong degradation of its demographic and economic situation, for reasons which it is still difficult to elucidate. At this point in time of large metropolises such Ur, Nippur, Uruk or Larsa is abandoned for long periods with the profit of other cities in particular Babylon in the middle of a prosperous agricultural zone. Babylon thus recovers the lifeblood of these cities and integrates their cultural and religious traditions.

The urban landscape of Babylon of the 2nd millenium is known only by texts, the levels old being still covered by those with Babylon with the thousand-year-old 1st, and often drowned by the ground water. As of its foundation the city extends from two banks of the Arahtu an arm then secondary of the Euphrate before becoming the principal bed about it with. On Right Bank a park, called extended “the garden of abundance”. The oriental party of the city, on left bank, is definitely wider. In the north of this part of the city the royal districts with in the center the royal palace, built by Sumu-la-El was. Under the reign of Hammurabi the population of the palate strongly increased because the kings amorrites had as a tradition in the event of victory to take along the female population of the harem of the overcome sovereign. That says this population close to the sovereign remains little known. By the files of Husband, we know that the palate of Babylon at the time amorrite is designed with only one large door making it possible to filter the entries and comprises several buildings distributed around a broad raised court. It is also known that Samsu-iluna, successor of Hammurabi, built a new palate.

In the center of the oriental party of Babylon the temple of Marduk, the Esagil is, which is already bordered by its ziggurat, Etemenanki. The other large temple of Babylon amorrite was devoted to the Ishtar goddess. In the south were the commercial districts who are used as residential districts with notable and to the tradesmen, the only paléo-Babylonian levels of to be excavated city, where one found private archives, dating from the reigns of Samsu-iluna and its successors.

The reign of Samsu-iluna (1749 - 1712 av. J. - C.), is marked by many revolts which weaken its kingdom. The following kings see their territory disaggregating under the effect of revolts, of attacks of enemy people, initially the Kassites but also the Hourrites, the whole in an agrarian climate of crisis. Samsu-ditana (1625 - 1595 av. J. - C.), whose kingdom does not comprise any more that the immediate surroundings of Babylon, finally returns in a conflict against the king hittite Mursili I {{er}}, which succeeds in 1595 av J-C. a raid on Babylon. The city is plundered and the dynasty amorrite disappears.

The period kassite

After the surge of the Hittites on Babylon, the Kassite S, coming from North, the North-East, settle in Babylon and found their dynasty by Agum. The date and the exact conditions of this seizure of power are unknown for us, the first decades of the dynasty kassite being unknown to us. Towards 1500 av. J. - C., Burna-Buriash I {{er}} ensures its domination on all low Mésopotamie, then takes the name of Karduniash (Babylonia).

One knows practically nothing the town of Babylon under the kings kassites. It is perhaps at this period that the final plan of the city is fixed, with its quadrangular plan, divided into ten districts. The Esagil receives many grounds in donations, as the Kudurru S (engraved steles) attest it found for this period. Babylon loses a time its role of political capital to the profit of a new foundation, Hard-Kurigalzu (“Extremely Kurigalzu”, name of its founder). But she affirms herself like cultural and religious capital of low Mésopotamie, and acquires a great prestige in all Middle East. The Babylonian clergy seeks more and more to make of largest Marduk of the gods mésopotamiens.

At the 14th century, the kings kassites deal with the emergence of a frightening enemy, the Assyrie, which dominates high Mésopotamie. Begin then a fight pluriséculaire between the North and the South of the country of the two-rivers. These conflicts lead at the end of the 13th century to the catch and the plundering of Babylon by the Assyrian Tukulti-Ninurta Ier, which would have cut down the walls of the city, and which takes from its tower the statue of Marduk, as well as literary texts, and makes write a large text celebrating its victory (known nowadays under the name of Épopée of Tukulti-Ninurta ). But it cannot make last its domination on the area, which then is plunged during one very disturbed time, that of which starts to benefit another neighbor from Babylon, located him at the east, the Élam.

After a re-establishment of the capacity by Kassites, in fact finally the armies élamites invest in their turn Babylonia in the middle of the 12th century. Their king Shutruk-Nahhunte seizes the capital, plunders it, and carries in its turn the statue of Marduk, as well as many prestigious monuments of the basic cities Mésopotamie. His/her son Kutir-Nahhunte III is charged to preserve the capacity élamite in Babylonia.

The second dynasty of Isin and the period of weakening of Babylonia

Shutruk-Nahhunte and its son disappear shortly after their conquest, and their successor Shilhak-Inshushinak does not succeed in keeping foot in Babylonia. He is driven out country by the king of Isin (a local dynasty) Ninurta-nadin-shumi (1132-1127), which seizes the power in Babylon towards 1130 av. J. - C.. Its successor Nabuchodonosor I {{er}} succeeds in invading Élam later a few years and brings back Suse the statue of Marduk.

Period of dynasty of Isin is crucial for history of Babylon, since she sees the result of the process which gives the primacy to Marduk on the other gods mésopotamiens, with the drafting of the Épopée of the Creation ( Enūma eliš ), which tells how he became king of the gods. This account makes of Babylon a city built by the gods, and located at the center of the World, the Sky and of the Earth (materialized by its ziggurat, whose name means “House-bond of the Sky and the Earth”).

To this period also an exceptional document, named goes back TINTIR (one of the alternative names of Babylon), which is a topographic text describing the site of the large temples of the city, but also of the more modest places of worships (vaults, furnace bridges), like all the places marked by the religion: doors and walls named according to gods, rivers (divinized), streets traversed by processions. This text thus takes part in the dedication of Babylon like Holy City.

From 1050 av. J. - C., Babylonia is submerged by the incursions of the Araméens, to which the Chaldéens are added later. Both constitute rival political entities of the Babylonian capacity. The end of the reign of Nabû-shum-libur (1032 - 1025 av. J. - C.) mark for Babylon the beginning of a certain chaos and frequent dynastic changes, the sources concerning Assyrie and Babylonia are dried up.

Babylon vis-a-vis the Assyrian domination

The end of the 10th century is marked by the re-establishment of Assyrian monarchy by Adad-Nirari II. This one becomes threatening for Babylon, but it is pushed back by Nabû-shum-ukin (880 - 860 av. J. - C.), which succeeds in temporarily improving the situation of its kingdom. After its death, a crisis of succession shakes Babylon, from which profit the Assyrian kings. The remainder of the 9th century is marked by dynastic fights in Babylon and in Assyrie, of which benefits in its turn one or the other from the two kingdoms to establish its supremacy on its neighbor. The Assyrians end up carrying it towards 800 av. J. - C., and Babylonia falls again into chaos, of kings Chaldéens trying to be established in Babylon. These internal struggles end up benefitting the Assyrian kingdom, which became a true Empire under the reign of Teglath-Phalasar III. After several years of fights, this one succeeds in taking Babylon in 728 av. J. - C., and it proclaims king there.

The Assyrian domination is not for as much not assured, and the new sovereign Sargon II (which restored temples and the ramparts of Babylon) must face an adversary coriace in Babylonia, Mérodach-baladan, which succeeds in reigning on the city twice. Sennachérib, the successor of Sargon II, dealing with new revolts in Babylonia, place one of its sons on the throne of the city. This last holds little time, a new Babylonian revolt occurring. The plotters capture it, and deliver it to their allies élamites which carry out it. The counterpart of Sennachérib is terrible, and the account that it leaves some is full with hatred against Babylon, that it wishes to destroy, being praised to have it shaven, and apparently the statue of Marduk is not removed, but is not destroyed. His/her son Assarhaddon chooses the way of the appeasing, and undertook to restore the city, long and expensive company (partly paid with the spoils of a campaign in Egypt), which taken end only under the following reign, that of Assurbanipal.

The succession of Assarhaddon, in 668, had in fact given place to a special political organization: Assurbanipal reigned since Assyrie, whereas his/her brother Shamash-shum-ukin was placed on the throne of Babylon, in position of vassal. This last revolts finally into 652, but ends up being overcome after four years a rough war. He dies at the time of the head office of Babylon, flaring (perhaps voluntarily), history which gave rise to the Greek myth of Sardanapale. Assurbanipal appears less brutal than his/her grandfather, and restores Babylon, bringing back or remaking a statue of Marduk, act of reconciliation very symbolic system.

Even under the foreign domination the elites well-read women and commercial of Babylon fight with energy for the maintenance of the statute of religious big city, whose inhabitants are exempted of any fiscal charge. A pro-Babylonian text of this time, the Mirror of the Prince , estimates that the royal taxation cannot relate to Babylon, like Nippur and Sippar.

The dynasty chaldéenne and the apogee of Babylon

This succession of revolts in Babylonia undoubtedly weakened Assyrie, while in Babylon the spirit of resistance was increasingly strong, and resistant increasingly active and plain ones. With died of Assurbanipal in 627 av. J. - C., its successors return in a quarrel of succession which is fatal with their kingdom. Nabopolassar, undoubtedly the governor of the area of the Country of the Sea, and probably of origin chaldéenne, benefits from the disorders in Assyrie to seize the power in Babylon in 625 av. J. - C. It claims to support one of the Assyrian applicants, Sin-shar-ishkun which confers the authority to him on Babylon in exchange of its military support. After a few years of conflict, it finally succeeds in cutting down the Assyrian Empire, with the assistance of the king of the Mèdes, Cyaxare, between 614 av. J. - C. and 610 av. J. - C. His son Nabuchodonosor II (605-562) succeeds to him. With him, Babylon knows its apogee. It founds the empire says Néobabylonien which covers most of the the Middle East of the borders of the Egypt until the Anatolian Taurus and to the accesses of the Perse.

The reigns of Nabopolossar and Nabuchodonosor II correspond to one period of deep transformations of the city, initiated by the first and completed by the second, known by many inscriptions of foundation. These are the work which will contribute to the image, legendary, reproduced by Hérodote of a city girded by some 25 meters height walls. Actually Nabuchodonosor makes completely restore the two traditional enclosures of Nimit-Enlil and Imgur-Enlil over a length of approximately 8 kilometers, which enclose the built surface of the city. Then it makes build one second wall external of approximately 11 kilometers which leaves the hill of Prattle 300 meters to the north of the city and joined the Euphrate in the south. It surrounds an agricultural zone which could contribute to the supply of Babylon in the event of seat. The principal monuments of the city are restored: royal palace, temples, ziggurat, principal arteries, of which the “processional Way” on the basis of the Door of Ishtar.

Some corpora of files are gone back to this period. Royal palace come from the lists of rations, which have the characteristic to mention the king of Juda Joaquin and its sons, off-set by Nabuchodonosor and lodged with the palate. The temples also delivered school shelves temple of Ninmah and Nabû). Batches of private archives, found in the residential districts in the south of the city, close to the temple of Ninurta, inform us as for them on the activities of family of notable, Nappahu, Nur-Sîn and especially Egibi, which constitute important land and buildings in the city and the surrounding countryside.

The successors of Nabuchodonosor II succeed in holding their kingdom after a fashion, but they do not have the hardening of the founders of the dynasty. Last king de Babylone, Nabonide (556 - 539 av. J. - C.), is an enigmatic character who succeeds in putting at back most of noble of his kingdom.

Babylon under foreign domination

When the king of the Perses Cyrus II attacks Babylon into 539 by an attack surprised against the door of Enlil in the western north of the city, the fight turns short and the entire city and Empire fall between its hands. Consequently, Babylon loses its independence. The new Master of the city proclaims nevertheless his wish to preserve the city, and sticks the favors of the local clergy by proclaiming a very favorable decree towards them, which was found registers on a cylinder of clay found in Babylon.

The fall of the Babylonian kingdom and the end of political independence do not mean the decline of the metropolis mésopotamienne. Admittedly to two recovery the city revolts against Darius I {{er}} (in 520 - 519 av. J. - C. then in 514 av. J. - C.) and this one ends up dismantling part of the fortifications. But under the domination of the Achéménides Babylon economically the most populated area remains the most developed city and, even one removes to him the oriental parties (Transeuphratène) of the province which it directed at the beginning, resulting from its old empire. Moreover it has row of imperial city and offers to the Persian sovereigns a winter residence. It is possible that this time saw a change of the course of Euphrate, which would then have cut the royal palace of the remainder of the oriental party of the city while going to run along its southern angle, separating it from the crowned district.

In 331, the Empire achéménide falls between the hands from the king Macedonian Alexandre Large the after the victory from Gaugamèles. Negotiations open between Alexandre and the aristocracy of Babylon. The city goes without engagements three weeks later and a satrap, rejoined with the sovereign Macedonian Mazaios, becomes the governor about it. Babylon seems accessible for the new winners, according to what report the chronicler Greek. Alexandre is skilful by ordering the restoration of the Esagil thus joining the priests of the worship of Marduk. Wishes-T' it to make its new conquest its capital? It is plausible because nowhere, according to Fifth-Curce, it does not reside also a long time in Asia. The last months of its reign seem devoted to the administration and work in the neighborhoods of the city. It also establishes a workshop of striking for the monetary emissions with its own type, the “alexandres”. It is finally in Babylon that he dies of disease, the June 10th 323 av. J-C., in the palate that had built and lived Nabuchodonosor II, and which he had perhaps undertaken to restore.

The new Master of Mésopotamie, Séleucos I {{er}} seizes Babylon in 312 av. J-C. but prefers to build a new capital, Séleucie of the Tiger and does not hesitate to use construction materials taken in Babylon. But the kings Séleucides are always respectful prestigious city, and they restore some of its monuments, and leave him the statute of provincial capital, which does not prevent it from declining. Babylon is promoted with the row of city, undoubtedly under Antiochos IV (towards 170), and the texts wedge-shaped then speak about puliṭē or puliṭānu (“citizens”, politai ), but it remains very little hellenized, in spite of the construction of a theater (called in Akkadien bīt tamartu , “house/place where one sees”).

Esagil preserves an important weight. It is directed by šatammu (administrator) and kiništu (council) which manages an always important field land, and are charged with the organization of the worship of the other temples of the city. Its wedge-shaped files remain of rather significant number compared to the other towns of Babylonia where they are dried up gradually, and inform about its pertaining to worship and economic activities. It is of this temple that is resulting Bérose, priest which tries to make known ancient civilization mésopotamienne with the Greeks, in his Babyloniaka.

End of ancient Babylon

Parthes arsacides seize the power in Babylonia between 141 and 122. Babylon continues its decline, but remains the academy of ancient civilization mésopotamienne, and it is of Esagil that the last document written in Cunéiforme comes, an astrological shelf of 67 a. J. - C. Pline Old the writes about the same time that the temple continues to be active, although the city is in ruins. It seems that the urban population definitively gives up the site at the second century of the Christian era. With the site of the city farmers settle who use bricks of the ziggourat to enrich their grounds and plant palm plantations in the middle of the old commercial district. From now on Babylon is relegated to the row of myth, which will ensure its survival in the memories before its setting the day by the archeologists of the contemporary time, privilege shared per few of other cities of ancient Mésopotamie.

Babylon de Nabuchodonosor II

As it was known as higher, the old levels of Babylon could not be excavated, except for some residences Paléo-Babylonian born. The main part of the released levels go back at the néo-Babylonian period (624-539) and the beginning of the period Achéménide (539-331). This state of the city east nevertheless for a great part a heritage of the previous periods, as indicates it the topographic text TINTIR. Great installations are however carried out by Nabopolassar and especially Nabuchodonosor II, which give to the city its final aspect.

Ramparts

The external enclosure includes the city on bank is Euphrate. Its contours are of triangular form. It includes the part is interior city. It consists of a succession of three walls, that of the most solid medium, being separated by a ditch. In front of them, a 50 meters length ditch filled with water had been dug. On the fortifications, 120 defensive towers were distributed every 50 meters. The wall does not seem to have included all the part of the city located at the east of Euphrate, and was cut by places.

The external wall was made up of two walls delimiting a rectangular space of approximately 3 kilometers out of 2. The first walls was named Imgur-Enlil (“Enlil showed its favor”), and the second Nimit-Enlil (“Rampart of Enlil”). In front of them, three other less imposing walls followed the layout of a 50 meters broad ditch, filled with water. These walls were they also defended by turns of duty, and even by two fortresses, close to the southern Palate, the other in the north of the wall, close to the northern Palate.

Walls of Babylon were bored by eight doors monumental, known not TINTIR, which gives their name, which is except in a case that of a divinity (who has a protective function), as well as a “crowned name” putting the emphase on their defensive role:

Door of Urash, “the enemy is to him being repugnant to”;
Door of Zababa, “It hates its attackers”;
Door of Marduk, “Its Lord is shepherd”;
Door of Ishtar, “Ishtar overcomes its attacker”;
Door of Enlil, “Enlil makes it shine”;
Porte of the King, “That its founder thrives! ”;
Door of Adad, “O Adad, protects the life from the troops! ”;
Door of Shamash, “O Shamash, supports troops! ”.

Most famous is the Porte of Ishtar, whose panels of decorations out of blue or green frozen bricks represented lions, bulls or dragons. It bordered the royal palaces, and opened on the principal processional way of the city (each door opening on one as of these avenues).

Plan and town planning of the interior city

The heart of Babylon is the interior city, surrounded by the interior wall, on nearly 500 hectares. One found there all the monuments which made the size of the city, and which filled with wonder so much at travellers.

The internal city is divided into ten districts. Most important are Eridu, Shuanna and KA.DINGIRRA, located side by side along bank is of Euphrate. Eridu holds its name of the sumérienne city of Eridu, great religious center, city of Enki/Ea, father of Marduk. It is the crowned district of the city, where the Esagil is, the temple of the national god Marduk, as well as the ziggurat Etemenanki, the “Tower of Babel”, and other temples. In the north of Eridu, the district KA.DINGIRRA, where some temples are, but especially two palates of Nabuchodonosor II, the Southern Palate and the Northern Palate, as well as space nowadays named Merkès , a residential district. Shuanna was another district of habitat, where in particular the family of Egibi business men resided.

To the old city, near to the river and consisted of sinuous and narrow streets, are added, in north east of the city opposite KA.DINGIRRA and Eridu, of the districts characterized by large avenues cutting itself to right angles, in a kind of checkerboard plan. The sale contracts of the houses located on these axes of circulation call the latter “sees passage of the king and gods” ( mutaq šarri U ilāni ). They are great processional ways. Most famous is called “Can the arrogant enemy not succeed” ( Ay-ibur-šabu ) and leaves the Porte of Ishtar to the enclosure external of Esagil. The flagstones which pave the ground of this street are in the name of Nabuchodonosor. In south-east, one finds the districts of Kullab (taking again the name of a large district of Uruk) and of TE.E^KI.

Along left bank a brick quay and a wall protect the two palates from the king as well as the district of the temples and the commercial district. Moreover one bridge into hard (wood and cooked bricks), one of only of the the Middle East, makes it possible to connect near the Esagil and of the Etemenanki the two banks. In order to avoid the floods and to protect the city Nabuchodonosor makes build an enormous brick shelf in order to break the force of the current and to force the river to make an elbow.

The excavations in the district of Shuanna show that certain houses reach sometimes 400 m ². However the density of the frame is variable and more one moves away from the river plus urban fabric is discontinuous, with true zone of cultures in his center. It is thus particularly difficult to know the precise number of the inhabitants of the Babylonian metropolis because in addition to the strong inequalities between districts it is necessary to take into account the personnel of the palate and the temples, difficult to evaluate, as well as the presence of many deportees consequence of the wars of the Babylonian sovereigns. Moreover the presence of foreign tradesmen is proven without it being possible to make an estimate of it.

By borrowing the bridge that Nabuchodonosor made build on Euphrate, one reached the western part of the internal city, with the districts of Bab-Lugalgirra, of the KUMAR, Tuba, the last with the illegible name since the text TINTIR, giving the name of the districts of the city is cracked at this place. One knows few things about the districts other than the three first, since they do not have summers excavated because of their weak archaeological attraction.

The crowned district

TINTIR gives the names of 43 temples located inside Babylon, including 13 for the only “crowned district”, Eridu. Those which were excavated and identified, out of the complex of Marduk, proved to be the temples of:

Ninmah, l'É.MAH (“exaltée House”);
Nabû ša hare , l'É.NIG.GIDAR.KALAM.MA.SUM.MA (“House which grants the sceptre of the Earth”);
Ashratum, l'É.HI.LI.KALAM.MA (“House of the abundance of the Earth”);
the Lady of Akkad (a hypostasis of Ishtar), É.MAŠ.DA.RI (“House of the animal offerings”);
Ishkhara, É.ŠÀ.SUR.RA (“House of the Uterus”);
Ninurta, É.HUR.SAG.TIL.LA (“House which exterminates the mountains”).

They all are built according to the same plan, around a central court opening on the vault sheltering the statue of the divinity.

The principal pertaining to worship whole of Babylon east that dedicated to the god of the city, Marduk, l' É.SAG.ÍL (something like “House with the head high”). Its dimensions are of approximately 180 m out of 125 m, which in fact a complex of big size, but according to data collected on a metrological shelf it would comprise buildings in addition to those located by the archeologists. The principal wing of the building measured approximately 85 X 79 m, and was organized around a central court opening on interior rooms. The cellae of Marduk, like that of its parèdre Zarpanitum and their son Nabû were in the rooms located at the west. One reached it by four large doors. Another court bordered its east coast, which was undoubtedly used as place at the large assembly of the gods, and another court was in the south of the building. The temple, organized around these three courses, was to have the shape in “L”.

In the north of Esagil was the Ziggurat É.TEMEN.AN.KI , “House-base of the Sky and the Earth”, last with the posterity under the name of Tower of Babel. It was in an enclosure of more than 400 m on side. Its base was square, of approximately 91 m on side, and a monumental staircase led to its top since the southern part, which one found the traces of advanced on 52 Mr. the ziggurat was described in a metrological text, the Tablette of Esagil , which one found a copy of the 3rd century, but whose original undoubtedly dated from the néo-Babylonian period. One could estimate that the ziggurat rose on 90 meters in height, and included/understood seven stages. The high temple sheltered the gods of Babylon (Marduk, its parèdre and their son), as well as the large “triad” mésopotamienne, Anu, Enlil and Ea. Various attempts at reconstitution of its appearance were made.

Royal palaces

Three principal royal palaces functioned in Babylon at the time of Nabuchodonosor II: the Northern Palate, the Southern Palate and the Palate of Summer.

The Southern Palate, “Palate of the amazement of the people”, is embedded in the wall Imgur-Enlil . It is a vast building of trapezoidal form, measuring 322 X 190 m, in which one reached by a monumental door located at the east. It was organized around five large courses following one another of is in west. The two first served the rooms intended for the administrative and economic businesses, and the third court, in the center of the building, which is vastest of all (66 X 55 m), opened on its southern part towards the throne room, measuring 52 X 17 Mr. His walls were decorated with glaçurées bricks. The Western part was to constitute the “private” part of the palate. The building counted at least an upper floor. It was about the privileged place of residence of the king. Nabuchodonosor had associated there with the west a “bastion” of rectangular form (230 X 110 m), which overflowed on the river of which it blocked the course, obliging with a refitting of the quay.

The Northern Palate, or principal Palate, “Large palace”, are built at the time of Nabuchodonosor with horse on the ramparts, just in the north of the Southern Palate. Only its north-eastern part was excavated. It had a rectangular form, of approximately 180 X 120 m, and was organized around two large courses. A “bastion” with the very thick walls had been built at the same time as the palate, on its northern side.

The Palate of Summer (“Lives Nabuchodonosor! Long life with that which protects Esagil! ”) is another construction of Nabuchodonosor II, dating from the end of its reign. It is located close to the external enclosure, 2 km in the north of both others. There remain only its bases. This building of square form (250 m on side) was strengthened later by the Parthes.

“Hanging gardens”

As of the first excavation campaigns, one sought the “wonder of the world” of Babylon: the Hanging gardens that Nabuchodonosor would have made build for his wife Mède, nostalgic of its green native land. These efforts were vain, so much so that one wondered whether one did not have there to see a plot moreover of the Greek authors in connection with Mésopotamie, the more so as their accounts agree very little (but for once Hérodote is not there for nothing, considering it does not speak about it). These gardens are mentioned in no Babylonian text, and one could propose that there had been confusion with those whose the sources speak about the capitals Assyrie. The mystery remains…

Heurs and misfortunes of Babylon at the time contemporary

Plan of the current site

The current site of Babylon is divided into several sectors, the majority coinciding with the such distinct ones. Babil is located at the site of the old Northern Palate, therefore with the septentrional entry of the site. The Qasr includes/understands inter alia the royal palace and the Door of Ishtar. The ruins of the sanctuary of Marduk are with Amran Ibn `Ali , beside the Sahn , the hole left by the ruins of the ziggurat, and bordered by the Merkès in the east, where are the ruin of a residential district. The stones intended for the rebuilding of the ziggurat constitute the Tel. of Humra (also including/understanding the ruins of the theater hellenistic). Ishin Aswad is with the site of the old district of Shuanna.

Redécouverte and excavations

The site of the site of Babylon was never really lost, and, from time immemorial, the explorers having visited the area were delayed on the site, some concerning inscriptions and bringing back them in their country. At the time of the first excavations carried out in Mésopotamie, the city only was little visited, since one concentrated then especially on the Assyrie. The release of the city, from its immense prestige, appeared moreover in advance a harassing spot, than little planned to undertake.

French Jules Oppert was the first to be ventured on the site in 1852. But it carried out only surface excavations. It was the same for English Henry Rawlinson and its associate Iraqi Hormuzd Rassam, who visited the site in 1854 and 1876.

It is finally German Robert Johann Koldewey who decided to excavate the city, with his new completely innovative scientific methods by their rigor and their results, very carried towards the release of architectural remainders, rather than of works of art (Koldewey having a training of architect). It arrived on the site in 1899 with his collaborator Walter Andrae. Helped of the locations carried out by its predecessors, as of the traditional works (which appeared not very reliable), it concentrated on the principal districts of the city, Eridu, Ka-dingirra and Shuanna, released the principal monuments of the city, and drew up the plans of this one. It could excavate only the monuments of the néo-Babylonian time, those of the previous times having been destroyed for various reasons. It set out again in 1917, after having carried out a remarkable work, this excavation having been used a long time as reference. Other forwardings were carried out later by German (years 1960), Italian (1974 and 1987), and Iraqi (since 1958).

The rebuilding under Saddam Hussein

Babylon, just like the past preislamic of the Iraq in general, was not the subject political of recovery before the seizure of power by Saddam Hussein. This last exchange this situation, while being attached to this past illustrates for needs for nationalist propaganda, while being presented in the form of a successor of Hammurabi, Nabuchodonosor II (and also of Assyrian sovereigns). That involves the beginning of programmes of rebuilding of ancient monuments, of which Babylon, which was the subject already of a restoration before. The walls of certain monuments are restored, part of the walls, with the door of Ishtar, and certain buildings are completely rebuilt (like the temple of Ninmah), Saddam Hussein leaving even inscriptions of foundation as the former Babylonian sovereigns did it. It is also made build a palate near the palate of Babylon. This company ensures the tourist success of Babylon, but is strongly criticized by the archeologists, because it prevents the excavations on most of the site, and degrades the old monuments. Consequently, the site is displaced World heritage of UNESCO.

“Camp Alpha”

But degradations of the site of Babylon worsened following the Invasion of Iraq of 2003 by the American armies. Indeed, the site of Babylon is selected to establish a military base, named “Camp alpha”, including a military Héliport in particular. These activities damaged certain buildings, which had with the presence of military vehicles (hélocoptères, armor-plated with caterpillars), of a consequent population, and especially with important excavation work. Trenches are dug on archeological sites, the pavement of the processional Way is damaged not the vehicles. The site is then transferred under the responsibility of the Polish army, without degradations not stopping. Certain ancient works were thus removed, to undoubtedly be resold on the market of antiquities which is in full rise since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Babylon and Christian eschatology

Babylon represents symbolically, in the book of the Apocalypse, the mercantile, declining, dehumanized and perverted Western company, the repressive system, any form of oppressive authority (police force, army, financial capacity, political power, etc). Nevertheless, the Bible, which will make of it the symbol of corruption and decline, will transmit of it the memory and the prestige to us which survived its fall.

The ancient pagan city of Babylon fought the Hebrew and the latter there were off-set and reduced to the slavery of force after their defeat, because they had disobeyed the Babylonian gods and more precisely Mardouk.

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