Scientists from around the world have long believed that the story of how to build the Tower of Babel - the legend of human arrogance, and only.So it was not until the archaeologists who came from Europe, did not find the exact location of the ancient ruins of Babylon.A hundred kilometers from Baghdad loomed for centuries lifeless hills with steep slopes and flat tops.The locals thought it natural relief details.No one guessed that beneath his feet - the greatest city and the great tower of Babel.In 1899 he moved here from Germany archaeologist Robert Koldewey, went down in history as the man who excavated Babylon.
Tower of Babel - history
descendants of Noah were one people, and said all the same language.They lived in the valley of Shinar between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris.
They decided to build a city and a high tower - to the heavens.Prepared a large number of bricks - homemade, baked clay, and actively set about building.But their intention Lord felt pride and angry - made it so that people have started to speak totally different languages, have ceased to understand each other at all.So the tower and the city remained unfinished, and punished the descendants of Noah began to spread over the different lands, with different nations forming.
unfinished city was called Babylon, which, according to the Bible, means "confusion": in the place the Lord confounded the languages of the world, and the place he scattered the people throughout the land.
along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were erected huge majestic towers that had religious significance.They consisted of several tiers of stepped, tapering upward.On the flat top was a sanctuary dedicated to the deity.Top waged a massive stone staircase, on which the music and hymns during the service raised a long procession of priests.It was the Tower of Babel, according to the excavations consisted of 7 layers, and its height was ninety meters.
return to the site under the direction of Robert Koldewey.He received a full picture of the extent of Babylon after a few months of its operation.First it was excavated wall of mud brick (7 meters wide, 12 meters high).At a distance of 11 meters from her heavy earth he hid a second wall of burnt brick stones almost 8 m. Wide, and beyond it was a third wall - 3 m wide.
Between the first 2 wall space at one time was filled up to the top ground,turn them into one large, impenetrable and unapproachable, the ramparts.The inner wall of every 50 m. Was on the watchtower.Subsequently, an archaeologist Koldewey counted a surprising amount of the fortress towers - 360!Thus, the entire inner wall of Babylon was more than 18 kilometers!It is for these parameters Babylon remained the great city that was built by man on our planet.
finds in these places was an immeasurable amount - it was the city gates, covered with copper, fragments of bas-reliefs of smooth glazed brick, majestic winged lions, made elaborately by ancient sculptors.There was also excavated trehshahtny well, which served once for the intake and was equipped with a conveyor lift, which was intended for continuous water supply.Summary of all underground structures, where there was a well, was paved with stone.All of these artifacts, hiding underground, eclipsed the grandeur and brilliance of the masterpieces of Egyptian culture.
Tower of Babel, which resembles a pillar is a real embodiment of human pride, and its long-term construction (mass pandemonium) - a symbol of chaos and crowds.It turns out that the legend - not a legend, and the Tower of Babel really existed in the ancient world.
