A History of Babylon, from the Foundation of the Monarchy to the Persian Conquest — John Shaqi
A History of Babylon, from the Foundation of the Monarchy to the Persian ConquestKing, L. W. (Leonard William)
History
A History of Babylon, from the Foundation of the Monarchy to the Persian Conquest
King, L. W. (Leonard William)
Babylonia -- History
A: East Court of the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar. B: Central Court. C:
Great Court. D: Private portion of palace built over earlier Palace
of Nabopolassar. E: West extension of palace. F: Throne Room of
Nebuchadnezzar. G: Sacred Road, known as Aibur-shabû. H: Ishtar Gate.
I: Continuation of Sacred Road with Lion Frieze. J: Temple of Ninmakh.
K: Space between the two fortification-walls of crude brick, probably
Imgur-Bêl and Nimitti-Bêl. L: Older moat-wall. M: Later moat-wall.
N: Later fortification thrown out into the bed of the Euphrates. P:
Southern Canal, probably part of the Libil-khegalla. R: Basin of canal.
S: Persian building. T: Moat, formerly the left side of the Euphrates.
V: River-side embankment of the Persian period, a: Gateway to East
Court, b: Gateway to Central Court, c: Gateway to Great Court, d:
Double Gateway to private part of palace, e, f: Temporary ramps used
during construction of palace, g: Temporary wall of crude brick, h:
Broad passage-way, leading northwards to Vaulted Building.
(After Koldewey, Reuther and Wetzel.)]
The two names the Babylonians gave these walls were suggested by their
gratitude to and confidence in Marduk, the city-god, who for them was
the "Bêl," or Lord, _par excellence._ To the greater of the two, the
_dûru_ or inner wall, they gave the name _Imgur-Bêl,_ meaning "Bêl
has been gracious"; while the _shaikhu,_ or outer one, they called
_Nimitti-Bêl,_ that is, probably, "The foundation of Bêl," or "My
foundation is Bêl."[40] The identification of at least one of the
crude-brick walls near Homera with Nimitti-Bêl, has been definitely
proved by several foundation-cylinders of Ashur-bani-pal, the famous
Assyrian king who deposed his brother Shamash-shum-ukîn from the throne
of Babylon and annexed the country as a province of Assyria.[41] On the
cylinders he states that the walls Imgur-Bêl and Nimitti-Bêl had fallen
into ruins, and he records his restoration of the latter, within the
foundation or structure of which the cylinders were originally immured.
Unfortunately they were not found in place, but among the _débris_ in
the space between the walls, so that it is not now certain from which
wall they came. If they had been deposited in the thicker or inner
wall, then Nimitti-Bêl must have been a double line of fortification,
and both walls together must have borne the name; and in that case we
must seek elsewhere for Imgur-Bêl. But it is equally possible that they
came from the narrow or outer wall; and on this alternative Nimitti-Bêl
may be the outer one and Imgur-Bêl the broader inner-wall with the
widely projecting towers. It is true that only further excavation can
settle the point; but meanwhile the fortifications on the Ḳaṣr have
supplied further evidence which seems to support the latter view.
[Illustration: FIG. 7.
GROUND-PLAN OF QUAY-WALLS AND FORTIFICATION-WALLS IN THE N.W. CORNER OF
THE S. CITADEL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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