She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. – Isaiah 13:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 6, 2016): Isaiah 12 & 13 

            

Babylon was the most famous city of ancient Mesopotamia. It was the site of the building of the tower of Babel. The name Babylon means “Gate of the Gods.” The city was built along the Euphrates River and was probably a major port town in its early days. Its claim to be the successor of an even more ancient city, Eridu of the Sumero-Akkadian Empire, made the city of Babylon one of the holiest places on the planet in its early years. But the precise role that Babylon played in antiquity is lost to history. The water of the Euphrates rose and washed away most of the ancient city. The ruins that we have uncovered from the city date to at least a thousand years after the town’s more humble beginnings.  

But later, Babylon grew into an empire. Isaiah’s prophecy, almost a hundred years before the rise of Babylon as a global power is amazing, but this verse may be even more amazing. The Babylonian Empire actually had a relatively short lifespan. The prophet Daniel was taken into captivity early in the Empire’s period of world domination. But he also lived long enough to see the Empire fall to the Medes. The Medes were the reason for the end of the Empire, but unlike what Babylon did to Jerusalem, tearing the city down stone by stone, the Medes left the city of Babylon standing. The city just gradually decayed becoming more and more insignificant as time passed. Finally, around 650 C.E., Muslim tribes swept away everything that was left of Babylon. But by that time, Babylon had become so insignificant that no one really noticed.

And Babylon has never been rebuilt. Saddam Hussein, who considered himself the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II, the great Emperor who presided over most of the days of the Babylonian Empire, had plans to rebuild Babylon and even built a summer Palace overlooking the ruins of the city. But as of yet, Babylon the neglected has not risen again.

Today, the prophecy of Isaiah is as much in effect as it was a thousand years ago, although the full impact of Isaiah’s prophecy did not take place until more than 1300 years had passed after the utterance of the prophecy by Isaiah. And as far as I know, there are still no credible plans to rebuild the city. Iraq, where Babylon is located, is struggling for its survival with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The question of Babylon will have to wait for another time, and likely another generation, to see if there is someone with the courage to go against Isaiah’s prophecy and attempt to wake the city from its slumber.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 14