Babylon - Past, Present and Future - Church of God - NEO

Excavating BabylonIt was the German architect andarchaeologist Robert Koldewey(1855-1925) who revealed theBabylon of the Bible as anhistorical reality.In 1897, Dr. Koldeweyannounced his intention touncover Nebuchadnezzar' sBabylon. He mounted a majorexcavation under the auspices ofthe Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft(German Orient Society). Diggingbegan in March 1899 amongdesolate mounds of crumbledmud bricks near the village ofHilla, south of Baghdad. It wouldcontinue for the next 18 years.Slowly and painstakingly, Koldeweybegan uncovering themetropolis of Nebuchadnezzar.Among Koldewey'sfirst discoverieswere the remainsof the city's massivewalls.Koldewey'sworkmensome200strong - nextcleared the ProcessionalWay ,the main northsouthavenue bisectingthe city.The Way led tothe magnificentIshtar Gate.Several seasons ofdigging revealedNebuchadnezzar's palacewith its five courtyards. Atthe northeast corner ofthe palace, near the IshtarGate, Koldeweydiscovered a building with14 arched vaults, andnearby a unique well withthree shafts. Hepostulated that thefamous Hanging Gardensof Babylon grew on theroof of this vaultedbuilding. Many modernarchaeologists, however,believe the vaultedchambers served as awarehouse, as lists of10DR. R. KOLDEWEYrations for the Jewish exileswere found in them.The remains of the greatZiggurat of Babylon was anotherof Koldewey's finds. Unfortunately,nothing was left but thecrumbling brickwork of the baseof that colossal tower, reputedlybuilt on the site of the originalTower of Babel of biblical fame.An assistant wrote thatKoldewey " lived for Babylon andthought of Babylon . . . day andnight." The approach of theBritish Expeditionary Force inMarch 1917 forced him to closedown the excavations, with muchof his work unfinished.Photographs of early 20th-century German excavationsat Baby/on. Dr. Robert Ko/dewey's preciseway of tracing mud-brick walls and building foundationspioneered a new approach to excavation.