The City of Babylon: A History, c. 2000 BC – AD 116

by Stephanie Dalley

The 2000-year story of Babylon sees it moving from a city-state to the centre of a great empire of the ancient world. It remained a centre of kingship under the empires of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Alexander the Great, the Seleucids and the Parthians. Its city walls were declared to be a Wonder of the World while its ziggurat won fame as the Tower of Babel. Visitors to Berlin can admire its Ishtar Gate, and the supposed location of its elusive Hanging Garden is explained. Worship of its patron god Marduk spread widely while its well-trained scholars communicated legal, administrative and literary works throughout the ancient world, some of which provide a backdrop to Old Testament and Hittite texts. Its science also laid the foundations for Greek and Arab astronomy through a millennium of continuous astronomical observations. This accessible and up-to-date account is by one of the world's leading authorities.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Nonfiction

396 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 2021

About the author

Stephanie Mary Dalley (b. March 1943) is a British Assyriologist and scholar of the Ancient Near East. Prior to her retirement, she was a teaching Fellow at the Oriental Institute, Oxford. She is known for her publications of cuneiform texts and her investigation into the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and her proposal that it was situated in Nineveh, and constructed during Sennacherib's rule.

Reviews

[Tranium67 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a comprehensive review on the history of the city of Babylon, from its humble beginnings to it’s peak, fall and eventual decline.

It follows a clear and consistent chronological order, while being engaging and an overall fun read, making it an easy introductory book. Although, it did have some “slow” parts. But they are far and few in between (the Parthian parts were quite boring for me due to my lack of interest in them)