The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-21

The writer in looking over Ancient
History. found The following facts
concerning Babylon.
Babylon formed an exact square. ]!
miles on each side. Its walls were s.
feet In thickness. so that several chart
OTIS could run abreast along their sum
NIT, and were reared to the height OF
85 feet0.
The vast ditch which encompassed
the walls had furnished the materla q
for the large bricks Of which 1t VIII
composed. aid which also formed the
lining OF the ditch. The layers q
bricks were cemented with btu men.
There were twenty five gates of brass.
on zach Of the four sides. forming the
approaches to corresponding number
OF streets. interseeting one another al
right angles, each street being IL
miles in length, and $50 feet In width
The city was divided into 676 squares.
each square being two miles and q
quarter in circuit. ".
stories high. The river Euphrates In.
tereected the city from north to south
and over II was erected magnliice. I
bridge. about quarter OF milo long.
ln the middle of the city was the TEN.
pie Of the god Belus. which occupied a
space OF half mile. Her hanging
gardens owe their origin to Nebu-
chadnezzar. They were 400 feet
square and were composed OF several
large terraces. the uppermost OF which
stood On level with the summit OF
the city walls. The ascent from one
teri AGO to another was by stairs cases
ten feet In width. This vast mass was
supported by large arc hes. built one
upon another. externally strengthen.
ell by wall ~ feet In thickness, cover
ed with stones, PUSHES. bitumea and
plates OF lead to prevent leaking.
On the highest terrace was an aque-
duct, supplied with water from tile
river by a pump, from whence the
whole gardens were watered. II lie
said that this splendid work was
built by NebuchadneLzer for his
wife Amytis, who had yearning for
the mountains and forests OF Media
Babylon at this time was the praise o.
the whole earth. the beauty Of TIL
Chaldeo's excellency. With all this
1t was with Babylon. US with ancient
Rome. 1t fell prey to the foe, when
Its greatness seemed consummated.
After tile city was finished by Nebu.
Ut was at first built by q
prince named Beius.) He said 10 moi
this great Babylon. that have built
Tor the house of the kingdom by The
might Of my power. and for the
honor OF my majesty
Scarcely had he uttered the Wanting
sxcln nation, while the words were IL
his mouth there fell voice from hea-
yen. saying Q king ACKNOWLEDGMENT
TO thee 1t ls spoken; the kingdom Ia
departed from thee. Aud they shall
drive thee from men, and thy dwell z
shall be with the beasts of the Hell,
they shall make thee to eat grass as
oxen. and seven times ehall pass over
Lhee until thou know that the Most
High iuleth In the Kingdom OF men,
and giveth 1t to whosover he will The
same hour was this fulfilled upol
Nebuchaduezzar. He did eat grsss IL,
)xen, and his body was wet with The
lew OF heaven. Till his hair was grown
Ike eagles feathers, and his nails like
birds claws. Daniel. 4, "a. 81.
At the expiration OF the time fore
old NebuchadneZZar awoke to con.
'clousness Of dawniDg reason and y
.lad heart that what God had told bin
VAS truth and those that walk In pride
10 10 able to abase. Now, right mindeG
,eopls would think that this fearful
:
lezzar to worship the true God. But
lot so; his repentance was short lived .
or soon after he erected gigantic
mage In the plains Of Dura, ami thu
ghole people recalled to the practic,
4 idolatry.
Yet there were three jewish captives
hat did not yield to idolatry and they
Vere ordered to be Gust into the fer
urnace; to the a6tonishm ent OF thosel
gho saw II the fire did them no harm.
howlng that the God In whom theyl
rusted was able to take care of them.
ven there. Northumberland dledt
DON after this. and with his death the
Tory OF Babylon departed. But not
ntil the reign of hadnezzar'sI
randson, Belshazzar, that Babylon
egan to experience the sad rsversesl
Ihich the prophets had long foretold.
hen Babylon was one Of the most
magnificent cities that ever existed,
ut now so RACED that Its situation is
OF certainly known. ."..