whore of Babylon
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What is the Whore of Babylon in Christianity?
In Christianity, the Whore of Babylon is a symbolic figure in the Book of Revelation, representing opposition to the Christian faith. Often associated with pagan nations and governments, she is particularly linked to the imperial city of Rome. The Whore is depicted as a woman adorned in purple and scarlet, holding a golden cup filled with abominations.
Like the ancient city, she is an enemy of God’s chosen people and is described as sexually deviant. She has "committed fornication" with the "kings of the earth" and influenced them toward evil.
However, interpretations vary across Christian traditions. Some identify her with Jerusalem, non-Christian religions, modern society, or even the Roman Catholic Church. As an adaptable metaphor, she embodies false religion or worldviews that could enable the Antichrist's rise before the Last Judgment.
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Where does the Whore of Babylon appear in the Bible?
The Whore of Babylon appears in the Book of Revelation. Specifically, she is introduced to John of Patmos in a vision from an angel, as written in Revelation 17:3–6. She is described as a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns, adorned in purple, scarlet, gold, jewels, and pearls, holding a golden cup full of abominations.
The Whore of Babylon is often seen as a symbol of the pagan nations and governments that oppose the Christian faith, particularly the imperial city of Rome. However, interpretations vary, with some identifying her as Jerusalem, non-Christian religions, modern society, or even the Roman Catholic Church.
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How is the Whore of Babylon described in the Book of Revelation?
In Christianity, the whore of Babylon is a symbolic figure in the Book of Revelation, often seen as representing opposition to the Christian faith, particularly the imperial city of Rome.
The Book of Revelation describes her as a woman adorned in purple and scarlet, decked with gold, jewels, and pearls, holding a golden cup full of abominations. She sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns and is labeled "Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations," drunk with the blood of saints.
Like the ancient city, she is an enemy of God’s people and is sexually deviant, committing fornication with the kings of the earth and influencing them toward evil. Ultimately, she faces a violent downfall: "they will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire".
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What are some interpretations of who or what the Whore of Babylon represents?
The Whore of Babylon is a symbolic figure in Christianity's Book of Revelation, often interpreted as representing opposition to the Christian faith.
Interpretations:
* Rome: Some early Christians believed she represented Rome, the "great city that rules over the kings of the earth". The seven heads of the "scarlet beast" she rides may symbolize Rome's Seven Hills.
* Other interpretations: The Whore has also been associated with Jerusalem, non-Christian religions, modern society, Russia, the United States, or even the Roman Catholic Church. She is sometimes seen as a false religion that enables the Antichrist's rise before the Last Judgment.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has the image of the Whore of Babylon influenced Christian art and literature?
The Whore of Babylon, a figure from the Book of Revelation, has significantly influenced Christian art and literature. This symbolic woman, often associated with Rome and seen as an enemy of God’s people, embodies the corruption and decadence of worldly power in opposition to the Christian faith.
In art, Albrecht Dürer's woodcut The Whore of Babylon (1496–98) portrays her in contemporary Italian dress, riding a seven-headed winged beast as a city burns in the background. This image captures the whore's allure and the destruction she brings, reflecting the anxieties of the time.
The Whore of Babylon serves as an adaptable metaphor for various entities, including false religions, worldviews, or societies that lead people away from God.
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Why have different Christian groups disagreed about the meaning of the Whore of Babylon?
Different Christian groups have disagreed about the meaning of the Whore of Babylon due to the diversity of Christian thought and eschatology. The Whore of Babylon is a figure in the Book of Revelation, often seen as representing opposition to the Christian faith. While some Christians believe she represents Rome, others identify her with Jerusalem, non-Christian religions, modern society, Russia, the United States, or even the Roman Catholic Church. The Whore of Babylon serves as an ambiguous metaphor, sometimes understood as a false religion that will enable the Antichrist’s rise to power before the Last Judgment.
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whore of Babylon, in Christianity, a portentous figure described in the apocalyptic Revelation to John. She is seen as analogous to the pagan nations and governments considered in direct opposition to the Christian faith, particularly the imperial city of Rome.
The whore of Babylon is disclosed to Revelation’s narrator, John of Patmos, in a vision from an angel:
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her prostitution, and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus (Revelation 17:3–6).
Given the forced detention suffered by the Jewish people during the Babylonian Exile (ending in 538 bce), Babylon has long served as an exemplar of evil in the Hebrew Bible and the subsequent Judeo-Christian tradition. The prophet Jeremiah recounted heavenly messages that Babylon had “fallen and…shattered” (Book of Jeremiah 51:8) and “become a horror among the nations” (50:23); later, he instructed Israel’s armies to decimate Babylonian soldiers while attacking the city. In the Book of Isaiah, Babylon is called a “faithful city” that had “become a whore” (1:21). These descriptions are echoed by those of the whore of Babylon in Revelation, which was written about 96 ce. Like the ancient city of Babylon, the whore is an enemy of God’s chosen people; also like the city, she is described as sexually deviant. The seat of idolatry, she is said to have “committed fornication” with the “kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:2) and thus influenced the kings toward evil. Her downfall is described in graphic terms: “they…will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (17:16).
The whore of Babylon does not necessarily represent a resurrection of ancient Babylon, which fell to Cyrus the Great in 539 bce. Rather, she is often believed to represent Rome—a much more present threat to early Christians. The seven heads of the whore’s “scarlet beast” can be understood as the Seven Hills of Rome, which at the time were so iconic as to be depicted on coins. A number of other early Christian writers and theologians similarly associated Roman rule with the coming apocalypse. Some regarded it as the “fourth kingdom” prophesied in the Book of Daniel, a pagan world power that would eventually be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. For many contemporary (and later) Christians, Rome was clearly the whore of Babylon, who is described as “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18).
Of course, given the diversity of Christian thought and eschatology, some Christian sects interpret the whore of Babylon differently. She has been variously identified with Jerusalem, non-Christian religions, modern society and culture, Russia, the United States, and even the Roman Catholic Church. Serving as an ambiguous and adaptable metaphor, she is sometimes understood as a false religion or worldview that will enable the Antichrist’s rise to power prior to the Last Judgment.
In art history, one notable depiction of the whore is Albrecht Dürer’s The Whore of Babylon, from his series “The Apocalypse” (1496–98). The woodcut features the whore in modern 15th-century Italian dress, riding a winged creature with seven heads. A group of people, including one in monk’s garb, gaze up at her; in the background, a city—either Rome or Babylon—burns. Strong Gothic influence dominates the woodcut series, though Dürer spent much of his career experimenting with more modern artistic styles. Still, it was this series, in a traditional style, that made him famous.
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