My scientific collaborators were: W. Andrae, March 26, 1899–February 1, 1903; B. Meissner, March 26, 1899–April 13, 1900; F. Weissbach, February 22, 1901–February 22, 1903; A. Nöldeke, May 8, 1902–January 11, 1908; F. Baumgarten, May 8, 1902–March 26, 1903; F. Langenegger, March 29, 1903–September 23, 1905; J. Jordan, March 29–August 3, 1903; G. Buddensieg, March 24, 1904, until now; O. Reuther, October 16, 1905, until now; F. Wetzel, December 15, 1907, until now; J. Grossmann, December 24, 1907–January 10, 1908; K. Müller, May 13, 1909–February 29, 1912. Among the earlier explorers who have dealt with the ruins of Babylon are the following: 1811, Rich (_Narrative of a Journey to the Site of Babylon in 1811_, London, 1839); 1850, Layard (_Nineveh and Babylon_, London, 1853); 1852–1854, Oppert (_Expédition scientifique en Mésopotamie_, Paris, 1863); 1878–89, Hormuzd Rassam (_Asshur and the Land of Nimrod_, New York, 1897). It involves no depreciation of the labours of our predecessors when we say that they are superseded in almost every detail by the results of our many years of excavations, so far as the knowledge of the city ruins are concerned, and thus it would hardly be worth while to controvert expressly their numerous errors. Further, my view of the purpose of the various buildings has altered during the course of the excavations, especially in relation to the literary sources. This is the natural result of gradual progress in research, never working with conclusive material. In addition to the continuous reports of the excavations in the _Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft_, the following have also been published in the _Wissenschaftliche Veröffentlichungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft_: vol. i., Koldewey, _Die Hettitische Inschrift_, 1900; vol. ii., Koldewey, _Die Pflastersteine von Aiburschabu_, 1901; vol. iv., Weissbach, _Babylonische Miscellen_, 1903; vol. xv., Koldewey, _Die Tempel von Babylon_, 1911; all published by Messrs. J. C. Hinrichs, Leipzig. The Babylonian inscriptions which are of importance to us will be found in the above-mentioned works, and also for the most part in the _Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek_ (E. Schrader), vol. iii. part ii. Berlin, 1890, and in the _Neubabylonische Königsinschriften_, S. Langdon, Leipzig, 1912. The latter work I only met with after the close of this present volume, so that I have not been able to make use of it. For the convenience of the reader, an appendix is added giving the principal statements of the classical authors so far as they refer to Babylon. ROBERT KOLDEWEY. BABYLON, _May 16, 1912_. For the English translation special thanks are due to Dr. GÜTERBOCK for the trouble he has taken in reading the proofs, and the courtesy he has shown in suggesting alterations in the difficult architectural terms.