Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-03-25
THE BABYLON OF TO-DAY.

eo-uity, WHICH, III eAUenJ seem TO warrant
the most extravagant descriptions of the
glories of Babylon under the successive
dynasties of the Assyrians, the Chalde-
ans, and the Persians.
Coming from Bagdad, which in
direct line is forty-four miles distant,
three immense mounds appear in success
sion, which have the appearance of nat
ural hills. But close examination shows
that they are composed of bricks, and are
the remains of large buildings These
are on the eastern side of the Euphrates,
and the largest is about $50 feet in
height. They are supposed to be an an
Gent citadel that defended this part of
the town, the royal palace, and temple.
How immense must the original build
ings have been, when it is considered
that these mounds have been the store
bricks of the finest description have been
taken to build the great cities of Ctesi-
phon, Selucia, and Bagdad. Fragments
of alabaster vessels and images, fine
earthenware, marble, and great quanti-
ties of enameled tiles, the glazing and
| coloring of which are still surprisingly
fresh, can yet be found in these mounds.
On the face of every brick is stamped in
cuneifOrm characters the name and titles
of Nebuchadnezzar. They are all laid
face downward, and the cement in which
they are imbedded is so hard that they
difficulty. Near these ruins are the re-
mains of pillars and buttresses that sup
ported the celebrated hanging gardens
and terraces which were numbered among
the wonders of the world. Among
these ruins stands a solitary tree of
species STANCE to this country. 1t bears
every mark of a great antiquity, its
originally enormous trunk being worn
away and shattered 10y time, while its
spreading evergreen branches, adorned
with tress-ike tendrils, are very beau
tiful. This Is perhaps the last descend
ant of trees that decorated the hanging
garden of the Chaldean monarchs. The
Arabs have tradition that this tree was
saved by God at the general destruction
of the city, that Ali might rest beneath
its shade after the defeat of the enemies
of the prophet at the great battle of
Hileah. The enormous stone lion de-
scribed by Rich still lies half buried in
the ruins. Some imaginative travellers
see In the group representation of
Daniel in the lions den, as it stands
over man with outstretched arms. On
the western bank of the river, and sew
eral miles below the ruins above de-
scribed, is the largest monument that
yet remains of ancient Babylon. 1t has
the appearance of an immense oblong
hill. 1t is nearly half a mile In circum-
ference at the base, and rises about 10
feet above the plain. Upon its summit
is a tower forty feet high, of beautiful
masonry. The whole mound is COM
posed of kiln-burnt bricks, and the ruin
upon the top appears to have formed the
angle of some square building, originally
of much greater height. This ruin is
rent nearly from top to bottom,
as if struck by lightning. This
great mound is called Birs MINI
roud, palace of Nimrod," by the
Arabs. By the Jews it is called the
Prison of Nebuchadnezzar. But most
Christian travellers recognize this rs the
vsritable remains of the Tower of Babel.
1t can be seen many miles across the
plain, and was pointed out to me while
it seemed but speck upon the horizon.
Fragments of stone, marble and basalt
are scattered among the rubbish at its
base, and show that it was adorned by
other materials beside the kiln-burnt
bricks of which it was composed. The
cement which connects the bricks Is SO
hard that it is impossible to detach one
entire from the mass, and shows the per-
fection of Babylonian masonry. An
early traveller says: "The Tower of
Nimrod is sublime even in its ruins.
Clouds play about its SUBMITS. Its re-
cesses are inhabited by lions" Thus the
words of the prophet are fulfilled
"Wild beasts of the desert shall lie there
Jackals shall feed in their palaces, and
the wild beasts in their pleasant places.
Within sight from the top of Birs MIN
roud is the shrine of Nejif, sacred to the
Jews as the tomb of Ezekiel, and few
miles beyond it in the same direction is
Kifil, where Ali was buried. After his
death, in accordance with the orders he
had given, his devoted followers placed
his body upon his favorite mare, and
buried it on the spot where she laid down
to rest. A splendid mosque covers his
remains, and q large town, half buried