A view of Birs Nimrud, the traditional site of the Tower of Babel. On the plain below are the silent ruins of the ancient city, once filled with a teeming population.
LARGER IMAGE
A VIEW OF HILLAH, THE MODERN BABYLON
We have now reviewed the questions of the rise of civilisation, as apart from the ordinary history of the countries, which is dealt with in its proper place in this work. Though it is difficult, and rather misleading, to look at civilisation and the political history apart, yet, so much has come to light in recent years to clear our view of the origins of culture that we may be allowed to focus our attention on that view of man, apart from his better known history. We seem at last to have reached back to a definite beginning of arts and capacities on both the Nile and the Euphrates, and to have touched a condition of things that seems to point in both lands to some external source of a yet pre-existing culture, which yet has to be traced. I am happy to add that one of our greatest Babylonian scholars, Dr. Pinches, concurs in the view of his subject which is here presented.
W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE
THE EXILES IN BABYLON
“By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down; yea, we wept.” From the painting by Bendemann.