Who Or What Is Babylon?

And there followed another angel, saying, 

Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, 

because she made all nations drink of the wine of 

the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel

 followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark 

in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink 

of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; 

and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 

in the presence of he holy angels, and in the presence

 of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment 

ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no 

rest day nor night, who worship the beast and 

his image, and whosever receiveth the make of 

his name. Here is he patience of the saints: here 

are they that keep the commandments of God, 

and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 14:8-12 

     Who or what is Babylon? Why was this Babylon great? How was it that Babylon made nations drink of the wrath of fornication? There are so many speculations and theories as to this Babylon that before I go on, and I will, to discuss these verses we must go slow and determine the words and symbols used so as to not be derailed into false understanding. So, let us delve into this Babylon starting from history. 

       Today this ancient city from Mesopotamia has it ruins in Iraq some 59 miles southwest of Baghdad. The name Babylon is thought to derive from bay-il or bay-ilm that is in the Akkadian language the language that means for this word 'Gate of God' or 'Gate of the Gods' and Scripture makes clear of the use of this name as an unfavorable place. In Genesis, chapter 11 Babylon is where the Tower of Babel a city where God confused the language so that the tower could not be completed. The Hebrew word bavel means 'confusion.' Babylon is referred to in the books of Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, among other and most notably in the Book of Revelation. Babylon was a great seat of learning, with impressive walls and buildings and the formation of a code of law that pre-dates Mosaic law. The hanging gardens of Babylon were known as one of the seven wonders of the world. 

     Babylon can be retraced to the reign of Sargon of Akkad who ruled from 2334-2279 B.C. The history of Babylon begins with a famous king, Hammurabi 1792-1750 B.C. Hammurabi's law of codes, which we have are example of how he attempted to maintain peace. He was so successful so that all of Mesopotamia came under the rule of Babylon. After the death of Hammurabi the empire fell apart and was sacked by the Hitites in 1595 B.C. The Assyrains came to rule under Sennacherib 705-661 B.C. Babylon revolted but lost and it was rebuilt and returned to its former glory. It was thought that evil spirits were the ones who had led to the trouble, yet the reputation of the city as a center of learning was already established. A chaldean named Nabopolassare took the throne of Babylon and created the Neo-Babylonian empire and his son Nebuchadnezzar II 604-561 B.C. added to this city to be impressive. 
     At the time of the Jewish exile to Babylon the Euuphrates River divided the city in two, between the old and then new city that had the Temple of Marduk with a great towering ziggurat in the center. Every year a processional of the stature of the god Marduk journeyed from the city to the New Year Festival Temple outside the Ishtar Gate. 
      Babylon came under several reigns and it was Alexander the Great that in 331 B.C. who pulled down this ziggurat in order to build a bigger and better one but that never occurred to do his death and the four Greek generals fought with each other and Babylon declined into obscurity.  
    Why this history? If you do not know history then you will be easily led into error. Also, did you notice several names that you find in the Bible?  The religions of the Mesopotamian regions, that includes Babylon, were lost and forgotten over time but there is much information and knowledge that has survived it is possible to retrieve a fair reconstruction. Mesopotamia was polytheistic, worshipping over 2,100 different dieties which were associated with a city or state. Mesopotamian history shows that it was an oligarchy rather than a monarchy and the authority lied with the city and within this was three main powers of power, the assembly of elders, a hereditary ruler, and an eponym. The eponym was the patron deity of Babylon, Marduk and worship was conducted in his name in all the lands dominated by the Assyrians.
     Modern scholars have examined various accounts and have created at least partially an accurate depiction of the construction of the universe. The Epic of Creation. 1200 B.C. tells that the god Marduk killed the mother goddess Tiamat a primordial goddess of the ocean to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creation, she then is seen as a creator goddesss and created through successive generations. When Marduk killed tiamat he used half her body to create the earth and the other half to create both paradise and the netherworld. Another document of that period stated that the universe was a spheroid, with three levels wee the gods dwelt, and where stars existed, above the three levels of earth below it. 
     The Mesopotamian gods bore many similarities with humans, and were anthropomorphic, thereby having humanoid form. This is the doctrine of the Mormons. These gods acted like humans, eating food, and drink, alcohol beverages with drunkenness. They were thought to be all-knowing, unfathomable, and immortal. They, many cases, were of family relations to one another. The temples were considered to be the dwelling places for a god and special rituals were given to them as well as service to them was given, banquets were given to them, or in their honor. Certain days required extra sacrifices and ceremony Purification rites were done against demons and to appease the wrath of gods music, female singers were done with personal homage to a personal deity. A strong belief in demons and divination was employed by individuals with the assumption that the gods had already determined the destinies of men and they could ascertain those destinies by observing omens and by rituals. Sacrifices of animals and people were practiced, suchas retrainer sacrifices where musicians, guards, Courtiers, handmaidens, grooms died, by poison. Discovered are skulls discovered in Iraq that support a grisly interpretation of human sacrifice. These also showed that not by poison did they die, but by a spike driven into their heads. 
     The ancient paganism tended to focus on duty and ritual rather than morality. The forgiveness of the ancient Babylonians were similar to Abrahamic morality the Mesopotamian religion and culture were highly sexualized, particularly in Babylon where free sexual expression was viewed as one of the natural benefits of civilized life, that includes same gender attraction, transgender individuals, and male and female prostitution and often considered sacred. The worship of Inanna/Ishtar, which was prevalent in Mesopotamia could involve wild, frenzied dancing and bloody ritual celebrations of social and physical abnormality. Nothing was prohibited to Inanna, and that by depicting transgressions of normal human social and physical limitations, including traditional gender definition, once could cross over from the "conscious everyday world into the trance world of spiritaul ecstasy. 
    I will get the Babylonian afterlife and eschatology in later blogs. But until then, can you see that those pagan Babylonian religions are being practiced today? Can you now get the reason why God chose to use Babylon as an illustration taken from actual acts to show us His displeasure? I will add to this so we can change from our inside/out to become the person God wants us to be. This may seem boring but it is not for it gives to us why God is going to bring His wrath upon such people. It gives to us that God is willing to be merciful to all who believe on Him and not on pagan gods.

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight;
    yet I will look again toward thy 
holy temple.
                    Jonah 2:4 

Flee from Babylonish religious rites

Richard L. Crumb