The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-08-11
Misfellaneous.
The City Of Babylon.

MS great clty was one OF the Won
ders Of the ancient world. The city
was situated in vast plain. We learn
"A good many particulars Of its grandeur
from Herodotus, the celebrated an.
cieut historian. According to him
aud he is generally regarded as the
best authority-it was in form of per.
feet square, aud was upwards of fifty
miles IN circuit. 1t was surrounded
BY wide and deep ditch, lined with
brick.work and full of water, aud the
soil dug out was made into bricks, with
which the wall was built eighty seven
feet thick aud three hundred aud tity
feet high. The bricks were baked in
furnaces, and hot bitumen was used to
cement them together. At every thirty
l,yers of bricks, layer Ct reeds was
placed The sides of the ditch were
first built in this manuer, aud then
the walls above them. In the walls
there were hundred gates, twenty five
on each side. All these gates were
made of solid brass, aud of prodigious
size and strength.
The Euphrates ran through the city.
dividing it into two parts. In the wall
lining the river there were smaller gates.
also Of brass, from which steps conduct.
ed down to the stream. Between every
two of the great gates there were three
watch.towers, ten feet higher than the
walls, with four such towers at each of
the four angles of the wall, aud three
more between each Of those angles and
the next adjoining gate on either side.
There were, however, but two hundred
and fifty towers in all, as they were
omitted on that side where the morasses
rendered such protection unnecessary.
The grand square was divided into
twenty-five grand streets, which inter.
sected each other, thus parting the city
into six hundred aud twenty six squares.
Each OF the stress went quite across the
city in straight line, extending from
principal gate on one side to another on
tho opposite side. The vast squares
formed by the intersections Of the
streets were not built upon, but were
laid out in gardens and pleasure
grounds; and the houses that lined the
streets stood at some distance from each
other, and were of three and four stor.
les in height, adorned with all the splen.
dor OF the ancient and oriental taste.
AT each end of the bridge was mag.
nihcent palace. The old palace was
situated on the east side Of the river,
and the new palace on the west side
The former OF these palaces took up
four OF the squares already spoken OF,
and the other, nine of these squares,
The temple of Belus, which stood next
to the old palace, occupied another
square. The old city lay on the east
side Of the rivers the'new city, built by
Nebuchaduezzar, on the west side. Both
cities were included in the circuit of
fifty miles.
10 ill the immese city with inhabit.
ants, Nebuchadnezzar carried thithcr a
multitude Of captives from Judea and
other countries which he conquered.
But he failed in carrying out his great
plan. The city never was supplied with
Inhabitants according to its capacity.
This great monarch died before he had
time to carry out his plan; and twenty.
five years after his death the royal seat
OF the empire was moved from Babylon
to Sheesan (the Chusan of scripture)
by Cyrus, which put an end to the
growing glory OF the former city, and it
never fourished afterward.
The temple of Belps was constructed
by Nebuchadpezzar on the ancient
structure supposed to be the tower OF
Babel. The original tower was square,
aud was half a mile in circuit 1t con.
sisted of eight towers, one built above
the other. IL was certainly one of the
most wonderful works in the world, not
excepting the largest of the pyramids.
The perpendicular measure of the great
pryamid is but four hundred and eigh.
ty.oue feet, whereas the tower was
nearly six hundred feet in breadth.
The upper part of the temple, as fitted
up by Nebcohaduezzar, was the place
the principal devotious were performed,
aud WAS held as exceedingly sacred.
An immese wall was built around the |
temple BY this monarch. Il was some |
two miles and a half in compass. In |
this wall were several gates, all of solid |
brass. The brazen sea and other bra. |
zen vessels which were carried to Baby.
Ion from tho temple Of Jerusalem, seems |
to have been employed in the consiruc-
tion of-these gates. |