Babylon
MesopotamiaCity in Mesopotamia · today Near Hillah, Iraq
Meaning: “Confusion (Hebrew Babel); Akkadian "gate of god"”
The capital of the Babylonian Empire that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC and took Judah into captivity. A symbol of worldly power and rebellion against God throughout Scripture.
Location
Overview
Babylon, on the Euphrates in Mesopotamia, stands in Scripture as the archetype of human pride and opposition to God — from the tower of Babel to the empire that carried Judah into exile.
The tower of Babel
On the plain of Shinar humanity built a city and a tower "whose top may reach unto heaven"; God confused their language and scattered them, and the place was called Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).
The empire and the exile
Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC and carried Judah into a seventy-year captivity (2 Kings 25:11; Jeremiah 25:11). There Daniel served in the courts of kings, and there the writing on the wall foretold Babylon’s fall to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:25–30).
Symbol of the world’s end
In prophecy and in Revelation, "Babylon the great" becomes a symbol of the proud, godless world system destined to fall (Revelation 18:2).
Events Here
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and carries Judah into exile
The writing on the wall; Babylon falls to the Medes and Persians
Scripture References
0 versesNo verse references found.
Archaeology & History
The ruins of Babylon lie near modern Hillah, about 85 km south of Baghdad, Iraq. Excavations have uncovered the Ishtar Gate (now reconstructed in Berlin), the processional way, and the foundations of a massive ziggurat sometimes linked in popular imagination to the tower of Babel. Nebuchadnezzar II’s building inscriptions and the Babylonian Chronicles corroborate the broad outline of the biblical account, including the capture of Jerusalem.
Frequently asked about Babylon
Where is Babylon today?
Today, Babylon corresponds to Near Hillah, Iraq.
What does the name Babylon mean?
The name Babylon means “Confusion (Hebrew Babel); Akkadian "gate of god"”.
What happened at Babylon in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Babylon include babylon destroys jerusalem and carries judah into exile; the writing on the wall; babylon falls to the medes and persians.
Where was Babylon?
Babylon stood on the Euphrates in Mesopotamia, near the modern town of Hillah in Iraq, south of Baghdad.
Why is Babylon important in the Bible?
It is the site of the tower of Babel, the empire that destroyed Jerusalem and exiled Judah, the setting of much of Daniel, and a symbol in Revelation of the proud world opposed to God.