Few believed me at the time. 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. It was a unique feat of engineering and architecture built in the city of Babylon, located near modern-day Baghdad, Iraq. Now, he said, its difficult to stop even clearly illegal building. Jeff Allen has been working on the Babylon site since 2009. True, neither the city nor the country is what they will one day be. On a recent weekend, Ahmed Juwad and his college friends stopped to take selfies as they strolled down the processional way, where Babylonian kings paraded statues of their gods and goddesses. A century ago, German archaeologists carted off the most significant parts of the city. From its peak as the Neo-Babylonian capital under King Nebuchadnezzar through its heavy-handed 1987 reconstruction by Saddam Hussein to its post-invasion demise when American and Polish troops ran roughshod over its ruins and ISIS threatened its very existence, the ancient city has witnessed empires come and go. I first saw Babylon in the 1990s. From its very beginnings, the Future of Babylon project considered not only immediate conservation needs but also the future of heritage preservation in Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar II, the most powerful king of the Neo-Babylon Empire, rebuilt Babylon into a magnificent city. This winter normally peak season because of the cool weather the pandemic affected the numbers and about 10,000 came. Inhabitants 2. In the early 20th century, German archeologists recovered remnants of the Processional Way and reconstructed its blue-glazed tile murals at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Babylon's remains, mounds of mud-brick buildings spread over about 30 square kilometers, are in present-day Iraq, south of Baghdad. Starting in 1983, Saddam Hussein, imagining himself as heir to Nebuchadnezzar, ordered the rebuilding of Babylon. But it's never been listed as a modern World Heritage Site by the United Nations. Today, there are many countries or groups of countries (e.g. The location of the ziggurat said to have been the Tower of Babel described in the Old Testament has also never been established. How will Babylon, Iraq, be converted to the "Great City" of Revelation 17-18?2. LEFT: Workers, Inhabitants, Arabs, begin work on excavating the Ishtar Gate in 1902. "And they will not take from you even a stone for a corner, Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. So it looked more like an archaeological site than it did a minimal correctional facility. ISIS-led genocide. 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. Your IP: It is a clue to God's timetable because when the Temple is rebuilt the Antichrist will be set to confirm the covenant with Israel and begin the last 7 years of history for this age. Babylon, being in the middle of the desert, had no such natural greenery, however; calling into question of how such lushness would have survived in the dryness of the desert. During the reign of Saddam Hussein, major reconstruction was carried out at Babylon and an opulent palace was built on a hill overlooking the ancient city, parts of which were reconstructed. Why is the city of Babylon uninhabited? It will include 2.8 million square feet of new office space distributed across three 22-story buildings. The Bible doesn't. Growth will surge. Evil Babylon, the antithesis of Jerusalem, the good city, prompted its own literature in the 1990s, and [Tim] LaHayes tens of millions of readers praised his series as making the Bible and its supposed predictions come alive, sniped Phillips in his own 2006 book, American Theocracy,in which he mocked prophecy believers who accept the biblical view that Babylon will one day actually be rebuilt on its ancient ruins.. Ruling from 605 to 562 B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar extended the Babylonian empire across Egypt, Syria and the Kingdom of Judah, where he seized Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E., capturing tens of thousands of Israelites and dragging them off to Babylon as forced laborers where the Bible tells us they "wept" in exile by its rivers. There IS a buildup of Babylon going on today, and for the past 1000 years. ARRAF: The salt is from groundwater trapped by modern concrete, added in damaging 1980s reconstruction. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation;" (Isaiah 13:19-20; Jer 51:37, 62) This prophecy is Simply and Literally stated. While Babylon itself is mainly a ruin, it's located just a few miles from the modern city of Hilla (or al-Hillah) which has a population of about 500,000 people. WMF has been working with Iraqs State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) since 2009 on the Future of Babylon project, including Ishtar Gate. Is Babylon inhabited today? All that caused significant damage, a British Museum report found. Click to reveal Saddam Hussein, who saw himself as the successor to King Nebuchadnezzar, in the 1980s built a large palace overlooking the excavated remains. He extended his empire across Syria, Egypt and the Kingdom of Judah. European Union) advocating for "open borders" which basically says ANYONE can come here to live, work and play. Kevin Phillips, the best-selling author and former Republican strategist, was one such skeptic, among many. The Babylonian kingdom fell to pieces and the city wouldn't return to glory for more than 1,000 years. For more than a decade, WMF has continued to implement the Babylon site management plan, undertaking conservation work at specific sites within the archaeological park such as assisting with the conservation and stabilization of the Lion of Babylon. It was great and terrible Nebuchadnezzar II who rebuilt Babylon as a magnificent paean to the creator god Marduk. I should acknowledge up front that those who reject the teachings of the Bible understandably have a difficult time imagining a season of peace and prosperity emerging in Iraq. To his credit, his budget for upkeep was much higher than the one currently managed by the Iraqi government, but his labour of love and self-aggrandisementhe had stones inscribed with his name as in other ancient sitesalso involved much heavy-handed reconstruction in the 1980s and 90s, often using cement bricks and other inappropriate building materials. A visitor now to the site about 50 miles south of Baghdad sees a mostly reconstructed outline of a small part of the city including the walls that once supported the Ishtar Gate. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built and rebuilt over the course of many years . Nevertheless, many theories persisted regarding the structure and location of the gardens. A replica of the Ishtar Gate built in the 1950s, when Iraq first started developing the remains of Babylon as a tourist site. Anyone can read what you share. HERE and HERE My eyes simply don't see that, either today, or throughout history "from generation to generation", as prophesied in the passage. It will be a place for creatures of the night. Olof Pedersen, a professor of Assyriology in Sweden, expects there are wonders underneath. The antiquities are beautiful, said Mr. Juwad, 23, an art student. One may take PHOTOGRAPHS of Inhabitants , etc. To put it briefly, the Mesopotamian capital moved from Babylon to Seleucia-Ctesiphon to Baghdad. Isaiah 13:19. Skeptics and cynics abound, but there is growing evidence the Iraqi government is serious about rebuilding this ancient wonder of the world. Will original Babylon rise up again to exist as the leading city of the Antichrist at the End Time?PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF THAT BABYLON OF CHALDEA MUST RISE AGAINAfter its Final Destruction, Babylon of Chaldea, will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. This prophecy has never been fulfilled. That is "not what my eyes see" in light of the actual data. Furthermore, the prophecies of Babylon's "utter destruction" and "complete desolation" have never been fulfilled. A fascinating story is being written in the shifting sands of Arabia. Is Babylon, Iraq, that "great city" of "Babylon" mentioned 5 times in Revelation 18? Like many Iraqis, he feels Babylons past is not just ancient history but his history. Cyrus II, the Persian conqueror, invaded Babylon, then largely ignored it during his rule. ARRAF: That damage is part of the reason Babylon hasn't met criteria of UNESCO, the U.N. culture organization, to list it as a World Heritage Site. Copyright 2018 NPR. ( Isaiah 47:5) Like the Egyptian and . An Iraqi conservation worker removing a layer of modern clay from a wall of the Ninmakh Temple in Babylon, revealing some of the original 2,500-year-old brick. With support from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy Baghdad,, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and the J. M. Kaplan Fund. ARRAF: For all its importance to the ancient world, only about 10 percent of it has been excavated. Slowly but surely, we are seeing the Bible prophecies regarding Babyloncome to pass. Ellsworth Kelly Foundation generously supported the development of this site. Rather than Babylon simply being a tourist-attraction of Hillah, Babylon was in fact a system and it is where Nimrod became the leader of all people at the time and gathered them for the purpose of building the ziggurat known as Babel. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 2570 BC and is still standing today. In 2009 CE, the local government of Babylon opened the city to the public. No. During the 8-year-long war between Iraq and Iran, however, all such work ground to a halt. Rev 16:19 - The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. History shows that every single one of these prophecies remains unfulfilled. 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. But there's almost nobody here. As soaring melodies from a concert at the amphitheatre built by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, on the ruins of a third-century BC foundation, drifted over from the newly revived Babylon festival, the WMF programme director Jeff Allen toldThe Art Newspaper: The project will help usher in new tourism initiatives designed to enhance the visitor experience and help the local economy. 3. yet there are PHOTOGRAPHS of Inhabitants at Babylon. Unemployment will plummet. 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. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the . After a solid sacking by the Parthians in the second century C.E., Babylon never made a comeback. During his more than twenty years in power, Saddam worked toward rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon. Brick reliefs of bulls and dragons, referencing Marduk the supreme god of Babylon and facing incoming visitors to protect the city from evils, look on as repairs to a dangerous staircase make the area a safer experience for tourists. Babylon was the capital city of the ancient Babylonian Empire, which itself is a term referring to either of two separate empires in the Mesopotamian area in antiquity. Desolate Desert (no greenery; trees, gardens, groves) 5. As to what knowledge or treasures might be down there, he said, its a very simple answer no one knows., In Beleaguered Babylon, Doing Battle Against Time, Water and Modern Civilization, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/world/middleeast/babylon-iraq-archeology-conservation.html. Many historians now believe that the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon may actually have been built 300 miles (482 kilometers) away in Nineveh by King Sennacherib of the Assyrian Empire, rather than Nebuchadnezzar. By the beginning of the 21st century, the site of the Hanging Gardens had not yet been conclusively established. The production of the new bricks, sized and coloured to match the original Babylonian ones (the Hussein-era ones were too small and not the right shade) is simultaneously reviving traditional masonry and training new practitioners. This, then, is PHOTOGRAPHIC-PROOF that Babylon has NOT YET met its Final Destruction. Therefore, Babylon of Chaldea, Iraq, must Rise Up to meet that Final Destruction. They clearly contradict the scene in Isaiah 13:19-20, where we read, And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Allen calls training local technicians to conserve the site the future of Babylon. This is another key event for everyone to really keep an eye on. Universal peace will follow the destruction. 3. Cultural, religious, archeological, and biblical tourism is a big opportunity for Iraq, Allawi told me. The sites remains were first excavated by Robert Koldewey, a German architect, at the end of the nineteenth century. Iraqi university students on their first visit to Babylon. Mecca, it is both a "city" and a "tower": In total, Saddam Hussein spent over 20 years rebuilding the city of Babylon, and probably got about half of it rebuilt before he was taken out in the war with Iraq. Everywhere you look goes back to the history of some of the earliest civilizations. The nearest modern town is Hillah, which is the capital of the Governorate. Today there are 193 members, representing countries from all over the world. (Washington, D.C., June 29, 2009) -- Keep your eye on Iraq. A reconstructed Ishtar Gate using many of the original glazed tiles is a centerpiece of Berlins Pergamon Museum. For instance, when Saddam Hussein was in power, he vowed to rebuild Babylon and make it the great city it . Just days after Hammurabi's death, Babylon's old enemies declared their independence and readied their armies for invasion. You can see the rebuilt ruins from Saddam Hussein's area. People have lived there and are still living there today. UNESCO has even printed up a snazzy brochure, with Babylon listed as the premier destination, to hand out to wealthy donors.. The ancient city of Babylon plays a major role in the Bible, representing a rejection of the One True God. The rebuilding of Babylon by Don Koenig Scripture says Babylon will be completely destroyed and no one will ever live there again. Jesus will come at the end of this 7 years to claim His throne and begin His 1000 year millennial reign. How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work. Still, since the publication of Epicenter sixteen years ago, the skeptics and cynics certainly seem to have had the upper hand. Most of Babylon was rebuilt by Saddam Hussein on its old foundations, but pictured here is the original Ishtar gate Credit: Getty - Contributor. As part of its work at Ishtar Gate and Ninmakh Temple, WMF continues to train locally employed technicians and conservators and to conduct outreach to craftspeople in nearby communities to facilitate their involvement in the preservation process. Tracking news and events in the Middle East and North Africa for the worlds 600 million Evangelicals launching on September 1st! BABYLON IS BEING REBUILT, JUST AS PROPHESIED. A story that will confound atheists and agnostics. In 538BC " Darius the Median " captured Babylon (Daniel 5:31). 1. Has Babylon of Chaldea (Iraq) been Replaced?4. The World Monuments Fund assisted in the conservation of the famous Lion of Babylon Photo: Hadani Ditmars. , It was one of the cities founded by King Nimrod, according to Genesis 10:9-10. What else can you see in Babylon? Whats more, the Obama Administrationis contributing $700,000 towards The Future of Babylon Project, through the State Departments budget., In January 2011, I shared with my readers an intriguing articlepublished by the New York Times about Iraqs latest efforts topreserve, protect, restore and then rebuild the ancient city of Babylon and make it a draw for tourists, with U.S. taxpayer assistance., The Babylon project is Iraqs biggest and most ambitious by far, a reflection of the ancient citys fame and its resonance in Iraqs modern political and cultural heritage, the Times reported, noting that the State Department had announced a new $2 million grant to begin work to preserve the sites most impressive surviving ruins. Of some of the Neo-Babylon Empire, rebuilt Babylon into a magnificent city Iraqi government is about! 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