Read by: Stephen Paul Aulridge Jr
Language: English
Length: 1 hour and 11 minutes
Publisher: Hourly History
Release date: 2019-02-04
Of all the cities of ancient Mesopotamia, Babylon is virtually the only one still remembered today. The very word Babylon has entered the lexicon of popular understanding as a synonym for decadence and wealth. But what do we really know about the history of this once mighty city?
Inside you will read about:
Babylon first became important in the 18th century BCE under the rule of King Hammurabi. However, it barely survived his death before it was conquered, first by the Hittites and then by the Assyrians. In the seventh century BCE, the city was completely destroyed after it rebelled against Assyrian rule, and it wasn’t until the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II that it once again became the heart of a large empire. After that, it was conquered by the Persians and finally, in the fourth century BCE, by Alexander the Great.
Alexander planned to make Babylon the capital of his mighty empire, but he died in the city under mysterious circumstances before this was done. After his death, Babylon entered a period of decline from which it never recovered, until by the seventh century CE, it was no more than a source of bricks for local builders.
How did this happen? How did this city rise to great power and then fall to become nothing but a memory? Why do we remember the name of Babylon when the names of all the other great cities of ancient Mesopotamia have been forgotten? This is the story of Babylon.