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By the Waters of Babylon
After the Great Burning, when fire fell out of the sky, a young priest explores the forbidden Place of the Gods and discovers what kind of beings lived there before their cities were destroyed.
38 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 1937
8 people are currently reading
562 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Vincent Benét
256 books77 followersStephen Vincent Benét was born July 22, 1898, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, into a military family. His father had a wide appreciation for literature, and Benét's siblings, William Rose and Laura, also became writers. Benét attended Yale University where he published two collections of poetry, Five Men and Pompey (1915), The Drug-Shop (1917). His studies were interrupted by a year of civilian military service; he worked as a cipher-clerk in the same department as James Thurber. He graduated from Yale in 1919, submitting his third volume of poems in place of a thesis. He published his first novel The Beginning of Wisdom in 1921. Benét then moved to France to continue his studies at the Sorbonne and returned to the United States in 1923 with his new wife, the writer Rosemary Carr.
Benét was successful in many different literary forms, which included novels, short stories, screenplays, radio broadcasts, and a libretto for an opera by Douglas Moore based on "The Devil and Daniel Webster." His most famous work is the long poem John Brown's Body for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929—a long narrative poem which interweaves historical and fictional characters to relate important events in the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. During his lifetime, Benét also received the O. Henry Story Prize, the Roosevelt Medal, and a second Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for the posthumously-published Western Star, the first part of an epic poem based on American history. At the age of 44, Benét suffered a heart attack and died on March 13, 1943, in New York City.
Benét was successful in many different literary forms, which included novels, short stories, screenplays, radio broadcasts, and a libretto for an opera by Douglas Moore based on "The Devil and Daniel Webster." His most famous work is the long poem John Brown's Body for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929—a long narrative poem which interweaves historical and fictional characters to relate important events in the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. During his lifetime, Benét also received the O. Henry Story Prize, the Roosevelt Medal, and a second Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for the posthumously-published Western Star, the first part of an epic poem based on American history. At the age of 44, Benét suffered a heart attack and died on March 13, 1943, in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 10, 2025
This is a short and very well rendered apocalyptic story. What is surprising is that the story was published in 1937, before Hiroshima, before the Manhattan project, and still it captures so realistically the horrendous mass extinction that can result directly from mankind's technological development and ensuing hubris.
Reading this reminded me of the excellent A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter Miller.
The story is easily accessible online
Reading this reminded me of the excellent A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter Miller.
The story is easily accessible online
November 21, 2013
"By the Waters of Babylon" is a really well written story, with so many effects going into the theme. I was also impressed with how well thought out it was and how many clues there were to what was going on. At first, I didn't get that ASHING was George wASHINGton, and I didn't understand why the main character was so obsessed with food in a jar. But now I get it. The nuclear bombs, can't grow food, too poisonous. That's why they only eat meat and good hunters are so important. And I also think that the "quest" the priests go on… they all go to the place where the main character did. They do that so that someone in each generation will know why it's important not to become too knowledgeable, like the people who were destroyed. I was just really impressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2014
I think I read this story in 8th grade, or that was at least the first time I heard about it. What I love about this story is how well Benet convinces you in the beginning that you are reading a story from an ancient time, as opposed to what the story really is: a story set in the future in which an asteroid or nuclear attack has destroyed our cities, infrastructure, and population. Benet’s word choice gives us the sense of a primitive people, and in a sense they are because human history has been nearly lost. The people fear the Dead Places which were laden with radiation—even though they don’t have that kind of word or even the knowledge to understand that word. Overall I like the post-apocalyptic feel to it, and how in the end the main character decides to start slowly rebuilding society.
The twist in this story is so great, and if you discover it on your own before the end of the story, the payoff is even better. Again, word choice and phrasing are important to the success of the story, and once the ending is revealed, the class could write about or talk about the importance of word choice in order to achieve a desired effect. This story reminds me of “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema,” which is one anthropologist’s take on Nacirema (or American if spelled forwards) culture. Word choice in that article gives us the sense that these “Nacirema” are a backwards people, when in fact the author is pointing out common tendencies in American culture. I think that would be a good follow-up reading because it further emphasizes word choice and the idea of how we can (and maybe should) distance ourselves from our culture in order to analyze it.
Again, here is a story that students may not like, even though I think no one would argue that this story isn’t age appropriate. Also, if it is not in an anthology, I would have to print it out or have students read it off their tablets…provided they have those. Another issue is that once again I have talked about a story written by a Dead White Male. I think I need to expand the scope of what I read so that what I bring into the class can excite more students.
The twist in this story is so great, and if you discover it on your own before the end of the story, the payoff is even better. Again, word choice and phrasing are important to the success of the story, and once the ending is revealed, the class could write about or talk about the importance of word choice in order to achieve a desired effect. This story reminds me of “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema,” which is one anthropologist’s take on Nacirema (or American if spelled forwards) culture. Word choice in that article gives us the sense that these “Nacirema” are a backwards people, when in fact the author is pointing out common tendencies in American culture. I think that would be a good follow-up reading because it further emphasizes word choice and the idea of how we can (and maybe should) distance ourselves from our culture in order to analyze it.
Again, here is a story that students may not like, even though I think no one would argue that this story isn’t age appropriate. Also, if it is not in an anthology, I would have to print it out or have students read it off their tablets…provided they have those. Another issue is that once again I have talked about a story written by a Dead White Male. I think I need to expand the scope of what I read so that what I bring into the class can excite more students.
May 22, 2017
Good job Benét, good job. I find it very hard to believe that someone that lived over 100 years ago could go into so much detail describing something that hasn't happened today. At first, I thought this was a simple children's tale, warning us that curiosity sometimes gets the best of us. After reading it a few times, I finally got just how powerful and poetic this short tale is.
Benét tells the tale of John, a young man living in what seems to be a primitive society. They follow arbitrary rules, while John agrees with very few of them. As he sets out in a journey to become a priest, his father warns him of what they call the "Dead Places." I know, the name gives it an ominous feel to it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He breaks their ultimate rule by heading to the "Place of the Gods," which we later discover to be .
As he ventures into the unknown, we get the real point of the book, which is that humans in this story "ate knowledge up too fast." They took advantage of everything that was available to them, and used it for selfish reasons. But that doesn't deter John from trying to use the knowledge he gained to make things better. He is set on reconstructing the society humans had years ago, and this time, making things right. As he says in the last page of this short story, "We must build again."
Benét tells the tale of John, a young man living in what seems to be a primitive society. They follow arbitrary rules, while John agrees with very few of them. As he sets out in a journey to become a priest, his father warns him of what they call the "Dead Places." I know, the name gives it an ominous feel to it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He breaks their ultimate rule by heading to the "Place of the Gods," which we later discover to be .
As he ventures into the unknown, we get the real point of the book, which is that humans in this story "ate knowledge up too fast." They took advantage of everything that was available to them, and used it for selfish reasons. But that doesn't deter John from trying to use the knowledge he gained to make things better. He is set on reconstructing the society humans had years ago, and this time, making things right. As he says in the last page of this short story, "We must build again."
November 8, 2009
By the Waters of Babylon is a post-apocalyptic short story written in 1937. That's right, a post-apocalyptic story made before the A-bombs were dropped and even before World War II even started. The book is very much ahead of its time, and I respect it for that. However, judging it purely on entertainment value the book fails. It follows a young man as he enters the forbidden "Place of the Gods" which we soon discover is a bombed city. It seems that finding out that it takes place in the future is supposed to be a big surprise, and for the time I suppose that it might have been, but it just seems obvious to the modern reader. Again, By the Waters of Babylon was genius for the time it was written, but now it just seems generic.
January 9, 2022
Of interest to me was the title of this story, which was an allusion to the Psalm 137:1, which says, ''By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.'' Benet cleverly applied this to this dystopian tale which focused on a society eradicated by nuclear war. The story is narrated by a young son of a priest, who set out on a journey to accomplish his destiny toward his own future priesthood.
The author has inserted many features of interest and curiosity. Much is symbolic, yet the rivers, the skeletal frames of buildings and bridges, even some vivid pieces of a once thriving society, are found along the way. The story stimulated an active discussion within my short story group with much more food for thought. Benet wrote this story in 1937, which is an interesting comparative piece with many more recent stories.
The author has inserted many features of interest and curiosity. Much is symbolic, yet the rivers, the skeletal frames of buildings and bridges, even some vivid pieces of a once thriving society, are found along the way. The story stimulated an active discussion within my short story group with much more food for thought. Benet wrote this story in 1937, which is an interesting comparative piece with many more recent stories.
November 14, 2020
"By the Waters of Babylon" is a post-apocalyptic short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. It takes place in the territory of the USA and New York City.
The narrator of the story is a young man who explores the world around him. People live in tribes and they do for a living what ancient people did in the distant past (hunting, gathering plants, etc.). The main character also sees the signs of the apocalypse that mankind will face in the future.
This mixture of past and future is what differentiates the story from others and makes it memorable.
This is a link to the text of the story:
https://notamanuscrita.files.wordpres...
The narrator of the story is a young man who explores the world around him. People live in tribes and they do for a living what ancient people did in the distant past (hunting, gathering plants, etc.). The main character also sees the signs of the apocalypse that mankind will face in the future.
This mixture of past and future is what differentiates the story from others and makes it memorable.
This is a link to the text of the story:
https://notamanuscrita.files.wordpres...
September 20, 2014
I read this in the morning of the day people are to gather all over the world to move world leadership to stop the destruction of the world's climate and at the end of a week in which Congress voted again to go to war. Stephen Vincent Benet was a prophet and this is his lamentation. Let us pray with it.
December 15, 2015
Great first person descriptions of a post apocalyptic world where our everyday world is described from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with it.
The human quest for knowledge is sometimes dangerous but cannot be extinguished.
The human quest for knowledge is sometimes dangerous but cannot be extinguished.
January 31, 2023
Ένα μετά-αποκαλυπτικό διαμαντάκι, που γράφτηκε το 1937, δηλαδή πριν την κατασκευή και ρίψη των ατομικών βομβών, πριν καν αρχίσει ο Β' Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος, σίγουρα μπορεί να πει κανείς ότι ήταν μπροστά από την εποχή του, μιας και η ιστορία του διαδραματίζεται σε μια Γη που έχει ρημαχτεί από τη Μεγάλη Φωτιά (πυρηνικό ολοκαύτωμα;), με μια ατμόσφαιρα που σου δημιουργεί περίεργα συναισθήματα. Ίσως πλέον να έχει χάσει λίγη από τη δύναμή του, με όλα τα βιβλία που έχουν γραφτεί και όλες τις ταινίες και σειρές που έχουν γυριστεί με παρόμοια θεματολογία, πάντως για το είδος του είναι κλασικό και άξιο ανάγνωσης.
October 14, 2024
“We must build again”
A somber and reflective post apocalyptic tale with a surprisingly positive endnote.
Throughout the story I just assumed that the world had undergone a nuclear disaster, but written in 1937, 4 years before the Manhattan project, Benét was referring to the mass destruction of Guernica and the use of chemical weapons in WW1, which just goes to show, that each generation have their own fears.
A somber and reflective post apocalyptic tale with a surprisingly positive endnote.
Throughout the story I just assumed that the world had undergone a nuclear disaster, but written in 1937, 4 years before the Manhattan project, Benét was referring to the mass destruction of Guernica and the use of chemical weapons in WW1, which just goes to show, that each generation have their own fears.
February 18, 2022
Saw it recommended in an article to read this story if you liked the video games Horizon Zero Dawn/Horizon Forbidden West. The story has a similar feel to it. I liked it, almost hoped it would have been longer!
December 25, 2020
"Perhaps, in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast."
Pg. 25
It is a wise tale told in the first-person. The narrative is refreshingly simple.
Pg. 25
It is a wise tale told in the first-person. The narrative is refreshingly simple.
March 12, 2023
Very good! entertaining an erie; just like I like it! it gave Harrison Bergeron vibes, so if you liked that then you should read this.
February 4, 2024
It is clear from the beginning what is going to happen, the question is: where. And the Where was described in such a smart way!
Definitely recommend.
Definitely recommend.
August 16, 2019
Benet had me for about three pages thinking that this was about an ancient place. But, I was able to infer that these people were actually living in a post-apocalyptic world and the forbidden city of the dead the young priest visited was New York City. His great revelation was that these people were men and not gods as he had been taught. This is the truth, but the Priest decides not to share the whole truth. People were forbidden from traveling east or going to the dead city for a reason. "If you eat too much truth at once you may die of the truth...Perhaps in the old days they ate knowledge too fast."
There are other stories like this, but....THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1937. He describes the war as the Great Burning, in which fire fell from the sky and the ground was poisoned for years.
There are other stories like this, but....THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1937. He describes the war as the Great Burning, in which fire fell from the sky and the ground was poisoned for years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2016
Thanks to my 9th and 11th grade English teacher, Mr. Bob Schevchik, for having us read brilliant science fiction. He had us read a ton of short stories. If you haven't read any SS since high school or college, run to the library! When well done, they are priceless.
April 13, 2021
because it's "science fiction by a mainstream author" according to Harry Harrison...
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Read in an anthology. Pretty interesting to see something this old that reads fresh.
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Read in an anthology. Pretty interesting to see something this old that reads fresh.
September 26, 2022
another school read and being someone who neither likes nor understands mythology made this painful.
August 21, 2023
Read this book for AP lit and used TWIST Analysis
July 24, 2024
I hated every second of it. It was one of the most boring things I've read.
November 22, 2022
This is a bit complicated.
When I was in seventh grade I first read Stephen Vincent Benét's short story By the Waters of Babylon. I enjoyed it but the only thing that stuck with me were the words "There was also the shattered image of a man or a god. It had been made of white stone, and he wore his hair tied back like a woman. His name was ASHING, as I read on the cracked half of a stone. I thought it wise to pray to ASHING, though I do not know that god."
Never managed to remember the name or the author, which is unusual for me, but whenever something brought the great god ASHING to my mind, I would look it up online, and be happy I remembered that much.
That happened again this morning - it came up while talking to my wife, and I looked it up. Having found the title and author, I checked the three libraries I have access to and none of them had it. So I did what any self-respecting bookgeek would do -- I did an internet search and found the story on the Internet Archive.
I'm so glad I did. I was just as blown away by it this morning as I had been in seventh grade. The upshot -- me being me -- is that I now need to read more Stephen Vincent Benét.
When I was in seventh grade I first read Stephen Vincent Benét's short story By the Waters of Babylon. I enjoyed it but the only thing that stuck with me were the words "There was also the shattered image of a man or a god. It had been made of white stone, and he wore his hair tied back like a woman. His name was ASHING, as I read on the cracked half of a stone. I thought it wise to pray to ASHING, though I do not know that god."
Never managed to remember the name or the author, which is unusual for me, but whenever something brought the great god ASHING to my mind, I would look it up online, and be happy I remembered that much.
That happened again this morning - it came up while talking to my wife, and I looked it up. Having found the title and author, I checked the three libraries I have access to and none of them had it. So I did what any self-respecting bookgeek would do -- I did an internet search and found the story on the Internet Archive.
I'm so glad I did. I was just as blown away by it this morning as I had been in seventh grade. The upshot -- me being me -- is that I now need to read more Stephen Vincent Benét.
May 22, 2017
What else can be said about this amazing story by Stephen Vincent Benet. Even though at the start it may be hard to understand, and you might often get confused by what it happening, this story is one of the best you will ever read as it perfectly portrays what a post-apocalyptic world would look like and it will always have you wanting to find out more and more as the story develops.
This story focuses on the main character, and narrator, John, who goes on an journey to finally fulfill what he has wanted all of his life . John faces some obstacles during his journey to the forbidden place in the east, but he successfully overcomes them and reaches his destination. However, John wants more than that, he wants to accomplish what his spirit want, and it is something very risky that no one in the post-apocalyptic world that he lives in has done before .
I gave this story five stars out of five because since the beginning when I started reading it, it drew me in and constantly impressed me. This book always had me wanting more because of all of the questions and cliff hangers it contained that I knew would be resolved later in the story. I feel like this story is complete from the beginning to the end and contains everything to make it an excellent one. Finally this story contains a meaningful quote that could help many people in their life “It is better to lose one’s life than one’s spirit”.
This story focuses on the main character, and narrator, John, who goes on an journey to finally fulfill what he has wanted all of his life . John faces some obstacles during his journey to the forbidden place in the east, but he successfully overcomes them and reaches his destination. However, John wants more than that, he wants to accomplish what his spirit want, and it is something very risky that no one in the post-apocalyptic world that he lives in has done before .
I gave this story five stars out of five because since the beginning when I started reading it, it drew me in and constantly impressed me. This book always had me wanting more because of all of the questions and cliff hangers it contained that I knew would be resolved later in the story. I feel like this story is complete from the beginning to the end and contains everything to make it an excellent one. Finally this story contains a meaningful quote that could help many people in their life “It is better to lose one’s life than one’s spirit”.
November 28, 2024
This is a really well-written, imaginative post-apocalyptic tale of a boy who discovers ruined cities in the East to bring back what he learns for the improvement of his people's lives. Benet wrote this book in 1937, before atomic war had been invented. Still, this is clearly a story that took place long after an atomic war. It's rather amazing how Benet could have imagined a way of war that would wipe so many people out so quickly as to leave ruins largely intact. But he did.
The charm of the story is that we know what this young priest is looking at as he explores old cities. But we get only the priest's perspective. Stephen Vincent Benet is a masterful writer whose realistic perspective and tone never wavered. Loved it! To get my five-star though, something amazing needed to happen in the story, or some profound point needed to be made, and that never quite took place here. Still, I'm glad I read this.
The charm of the story is that we know what this young priest is looking at as he explores old cities. But we get only the priest's perspective. Stephen Vincent Benet is a masterful writer whose realistic perspective and tone never wavered. Loved it! To get my five-star though, something amazing needed to happen in the story, or some profound point needed to be made, and that never quite took place here. Still, I'm glad I read this.
June 30, 2022
John is from a society after modern society has been destroyed by a bomb or mustard gas or something similar. Since it happened so long ago, his society is deathly afraid of anything associated with the previous “gods.” Despite being forbidden to go east into what turns out to be New York, he goes anyway and comes to the conclusion that the gods were really people from an earlier era. But his father convinced him not to tell everyone the whole truth immediately because it might be too much for them.
This story feels a bit odd when reading, almost over the top. It’s like the author is trying very hard to make it confusing on what is being read or referred to.
This story feels a bit odd when reading, almost over the top. It’s like the author is trying very hard to make it confusing on what is being read or referred to.
August 31, 2022
Fun short story laced with some wisdom. The story was interesting- sometimes the writing felt repetitive, and I think a longer buildup, and the clues being revealed more subtly would have been more impactful. Would’ve liked to get to know our characters a bit more. Though I understand it’s a short story, for me it felt a bit underdeveloped, and the ending felt rushed. Cool concept though! And a fun read nevertheless! 3ish stars for me!
December 25, 2023
I cannot write anything about this brilliant, chilling, and prophetic story without giving away the horrible secret to the plot. Stephen Vincent Benet took the horrors of war from the 1930s and projected them into a dark future, or maybe the past. Walk along with the leader of a tribe wandering through deserts and rubble. One day he comes across an inscription that reads MOSES...I will only add that the trope used brilliantly by Benet later reappeared in PLANET OF THE APES and LOGAN'S RUN.
November 8, 2017
By the Water of Babylon was a great book to read. I liked how the author made the story seem ominous and suspenseful.
One writing technique or literary element that the author used well is description of setting. Stephen Vincent Benét makes the setting seem clear so the reader can easily imagine where the narrator is and what the narrator sees.
One writing technique or literary element that the author used well is description of setting. Stephen Vincent Benét makes the setting seem clear so the reader can easily imagine where the narrator is and what the narrator sees.
September 13, 2020
He said, "Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth. It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places." He was right—it is better the truth should come little by little. I have learned that, being a priest. Perhaps, in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast.
February 19, 2022
Esta historia me salió recomendada en un artículo sobre Horizon (juegos que ni siquiera he jugado), pero la premisa de la historia es parecida y me carcomía la mente leerla y, aprovechando que está en el dominio público, lo hice, y para ser una historia postapocalíptica publicada en 1937, es una verdadera joya de descubrimiento.
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