In this episode of Faith Affirming Findings, Dr. Weaver shares the archaeological evidence regarding the ancient city of Babylon and how it supports the biblical account of the rise and fall of Babylon the Great!

In this episode, Dr. Weaver discusses the archaeological remains of ancient Babylon and how that relates to the biblical text. The archaeological remains of ancient Babylon are located in modern-day Iraq, approximately 55 miles south of the modern city of Baghdad. The site of ancient Babylon was uncovered by Robert Coldaway, who excavated under the auspices of the German Oriental Society. Coldaway excavated in Babylon between the years of 1899 and 1917, a total of 18 years. This is an incredibly long time to lead excavation digs at any one location. Certainly the reason for 18 years of archaeological digs was because of the incredible importance the city of Babylon has played in ancient world history. In fact, ancient Babylon was so important to ancient world history that in modern times, prior to his removal, Saddam Hussein was in the process of literally rebuilding the city of Babylon. He had dreams of grandeur to bring the city of Babylon and the Babylonian Empire back to its legendary status. He saw himself as a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar. In fact, Saddam Hussein even built himself a palace there at the site of ancient Babylon. What does the archaeological record, sites, artifacts, and surviving manuscripts tell us about this important city? Well, we learn that Nebuchadnezzar built what was called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This garden was so magnificent that it is described by the classical authors as one of the seven ancient wonders of the ancient world. We also learn from these sources that Nebuchadnezzar restored the temple devoted to Marduk, who was the patron deity of the city of Babylon. Furthermore, we learn from the archaeological remains that the city of Babylon was one of the most, if not the most, secure places in the entire ancient world at the time. Babylon was surrounded by huge walls and had eight massive double walled gates. These were hugely important for defenses against approaching enemies. The city had a 20 year food supply and an endless water supply with the Euphrates River running down the middle of it. The food and water supply was important against siege attempts. In these military campaigns, enemies would surround the city under siege and cause their enemies to choose between, one, staying in their fortified city and starving to death, or two, abandoning the fortified city gates and walls and as a result lose their military advantage. The endless water supply and 20-year food supply in Babylon would prevent them from having to make such a decision. Finally, we learn from the surviving manuscripts that the city of Babylon fell suddenly. From human standards, Babylon was an impregnable, double-walled city with an unlimited water supply and a 20-year food supply. Yet, Babylon falls to the Mediopersian Empire overnight. The fall of Babylon the Great was so unthinkable that multiple historians recorded it, including Herodotus, Xenophon, Borosus, the Babylonian Chronicles, and the Cyrus Cylinder. These historical records from the archaeological record indicate that the Persians diverted the Euphrates River that flowed through the city of Babylon, allowing the Persian army to march into the city on the dry riverbed. Well, how does the Bible line up with the discovery of this archaeological site and the surviving artifacts? First, one can see why Nebuchadnezzar would become arrogant and prideful of all that he built, including the magnificent eight gates, the hanging gardens, and the restored temple to Marduk. This fits perfectly with what we see in chapter four of Daniel's prophetic book when Nebuchadnezzar becomes arrogant, claiming credit that only God deserves. In response, God humbles Nebuchadnezzar, making him to live and act like a beast for a period of time. With the heavily fortified city and endless supply of water and the 20-year food supply, one could see why Belshazzar, a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar and ruler over Babylon, was not fearful of the approaching Mediopersian army. In Daniel 5, rather than prepare for war, Belshazzar prepared for a feast. He parties with 1,000 of his leading officials. The record of the fall of Babylon in Daniel 5 verses 30 and 31 indicates that the city of Babylon was conquered quickly and decisively by the Mediopersian Empire, just as the surviving records indicate. Verse 30 states that after Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall, that same night, Belshazzar was slain. Does the archaeological record of the ancient city of Babylon affirm or contradict the Biblical record? It affirms it indeed. Once again, The archaeological record, when investigated carefully and interpreted correctly, affirms the historicity of Scripture. And that is your Faith-Affirming Finding of the Week.