Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

former population. At present the only inhabitants of this tract are Zobeide Arabs, the sheikh of which is responsible for the security of the road." In another place, the same traveller mentions "the immense wastes" around the city of Babylon.

Another traveller says, "The whole land from the outskirts of Babylon to the furthest stretch of sight, lies a melancholy waste. Not a habitable spot appears for countless miles." The same traveller says, "The soil of this desert consists of a hard clay mixed with sand, which at noon became so heated with the sun's rays, that I found it too hot to walk over it with any degree of comfort."

This is "the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency," the plain which once yielded its increase almost beyond the wish of the cultivator. The "sower" has been "cut off from Babylon, and he that hanIdleth the sickle in the time of harvest." If it could have been foreseen that Babylon would have been overthrown and forsaken, still none would expect such a change in the natural world; for if the Chaldeans should be destroyed, it would seem probable that a region so rich would be occupied by some other nation. What stronger proof can be desired than this, that the prophet who predicted so wonderful a change in the soil of Babylon, spoke as he was "moved by the Holy Ghost?" If not taught by Him who ruleth over the earth, by whom "the pastures are clothed with flocks," "the val

leys are covered over with corn," how could he know that these fruitful fields would cease to give forth their abundance?

Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean empire, was one of the most ancient cities in the world. It lay in the midst of the great plain which we have just described, and the river Euphrates ran through it from north to south. It was a very large and strong city. It is said to have been sixty miles in circumference, and to have been a square of fifteen miles on each side. Its walls are stated to have been more than eighty-seven feet thick and three hundred high. There were one hundred gates of solid brass, twenty-five on each side; and on the top of the walls were numerous towers. The whole was surrounded by a deep ditch. The walls were so high and the gates so firm, that they seemed sufficient to repel any attempt to take the city by assault. And the inhabitants were in no danger from famine, for besides the stores which in so fertile a country might easily be laid up, there was a large space of unoccupied ground within the walls for pasture and grain. No wonder Babylon should be represented as saying, "I shall be a lady for ever; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children." But violence and pride will make a city weak, however high its walls and strong its gates and bars.

Jeremiah foretold the overthrow of Babylon, and

described it as if already past, when in reality it was future. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed." Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces.”

[ocr errors]

"How

is Sheshach taken; and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!"

Jeremiah foretold not only the overthrow of the city, but some of the circumstances attending its capture.

66

He predicted that the besieging army would be composed of various nations. "Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her." Behold, а people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth." Cyrus failed in the first attempt to take the city. If he had succeeded, this prediction would not have been fulfilled. He spent about twenty years in subduing the nations and forming alliances with them, before he ventured to attack Babylon the second time. Thus the trumpet was blown among the nations to summon them to battle. They came with Cyrus to the siege of the city.

Jeremiah also predicted, as Isaiah had done more than a century before, what enemies would take Babylon. "Prepare against her the nations with

the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof." "The Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it."

He foretold that the Babylonians would be terrified, and hide themselves within their walls. "The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women.' When this prediction was made, the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar were the terror of all the nations far and near. Habakkuk describes them as "terrible and dreadful." It did not seem probable that men so much accustomed to victory would shut themselves within the city and fear to face the enemy. But after the Babylonians had been defeated once or twice by Cyrus, they lost their courage, and dared not meet him again in open battle. The first time that Cyrus came against Babylon, he could not provoke the inhabitants to come out of the city, though he sent their king a challenge to fight a duel with him; and when he afterwards laid siege to the city, the Babylonians did not sally out against the besiegers, nor attempt to repel them from their gates. The king of Babylon and all his people had become " as women." They felt secure against famine, for they had provisions enough for twenty years, besides the produce of the fields cultivated within the city. From the top of the walls they

derided Cyrus, whose only hope of success, for two years, was that the inhabitants would be compelled by famine to surrender.

Jeremiah foretold that the river which ran through the city would be dried up before Babylon was taken. "A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up." "I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry." The Euphrates was here more than forty. rods wide and twelve feet deep, and was thought to be as great a defence as the walls to the city. After spending a long time without making any progress in the siege, Cyrus determined to turn the course of the river. It was a vast undertaking; but it was begun immediately, and carried on with vigor. A trench was dug around the walls on every side. To deceive the Babylonians, Cyrus pretended that this trench was designed to blockade the city. When the trench was finished, the waters of the Euphrates were let into it; and the channel where the river had run was so dry, that the army of Cyrus, both horse and foot, marched directly into the city. There were walls on the banks of the river; and Herodotus says, that if the Babylonians had known what the Persians were doing, they might, by shutting the gates, have taken them as in a net or cage.

But the Babylonians were not on their guard. Jeremiah had foretold that the city would be taken by surprise, during the time of a feast. "I have

« ForrigeFortsæt »