Mysteries of ancient Babylon
Overview of the ancient metropolis of Babylon, with its vast walls and (according to Herodotus) the Tower of Babel, as well as of scientists' efforts to separate truth from fiction.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: This region is part of modern-day Iraq. The area was once called Mesopotamia, to signify the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. According to historical records, a huge metropolis is said to have existed near the two rivers: Babylon, the capital of Babylonia, the city of cities as it was called at the time. To this day people can still see the famous walls of Babylon. However, the only original sections that are still preserved today are the foundation walls. The remainder of the walls were reconstructed. The massive brick walls are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Greek historian Herodotus raved about the city's magnificence in his historical writings. His descriptions of Babylon made the city famous in the ancient world. He told fantastic tales about individual buildings, like the Tower of Babel. It was said to have reached into the heavens and to have awoken the wrath of God. Herodotus wrote that the Babylonian capital was a single grandiose wonder, with 86 kilometers of fortifying walls that included 100 gates.
But how much of this is actually true? Technology might shed some light on the matter. Scientists are examining ancient clay tablets with Babylonian texts. First, they use a laser to scan the ancient cuneiform script. The scan of the tablet is reflected onto a plane and copied onto a glass plate. The special thing about this imaging procedure is that it shows the clay tablet as a three-dimensional image. The image of the tablet is available on the Internet for further examination and decoding.
PROFESSOR WALTER SOMMERFELD: "The Sumerians, Babylonians and Syrians were very prolific writers, they wrote everything that could be written down: letters, official documents and everything they knew - their literature, myths, astrological knowledge. Everything they knew has been passed on to us on these clay tablets."
NARRATOR: Scientists have tried to reconstruct the city and have realized that Babylon was a colossal fortification. Its massive double walls were impenetrable. It was a huge metropolis, with spacious squares, long, straight boulevards and a network of small alleyways.
A Babylonian leader wrote, "No one before had ever done what I have," anticipating the city's glory. The historian Herodotus, on the other hand, visited a city that already lay in ruins. But the expansive streets and the remnants of the walls hinted at Babylon's earlier splendor.
Greek historian Herodotus raved about the city's magnificence in his historical writings. His descriptions of Babylon made the city famous in the ancient world. He told fantastic tales about individual buildings, like the Tower of Babel. It was said to have reached into the heavens and to have awoken the wrath of God. Herodotus wrote that the Babylonian capital was a single grandiose wonder, with 86 kilometers of fortifying walls that included 100 gates.
But how much of this is actually true? Technology might shed some light on the matter. Scientists are examining ancient clay tablets with Babylonian texts. First, they use a laser to scan the ancient cuneiform script. The scan of the tablet is reflected onto a plane and copied onto a glass plate. The special thing about this imaging procedure is that it shows the clay tablet as a three-dimensional image. The image of the tablet is available on the Internet for further examination and decoding.
PROFESSOR WALTER SOMMERFELD: "The Sumerians, Babylonians and Syrians were very prolific writers, they wrote everything that could be written down: letters, official documents and everything they knew - their literature, myths, astrological knowledge. Everything they knew has been passed on to us on these clay tablets."
NARRATOR: Scientists have tried to reconstruct the city and have realized that Babylon was a colossal fortification. Its massive double walls were impenetrable. It was a huge metropolis, with spacious squares, long, straight boulevards and a network of small alleyways.
A Babylonian leader wrote, "No one before had ever done what I have," anticipating the city's glory. The historian Herodotus, on the other hand, visited a city that already lay in ruins. But the expansive streets and the remnants of the walls hinted at Babylon's earlier splendor.