Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
babylon

more about babylon

babylon


  5  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Babylon 
  n  :  the  chief  city  of  ancient  Mesopotamia  and  capitol  of  the 
  ancient  kingdom  of  Babylonia  [syn:  {Babylon}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Babylon,  NY  (village,  FIPS  3408) 
  Location:  40.69595  N,  73.32715  W 
  Population  (1990):  12249  (4536  housing  units) 
  Area:  6.2  sq  km  (land),  0.9  sq  km  (water) 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  BABYLON 
 
  A  development  environment  for  {expert  system}s.  It  includes 
  {frame}s,  {constraint}s,  a  {prolog}-like  logic  formalism,  and 
  a  description  language  for  diagnostic  applications.  It 
  requires  {Common  Lisp}. 
 
  {(ftp://ftp.gmd.de/gmd/ai-research/Software/)} 
 
  (1995-02-08) 
 
 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Babylon 
  the  Greek  form  of  BABEL;  Semitic  form  Babilu  meaning  "The  Gate 
  of  God."  In  the  Assyrian  tablets  it  means  "The  city  of  the 
  dispersion  of  the  tribes."  The  monumental  list  of  its  kings 
  reaches  back  to  B.C.  2300,  and  includes  Khammurabi  or  Amraphel 
  (q.v.),  the  contemporary  of  Abraham.  It  stood  on  the  Euphrates, 
  about  200  miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Tigris,  which  flowed 
  through  its  midst  and  divided  it  into  two  almost  equal  parts 
  The  Elamites  invaded  Chaldea  (i.e.,  Lower  Mesopotamia,  or 
  Shinar,  and  Upper  Mesopotamia,  or  Accad,  now  combined  into  one) 
  and  held  it  in  subjection.  At  length  Khammu-rabi  delivered  it 
  from  the  foreign  yoke,  and  founded  the  new  empire  of  Chaldea 
  (q.v.),  making  Babylon  the  capital  of  the  united  kingdom.  This 
  city  gradually  grew  in  extent  and  grandeur,  but  in  process  of 
  time  it  became  subject  to  Assyria.  On  the  fall  of  Nineveh  (B.C. 
  606)  it  threw  off  the  Assyrian  yoke,  and  became  the  capital  of 
  the  growing  Babylonian  empire.  Under  Nebuchadnezzar  it  became 
  one  of  the  most  splendid  cities  of  the  ancient  world. 
 
  After  passing  through  various  vicissitudes  the  city  was 
  occupied  by  Cyrus,  "king  of  Elam,"  B.C.  538,  who  issued  a  decree 
  permitting  the  Jews  to  return  to  their  own  land  (Ezra  1).  It 
  then  ceased  to  be  the  capital  of  an  empire.  It  was  again  and 
  again  visited  by  hostile  armies,  till  its  inhabitants  were  all 
  driven  from  their  homes,  and  the  city  became  a  complete 
  desolation,  its  very  site  being  forgotten  from  among  men. 
 
  On  the  west  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  about  50  miles  south  of 
  Bagdad,  there  is  found  a  series  of  artificial  mounds  of  vast 
  extent.  These  are  the  ruins  of  this  once  famous  proud  city. 
  These  ruins  are  principally  (1)  the  great  mound  called  Babil  by 
  the  Arabs.  This  was  probably  the  noted  Temple  of  Belus,  which 
  was  a  pyramid  about  480  feet  high.  (2)  The  Kasr  (i.e.,  "the 
  palace").  This  was  the  great  palace  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  It  is 
  almost  a  square,  each  side  of  which  is  about  700  feet  long.  The 
  little  town  of  Hillah,  near  the  site  of  Babylon,  is  built  almost 
  wholly  of  bricks  taken  from  this  single  mound.  (3)  A  lofty 
  mound,  on  the  summit  of  which  stands  a  modern  tomb  called  Amran 
  ibn-Ali.  This  is  probably  the  most  ancient  portion  of  the 
  remains  of  the  city,  and  represents  the  ruins  of  the  famous 
  hanging-gardens,  or  perhaps  of  some  royal  palace.  The  utter 
  desolation  of  the  city  once  called  "The  glory  of  kingdoms" 
  (Isa.13:19)  was  foretold  by  the  prophets  (Isa.13:4-22;  Jer. 
  25:12;  50:2,  3;  Dan.  2:31-38). 
 
  The  Babylon  mentioned  in  1  Pet.  5:13  was  not  Rome,  as  some 
  have  thought,  but  the  literal  city  of  Babylon,  which  was 
  inhabited  by  many  Jews  at  the  time  Peter  wrote. 
 
  In  Rev.  14:8;  16:19;  17:5;  and  18:2,  Babylon"  is  supposed  to 
  mean  Rome,  not  considered  as  pagan,  but  as  the  prolongation  of 
  the  ancient  power  in  the  papal  form  Rome,  pagan  and  papal,  is 
  regarded  as  one  power.  "The  literal  Babylon  was  the  beginner  and 
  supporter  of  tyranny  and  idolatry...This  city  and  its  whole 
  empire  were  taken  by  the  Persians  under  Cyrus;  the  Persians  were 
  subdued  by  the  Macedonians,  and  the  Macedonians  by  the  Romans; 
  so  that  Rome  succeeded  to  the  power  of  old  Babylon.  And  it  was 
  her  method  to  adopt  the  worship  of  the  false  deities  she  had 
  conquered;  so  that  by  her  own  act  she  became  the  heiress  and 
  successor  of  all  the  Babylonian  idolatry,  and  of  all  that  was 
  introduced  into  it  by  the  immediate  successors  of  Babylon,  and 
  consequently  of  all  the  idolatry  of  the  earth."  Rome,  or 
  "mystical  Babylon,"  is  "that  great  city  which  reigneth  over  the 
  kings  of  the  earth"  (17:18). 
 
 
  From  Hitchcock's  Bible  Names  Dictionary  (late  1800's)  [hitchcock]: 
 
  Babylon,  same  as  Babel 
 




more about babylon