Page 16 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies - Textbook w videos short

They developed the first ever positional number system in which the value of a digit depends on both
the digit and its position. The positional system greatly simplified arithmetic and helped the Babylonians
to make great advances in mathematics. It has now been established that Greek and Hellenistic
mathematicians borrowed heavily from the Babylonians.

Babylonia also contributed significantly to Mesopotamian art and architecture; they built massive and
marvelous structures like Etemenanki and the Ishtar Gate (pictured previous page). Nebuchadnezzar
built the 47 feet tall gate for the purpose of making the Jews taken in the Jerusalem siege pass through
it into Babylon. The gate was dedicated to the pagan goddess Ishtar, and forcing the Jews to walk
through such a gate added great insult to their defeated condition.

The Babylonian civilization occupies a pivotal place in the history of modern scientific astronomy and
it laid the basis for all western astronomy. They also laid the foundation for Western astrology.

Hammurabi’s famous law
code

Besides Hammurabi’s famous law code, he focused on improving irrigation and control of water
resources, building massive temples and engaging in public works such as enlarging the double walls of
the city.

Hammurabi’s empire lasted only his lifetime. The control he had established over Mesopotamia
dwindled away until the city itself was sacked in 1595 B.C. by the Hittites. Kassites, a mountain people
from Iran, later took the city and conquered the rest of Mesopotamia as well. Under the Kassite dynasty,
Babylon became a great cultural center of learning, producing texts on mathematics, medicine and
astrology. The Kassites called Babylon by the name Karanduniash. Kassite control of the city lasted 435
years, with periodic episodes of Assyrian or Elamite conquests.

Assyrians controlled Babylon from 911 to 608 B.C. Under the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, Babylon
rebelled. Sennacherib destroyed the city, razing its walls, temples and palaces to the ground. He then
proceeded to invade the land of Israel. After taking control of Lachish (south of Jerusalem), He
threatened to destroy Jerusalem.

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