Randolph journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1865-186?, 1866-12-27
CITIES OF THE BIBLE
"That Mighty City,"
ny JENNIE HARRISON.

About 400 years ago, a company OF
people, with proud hearts and great
desires, said among themselves: 'Iet
us build us city, and n tower whose
top may reach unto heaven, and let us
make us a name, lest we bo scattered
abroad upon the whole face of the
earth"
And they went 10 work, made brick
and mortar, and began their building.
But "the Lord came down 10 see the
city and tower which the children OF
men huildod.n And He ovcrthrew
their plans and caused them Ia speak
different languages, 30 that they could
not understand each other; and scat
tered them abroad upon the face of
earth. "And they left Oft 10 build the
city, Gen. H.
Did YOU ever think, my YOU friends,
how much We are like those early in-
habitants of the earth: We make
plans; we say to each other, LET us
do thus" we mean TO make ourselves
rich, or powerful, or happy in some
way of our own; and the Lord looks
down upon Us, and then suddenly his
hand is stretched out and our purposes
are all overilrown; 10 teach us-just as
He taught the people Of old-that We
are only little children of the great
wise Ruler who commands in heaven
and earth! Let us never forget, when
making our plans and wishes, to add
TO thcm.all, "if God wills"
The name of this city and tower,
built In ."the land of Shinar," was
Babel, which means confusion. The
land of Shinay is aftcrwar,l called i'm the
Bible Chaldena, or the land of the
Chaldeans, and Babel is called Raby-
lon. \ portion of the builders contin-
ucd To dwell in the place. 1t WAS not
an important city at first, but il after
ward become the capital of the king
dom of challie q, and grew in power
:
great city Babylon which is spoken
of so often i'm the latter part OF tic Old
+ Testament: city more magnificent
and more mighty than even thp "eN-
eeeding great Nincveh.
1t was built on both sides of the
river Euphrltes. and formed "a large
square enclosed with high walls,
! There are different accounts givan of
the size of these walls. They must
4 have enclosed at least a space Of more
than one hundred square miles, which
would make the city much larger than
London. Some ancient historians say
that the walls were three hundred feet
high and seventysfive feet broad; whiln
others use smaller numbers. We can
not know certainlgi yet we know that
both the "broad walls" and the "high
gatesn of Babylon arc mentilncd- in
the Bible. (Jer. 81 as.) In zach Of
the four sides pf tho wall were
twenty-five gates, with roads crossing
to the opposite gates; thus, squares
were formed on which the houses and
gardens woro made. These gates were
of brass.
The two pi.rts Of the city, made by
thenver Euphrptcs, ware connected
by stone bridge, The river was one
chief source Of the wealth and beauty
of Babylon. The water was dis
tributed over lhc city by canals,
causing great fertility and the
vegetable productions were very
abundant. The situation of the city
was also favorable for trade Tho
canals are supposed to be meant by the
''rivers of Babylon" spoken of in
Psalm 1877: !. And jeremiah says OF
tho city, ''Thou that dwelicst upon
many waters" Jcr. 81: lS.
Babylon reached the highest point
of its splendor and greatness during
the reign Of King Sebuohadnezzar; he
became king 0Oi years before Christ.
One of the first things which he did
was to rebuild the temple of Bel or
Belus, which was the chief idol of the
.Babylonians. 1t has been supposed
by many that the tower Of this great
temple was the tower of Babel, sfter
ward finished raere l. now a large
ruin on the western banks Of the Eh
pirates vldcl, is thought by some Il
, be the remains Of the temple. II i
called the Birs Nimroud; aah look,
like hill with sort Of castle on top
This is the principal suin left O
that mighty Babylon
Nebuehadnezzar also bunit himself
; splendid new palace. In the ground
Of this palace he formed Il 'hangin
= garden,v which was the wonder an
: admiration of all. This was n squar
mound four hundred feet each wa,
2 reached by sloping paths and suppor
q Cd by arched galleries. One of Il;
{ galleries contained the engines tha