Babylon  

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 +'''Babylon''' was an ancient [[city]] in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern [[Iraq]]), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of [[Baghdad]]. It was the "holy city" of [[Babylonia]] from around [[2300 BC]].
-'''Babylon''' was an ancient [[city]] in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern [[Iraq]]), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of [[Baghdad]]. It was the "holy city" of [[Babylonia]] from around [[2300 BC]]. Metaphorically, the term ''Babylonia'' denotes any city of great [[wealth]], [[luxury]] and [[vice]], taken to an extreme by Rastafarianism which uses the term for the so-called [[white man]]'s civilization.+Babylon has achieved considerable prominence throughout the ages as a symbol and by-word of [[wealth]], [[luxury]], [[decadence]], [[vice]] and [[corruption]]. The New Testament [[book of Revelation]], for example, mentions the city on several occasions in this role. More recently, the 1959 Kenneth Anger book ''[[Hollywood Babylon]]'' has characterized the American film industry along the same lines.
== Confusion == == Confusion ==
In the [[Bible]] the term ''babel'' interpreted by [[Genesis]] 11:9 to mean "[[confusion]]", from the verb ''balal'', "to confuse". In the [[Bible]] the term ''babel'' interpreted by [[Genesis]] 11:9 to mean "[[confusion]]", from the verb ''balal'', "to confuse".
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Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon]] was one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]]. Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon]] was one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]].
-==In Rastafarianism==+==Babylon in popular culture==
 +Due to the importance of Babylon in its time as well as the stories in the [[Bible]] the word "Babylon" in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling diverse city. As such, the word "Babylon" is used for various entertainment events or buildings. For example, [[sci-fi]] series ''[[Babylon 5]]'' tells a tale of a multi-racial future [[space station]]. [[Babilonas]] ([[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] name for "Babylon") is also a name for a major real estate development in [[Lithuania]].
-(''[[Rastafarianism]]'') Term for the so-called [[white man's civilization]].+===In Rastafarianism===
 +In '''[[reggae]]''' music the term Babylon is often used since it is an important concept in the [[Rastafari movement#Zion vs. Babylon|rastafarian]] belief system, denoting the [[Sin|profane]] materialistic [[capitalist]] world or '[[white man's civilization]]'.
-== See also ==+==Namesakes==
-*[[New Babylon]]+*''[[The New Babylon]]'', 1929, Russian film
-*[[Hollywood Babylon]]+*''[[Hollywood Babylon]]'', 1959, a book by Kenneth Anger
 +*"[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]]", 1885, controversial newspaper articles on child prostitution
 +==See also==
 +:''Not to be confused with [[Babylonia]].''
 +*[[Akkad (city)|Akkad]]
 +*[[Babel (disambiguation)]]
 +*[[Cities of the ancient Near East]]
 +*[[Code of Hammurabi]]
 +*[[Tower of Babel]]
*[[Whore of Babylon]] *[[Whore of Babylon]]
-*[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]] 
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Babylon was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of Baghdad. It was the "holy city" of Babylonia from around 2300 BC.

Babylon has achieved considerable prominence throughout the ages as a symbol and by-word of wealth, luxury, decadence, vice and corruption. The New Testament book of Revelation, for example, mentions the city on several occasions in this role. More recently, the 1959 Kenneth Anger book Hollywood Babylon has characterized the American film industry along the same lines.

Contents

Confusion

In the Bible the term babel interpreted by Genesis 11:9 to mean "confusion", from the verb balal, "to confuse".

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Babylon in popular culture

Due to the importance of Babylon in its time as well as the stories in the Bible the word "Babylon" in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling diverse city. As such, the word "Babylon" is used for various entertainment events or buildings. For example, sci-fi series Babylon 5 tells a tale of a multi-racial future space station. Babilonas (Lithuanian name for "Babylon") is also a name for a major real estate development in Lithuania.

In Rastafarianism

In reggae music the term Babylon is often used since it is an important concept in the rastafarian belief system, denoting the profane materialistic capitalist world or 'white man's civilization'.

Namesakes

See also

Not to be confused with Babylonia.




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Babylon" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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