481Observations
Teaching
11
Being Accountable
Darkness Before the Light…
In the opening statement on the first tablet He etched in stone, Yahowah revealed that He, alone, is our God – the One who was willing and able to rescue His people. He has delivered us from the onerous burdens imposed by man. His liberation, however, was conditional. God emphatically states that we would not continue to exist if we chose to associate ourselves with other gods – because they do not exist either.
Paying no attention whatsoever to Yahowah, Islamic militants will besiege Yisra’el. They will seek to kill God’s people and plunder their homes. It will not, however, go their way. The world is about to find out that Yahowah intends to honor the promise He made to ‘Abraham when He said that He would negate those who seek to harm Yisra’el.
“Behold (hineh – look up now and pay attention, this is important), the Day (ha yowm) of Yahowah’s (Yahowah – an accurate transliteration of the name YaHoWaH, our ‘elowah – God as guided by His towrah – instructions regarding His hayah – existence and our shalowm – reconciliation) arrival will come (bow’ – will occur (qal perfect)).
It will be merciless and deadly (‘akzary – with extreme intensity and fierce conviction, without compassion and harsh) as an outpouring of intense displeasure (wa ‘ebrah – as a result of His disappointment over their presumptive arrogance, as a time for wrath 482against the opposing side) and (wa) burning resentment (charown ‘aph – fierce anger and indignation; from charah – to grieve and become incensed and furious) for having caused (la sym – as a result of trying to make) the Land (‘erets – the region and material realm, even the earth) to become (la – to move in the direction of) an ugly and horrible place, devastated and desolated (shamah – something terrible to look at, laid waste, appalling, and lifeless; from shamem – desolate and appalling, deflowered and deserted, devastated and deplorable).
Because of this (min hy’ – and out of it), He will, therefore, overthrow and exterminate (wa shamad – leading to an extinction event, comprising either death or eternal banishment, the complete annihilation of (hifil imperfect)) the “poligious” who have missed the way (chata’ – the offensive opposition in violation of the standard, who are political and religious, those exposed as belligerent and reckoned to condemnation; from chata’ – to go the wrong way and incur guilt, forfeiting any right to reconciliation [1QIsa excludes the MT’s ‘hy’ – its’ from the phrase, thus revealing that the sinners are not Yisra’elites but instead the invaders]).” (Yasha’yah / Deliverance is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:9)
Long ago, back when Yahowah and I were engaged in exposing and condemning Muhammad and his pathetic Quran, it became obvious that Islam was nothing more than a control mechanism designed to empower and enrich the source of its “inspiration.” The religion would give Allah’s errand boy the pretense of a divine sanction so that he could take whatever he desired – which turned out to be a predilection for other people’s property, lives, and adolescent girls.
Muhammad became a ruthless dictator imposing his will through terrorism rather than the rule of law. The only industry within his community would be armed robbery. Therefore, describing the resulting scheme as “religious,” 483seemed inadequate. In that Islam was equal parts political, albeit of the worst kind imaginable, his unsavory variation on fascism required a composite designation, i.e., “poligious.”
Having evolved out of Imperial Rome, with the widespread imposition of its self-serving religious and oppressive political mandates, Christianity was simply a more “advanced” version of “poligious” – giving it a more credible veneer – at least for those who were empowered.
Judaism was conceived to be “poligious,” providing rabbis a means to control and fleece their constituents. Even today, without a constitution, Israel is governed by a letter of understanding, splitting authority equally between the religious and political factions. Although I have devoted much of my life to helping Yahuwdym, Israel’s present concoction of religiosity is appalling.
While most would see it otherwise, Socialist Secular Humanism is also equal parts political and religious, with the belief system predicated upon placing one’s faith in mankind. To work in academia or the media one must profess allegiance to their multicultural mandate and ascribe to their moral code of political correctness. Heretics are persecuted with religious zeal.
It is fair to say that God is extremely disappointed in us. All mention of Yahowah has been obliterated by religion and replaced by governments. By this time, fewer than one in a million people know Him. The wondrous and lively blue and green jewel of a planet He created is rapidly becoming an ugly and horrible place, devastated and desolated. There are tears in God’s eyes, sadness in His heart, despair in His every breath.
We are not told if the darkness experienced around the Earth will be a result of man’s nuclear holocaust, increased pollution as the world wages war, the consequence of the asteroid strike and volcanic eruptions, the result of severe 484climate change resulting in massive and unrelenting storms, or as a result of Yahowah’s extermination event, whereby the Land is cleansed of those who have gone the wrong way, but it may be dark before the arrival of the Light. And I say “may,” only because there are several clues within this statement that indicated that it should be rendered such that it includes ha Satan and his fallen mal’ak, along with the guise of the gods among those who will be overthrown and banished on this day.
Kowkab can be translated as “luminaries” and thus address the fallen mal’ak, who are beings comprised of light, or “stars.” Ha shamaym can depict “the spiritual realm” from which these spiritual beings have fallen, or “the heavens and sky.” Further, kesyl’s primary meaning isn’t “constellations” as in “clusters of stars forming patterns in people’s minds” but instead “stupid, foolish, insolent, rebellious, arrogant, simpleton, and dullard, lacking any understanding.” And that brings us to the negation of halal, which just so happens to be the Adversary’s name. It can be inferred that “Halal will be negated, no longer eliciting praise,” no longer worshiped as if he were God.
It could be revealing that the constellations that served as the basis of the Babylonian religion, and are still extolled today by astrologists, will no longer be extolled or seen as praiseworthy – as if they were gods. And when one includes the sun among the stars and luminaries, along with the moon and visible planets, they have all been worshiped as gods and goddesses, with Christianity run amok with sun-god imagery and Islam with the moon.
Man has long turned to the sun, moon, and stars “for enlightenment and guidance,” just as ‘owr hem suggests. Moreover, the idea of the “shemesh – sun” being “chashak – obscured” “ba – with” “yatsa’ huw’ – its coming out and his descent, his rise and fall” speaks of Satan, whose full name is Hylel ben Shachar / the Illustrious and Arrogant 485Son of the Rising Sun, and “his production and broad dissemination of popular and public information, the extent he has gone to express his animosity, his coming forth and departure” at this time.
Methinks a lot of both are at play. The entire world is in travail, struggling to survive the onslaught and this is the final showdown between good and evil.
“For indeed (ky – is will be such that), the luminaries (kowkab – the stars) of the spiritual realm (ha shamaym – of the heavens or sky) and their absurd constellations (kesyl – clusters of stars forming patterns in the minds of the foolish; from kesyl – to be stupid, insolent, and rebellious, arrogant fool, simpleton and dullard, lacking any understanding) will not be extolled or seen as praiseworthy (lo’ halal – will no longer shine, flash, or boast, no longer be seen or acclaimed, and there will be no more Halal (Satan’s name), and no insane, arrogant, slanderous, or foolish ridicule or bragging) for their light (‘owr hem – their illumination or enlightenment, for their guidance and life), the sun (ha shemesh – the brilliant sunlight) obscured (chashak – darkened) with (ba – in or by) its coming out and his descent (yatsa’ huw’ – his production and broad dissemination of popular and public information, the extent he has gone to express his animosity, his coming forth, rise and fall, exit and departure (qal infinitive construct)) and (wa) the moon (yareach – the object of worship in Islam and the lesser luminary of the night) will not provide its light (nagah ‘owr huw’ – will not radiate, shine, beautifully present, or give its light or guidance).” (Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:10)
Perhaps a massive asteroid impact, a major volcanic eruption, a pair of towering tsunamis, a swarm of severe earthquakes, fierce tornadoes, and unrelenting hurricanes, combined with a nuclear holocaust, all set among conventional, chemical, and biological warfare will 486unequivocally darken the atmosphere around the place, sufficiently to obscure the sun while blocking the light of the moon and stars. Man will have made a mess of God’s world.
But that isn’t the primary issue. Not by a long shot. Sure, Yahowah is upset that mankind has completely trashed the beautiful planet He made for us. And yes, He is upset that man finds it entertaining, noble, glorious, and heroic to murder the souls He wanted to nourish and raise as sons and daughters. Humanity is now divided into three classes of people: the hunters, their supporters, and their prey. The hunters are an abomination, which is why God is incinerating all of them.
Their supporters are pathetic, ignorant and immoral, overtly religious and political, coconspirators – all of whom have allied more resolutely with these evil human institutions rather than reject them and walk away. As for their prey, most will turn to the gods of their fathers as hope fades for their survival. Apart from the beneficiaries of the Ingatherings and a responsive remnant of His people, there will be no one to help, no one to save, no one to love.
“‘Then (wa) I will hold the world accountable (paqad ‘al tebel – I will undergo a careful inspection, taking stock of the world, conducting an inventory, counting and recording the world’s drafts, calls to arms, and military gatherings, exercising My authority and assigning responsibility (qal perfect)) for the wrongdoing of its pastors and depravity of its shepherds as well as the misery and suffering inflicted by its rulers (ra’ah – for the disastrous distress and wickedness the evil leaders have perpetrated and the wanton destruction of governments and authority figures).
The religious (rasa’ – those who are wrong, wicked, and incorrect, criminals in violation of the standard who will be condemned) will be held liable for their 487perversity and corruption (‘aown | ‘awon hem – will be held accountable for their guilt and actions contrary to the will of God, for the pain they have inflicted and as a consequence for the damage they have done, for their depravity, twisting, distorting, and perverting the truth).
Then I will observe the Shabat by putting an end to (wa shabat – so I can rest I will stop and remove, ceasing and causing to desist (hifil perfect)) the conceit and violent agitation (ga’own – the pride and arrogance, the eminence and majesty, the undue claims of undeserved status, and agitating nature and uprisings of the surging sea (gentiles)) of the presumptive who are self-willed with an inflated and disrespectful self-image (zed – contemptible and insolent, the haughty and unrestrained, the audacious and despicable, the appalling and disreputable).
I will humble and humiliate them, bringing down (wa shaphel – I will defeat and shame, overthrow and debase, lay low and cast down) the pompous pride (ga’awah – the undue and unwarranted status of the moral failures, the inordinate and unreasonable self-esteem and roaring arrogance) of the cruel and ruthless (‘aryts – of the terrorists, of those who invoke fear, of the terrifying potentates and violent tyrants who oppress, of those who prevail through terror and inspire ruthlessness).’” (Yasha’yah / Freedom is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:11)
It should be obvious by now, but the reason Yahowah has finally had His fill of mankind is that virtually all men and women, even children, have fallen for Satan’s dare, and he has become their god. He is not just the Lord of Christianity and the Allah of Islam, he has taken possession of every government, every religious institution, and every military establishment. The Adversary, this broken implement, has become the world’s economic system, the essence of its culture and the model for its society. It’s not just that most men, women, and children have rejected 488Yahowah and spit on all He has done for us, they are worshiping the Adversary as if he were God.
And Yahowah is going to close the books on the human experiment. He will hold the perpetrators accountable for the misery they inflicted, not just on His creation, but on Him as well. He will condemn them for corrupting and perverting His testimony, His words, His deeds, and His name. It has been six days of torment, and it is time for a long Shabat. But for God to rest, He must first squelch the noise – the constant din of the weapons that have been brought to bear against His people, the lies shouted by those wielding them, and the screams of those dying from them.
It is the hubris of it all that Yah finds the most irritating. Satan and man pretending to be the most twisted and perverse kind of god, presumptive, self-willed, disrespectful, pompous, cruel, and ruthless. There is no saving these people. Hell no. God cannot stand the sight nor sound of them. So, all that remains now is to cultivate the harvests and then clean up the mess God’s People have made so that a remnant is prepared to witness the arrival and Homecoming of Father and Son.
There were four declarations inscribed in the first statement Yahowah etched in stone. Yahowah introduced Himself by name, revealed that He alone is God, identified Himself as our Liberator and Savior, and stated unequivocally that we could not and would not exist with other gods in His presence.
We are now witnessing the consequence of mankind’s rejection of these truths. Then in the second statement, Yahowah sought to guide humankind away from religion, knowing that it would fester and grow, corrupting successive generations, essentially damning them. And it was at the conclusion of this statement that God said something few have considered: “My mercy will be for the 489thousands who observe the terms and conditions of my relationship agreement.” We did the math: thousands among billions is one in a million.
Here, now, we are witnessing that equation play out…
“I will make mortal man as rare and scarce and yet beloved and cherished (yaqar ‘enowsh – I will cause the value of a life to become well-known, precious, respected, costly, adored, beautiful, prized, and exceedingly valuable, an object of great affection (hifil imperfect active)) more than (min) refined gold (paz – pure and precious metals), and (wa) the descendants of ‘Adam (‘adam – mankind with a neshamah) more than (min) the gold (kethem) of ‘Owphyr (‘Owphyr – location of ancient goldmines now submerged off of the northern tip of Sri Lanka).” (Yasha’yah / Deliverance is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:12)
This has become difficult to translate and convey. It’s not that the words are challenging but, instead, the sorrow expressed within them. As I have come to know and respect Yah, I’ve come to grieve for Him – but never more than at this time.
And yet in the end, this isn’t about the death of many but, instead, about cherishing and respecting the great value of each surviving life.
Two elements, both gasses, comprise 98% of the substance of the physical universe, with Hydrogen representing 75% and Helium at 23%. Oxygen comprises 1% of the total elements, followed by Carbon at 0.5%, Nitrogen, Neon, and Iron each at 0.1%. Silicon (0.07%), Magnesium (0.06%), Sulfur ((0.05%), and Argon (0.02%) when combined with the previously mentioned elements collectively comprise 99.9% of the universe. Only two of these elements are metals, iron and magnesium. Gold is exceptionally rare, comprising a scant 0.000000006% of universal elements. It is also interesting that Carbon, the element which serves as the building block of life, is the 490fourth most abundant element, and the most prolific after Oxygen – the catalyst which makes life possible.
As for the gold of ‘Owphyr, all we know is that Solomon coveted its gold so much that he built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber on the shore of the Red Sea as part of a trade agreement with the king of Phoenicia in Lebanon to obtain it in large quantities. Working together, ‘Owphyr became the favored location to extract gold during this time. Wood, gems, ivory, spices, monkeys, and peacocks were also imported into Yisra’el from ‘Owphyr.
Based upon the fact that we are told that the round trip to ‘Owphyr took three years, that it was only accessible by ship, that the journey was treacherous, that fleets set sail from Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba, and that exotic animals, peacocks, spices, and fragrant woods were imported from this location, we can surmise that ‘Owphyr was likely associated with India. When these realizations are combined with language studies whereby words in one region appear within the text of another as loanwords, and trade routes, as well as ancient depictions of sailing ships in regional art, and an evaluation of the pottery these merchant traders left behind, we can refine our search such that we recognize that ‘Owphyr was part of Ilanka, now known as Sri Lanka.
However, the region of ‘Owphyr, on the northeastern tip of the island, was lost to the sea and submerged in the 2nd century BCE. The last of its gold was extracted by Solomon. All other subsequent attempts to gather its treasure have failed.
The gold they sought was more valuable to them than the lives that were lost transporting it across the Arabian Sea – a journey which required three arduous years to complete. And now, life has become more precious and scarcer than the gold they valued. Until the advent of fiat money (currency based upon debt), gold was the de facto 491currency of nations, their only credible “money.” Soon, life will become more precious.
Since God is addressing refined gold, and thus not that which is still buried in the ground, we know that 363,763,000 pounds (165,000 metric tons or 165 billion grams) of gold have been mined throughout human history, more than half of that over the past 50 years. To visualize this amount, gathered together it would fill 3.4 Olympic-sized (50x25x2 meters) swimming pools. The world’s richest deposits are quickly becoming depleted and new discoveries are rare.
All of the available gold on Earth, in comparison to humanity, represents 0.75 troy ounces per person. That is the equivalent of five gold rings per individual. A troy ounce is 31 grams. The average human weighs 70 kilograms. There are currently 7 billion of us. Thus, mankind outweighs all accessible gold by 490,000,000,000,000 grams to 165,000,000,000 grams, which is by 3,000 to 1 calculated by mass. By volume, the ratio is 60,000 to 1.
Therefore, for there to be more refined gold than people by mass, the human population will be reduced by 7.0 billion, declining to under 2.4 million, and by volume, to just 122 thousand. But that isn’t the final standard, because it isn’t the amount of available gold in the world, but the amount still left in the submerged mines of ‘Owphyr – which wouldn’t even represent 0.1% of either total and thus no more than 120 if measured by volume and 2,400 if by mass.
It is interesting that we are told that David amassed 3000 talents of gold from ‘Owphyr (1 Chronicles 29:3-4) for Yahowah’s House. Solomon, the last to mine gold from ‘Owphyr, collected another 420 talents, but that was just his share in his alliance with King Hiram of Tyre. Assuming they split the proceeds equally, and with a talent 492equating to 33.3 kilograms, that equates to around 77 pounds – less than the weight of a man or even one woman. And so, we have returned to ‘Eden.
Heaven will be shaken up because Yahowah is perturbed with Satan and his cadre of misaligned mal’ak. Prior to this time, they had been given limited access to the spiritual realm as well as increasing influence over the Earth. But this has come to a crashing halt. Yahowah is now forever banishing all faulty spirits from heaven, and He is going to undo what they have done on Earth.
“Therefore (‘al ken – as a result), perturbed, I will shake up (ragaz – disappointed, I will agitate, creating a disturbance in) the Spiritual Realm (shamaym – the heavens or sky) and (wa) the Land (ha ‘erets – the material realm or earth) will tremble, with earthquakes (ra’ash – will quake and be shaken) emanating out of (min – whose epicenter will be) her home, the place she takes her stand (maqowm hy’ – her standing place and dwelling place, her source of life and human abode, her place of assembly and place of work, her direction and the source from which springs of water flow; from quwm – to rise and take a stand, to stand up and become powerful, to be established and confirmed, to endure and persist, to ratify and fulfill) in (ba – with) the intense displeasure (‘ebrah – tremendous disappointment and outpouring of anger over this opposition; from ‘abar – to pass over) of Yahowah (Yahowah – the proper pronunciation of the name of YaHoWaH, our ‘elowah – God as directed in His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah existence and our shalowm – restoration) of the spiritual implements (tsaba’ – heavenly messengers and envoys), and in (wa ba) the day (yowm) of His burning resentment (charown ‘aph huw’ – fierce anger and indignation; from charah – to grieve and become incensed and furious).” (Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:13)
493These earthquakes will emanate from under Mowryah, splitting the ridgeline in half. As a result, every building man has erected in the vicinity will crumble and be swallowed by the earth, and in their place, living waters will cascade east and west to the seas. It isn’t exactly urban renewal, but it will replace a parasitic blight with something of astonishing beauty.
Yahowah has but one home on Earth, one place He has taken a stand on behalf of His people, one site where He does His work, and it is the place His assembly of saved souls will meet, and where they will drink living waters from His spring: Mowryah!
Those who know Yah, turn to Him. Those who do not, turn to their comrades and country.
“And (wa) it shall come to pass that (hayah – it will be that) like (ka – similar to) a seduced, stray, and hunted (nadah – a random, outcast and scattered, a banished, enticed, and driven) gazelle (tseby – buck) or like (wa ka) a flock (tso’n – a herd) and none to gather them (wa ‘ayn qabats – with no one to bring them together), each individual (‘ysh – every person) to his people (‘el ‘am huw’ – to his nation, group, or kin) will turn (panah – will look to, face, and pay attention to), and (wa) each person (‘ysh – every individual) will flee (nus – will depart in haste, escaping) to (‘el) his land (‘erets huw’ – his country and region).” (Yasha’yah / Freedom is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:14)
This seems to suggest that those who are on the outskirts of this battle, and who have not yet been incapacitated, will feel isolation and panic, chaotically retreating to the perceived sense of belonging, support, and safety associated with the only things they have ever trusted.
But this is a time like no other, a place like no other. There will be no running away, no blending in, no second 494chances, no forgiveness, and no negotiations. The men and women who have come to kill “Jews” will have done to them what they intended. And based upon the verb, this will be akin to retreating Russian troops in Stalingrad who were gunned down by their comrades.
“All who are discovered and caught (kol – everyone or anyone who is found, detected, and attained) with a weapon will be pierced (daqar – will be wounded, riddled and impaled by a sharp and piercing implement) such that whoever (wa kol ha – and then anyone who) is captured will perish (saphah – is caught and taken away, will be destroyed, is swept away and removed from the cloud of dust will cease to exist and be scraped away), failing and falling (naphal – dropping prostrate, being stopped) by the sword (ba ha chereb – by the weapons of war).” (Yasha’yah / Deliverance is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:15)
Since the weapons Yahowah has been wielding are His Word and His Light, since He is trying to rid His home of these beasts, not catch them, since those who are retreating are turning to their own place and people, and since these militants are now in the presence of their children, this is Satan’s way of thanking them for their service. In one last outpouring of irony, his minions are murdering those who pledged their lives and souls to him. And adding insult to injury, militant man’s final salvo will be to mutilate the children of those who fled the fight. Rather than prosper for having participated in the final battle, to return to a hero’s welcome, as the warmongers had promised, their property and women will be taken from them.
“And then (wa) their children (‘owlel hem – their sons from infancy to adolescence) will be dashed to pieces and smashed (ratsah – will be struck so viciously, their soft tissues will turn to mush) before their eyes (la ‘ayn hem – as they watch), their houses (beyth hem – their homes and families) will be plundered (shasas – robbed 495and ransacked, pillaged and looted, raided and despoiled), and their women (wa ‘ishah – females, wives, and mothers; feminine of ‘ysh – individual, ‘esh – fire, and ‘enowsh – mortals) will be taken (laqach – seized and carried away [from 1QIsa vs ‘shagal – ravished and raped’ in the MT]).” (Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:16)
This sounds eerily similar to what Islamic terrorists did in Israel on October 7th, 2033. They acted like savages.
Here once again is where we have just been, but now all in one glance…
“Behold, the Day of Yahowah’s arrival will come. It will be merciless and deadly, as an outpouring of disappointment and displeasure over the opposition’s presumptive arrogance, replete with burning resentment and indignation for causing the Land to become an ugly and horrible place, devastated and desolated, lifeless and appalling, deflowered and deserted, utterly deplorable.
This will result in Him overthrowing and banishing the religious who have missed the way, exposing the belligerent as deserving condemnation, having forfeited any right to reconciliation. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:9)
For indeed, the clusters of stars forming patterns in the minds of the foolish will not be extolled nor seen as praiseworthy for their light, nor acclaimed on behalf of the arrogant and slanderous Halal.
Even the sun will be obscured in its descent and the moon will not provide its light. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:10)
Then I will hold the world accountable, conducting an inventory of military campaigns, exercising My authority over the wrongdoing of the world’s pastors and the depravity of its shepherds as well as the misery and suffering inflicted by its rulers.
496The religious have been wrong, and they will be held liable for their perversity and corruption, for their twisting, distorting, and perverting the truth.
I will observe the Shabat by putting an end to the conceit and violent agitation. The pride and arrogance of the presumptive who are self-willed with an inflated self-image, the unrestrained, audacious and appalling, I will humble along with the pompous pride of the cruel and ruthless terrorists who invoke fear. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:11)
I will make mortal man both rare and more valuable than refined gold. The descendants of ‘Adam (mankind with a neshamah) will be worth more than the gold of ‘Owphyr. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:12)
Therefore, perturbed, I will shake up the Spiritual Realm and the Land will tremble with earthquakes emanating out of her home, showing the intense displeasure and tremendous disappointment of Yahowah of the spiritual implements during the day of His burning resentment. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:13)
Then it shall come to pass that like a seduced, stray, and hunted gazelle, or like a flock with none to gather them together, each individual will turn to his people, his nation or kin, and each person will flee, departing in haste, escaping to his land. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:14)
All who are discovered and caught with a weapon will be impaled on it, such that whoever is captured will perish and be scraped away, falling by the sword. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:15)
And then their children will be dashed to pieces, turning to mush before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered, and their women will be taken.” (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:16)
497Yahowah is cleaning house. He must rid the world of every pest for it to be safe for His Family.
What follows is called “the Judgment of Babylon.” It has been assumed that it depicts the final siege and destruction of the ancient city. But I do not concur for a host of reasons.
Everything we have read thus far in the 13th chapter of Yasha’yah, and indeed throughout the past several chapters, speaks of Yahowah’s reconciliation with Yahuwdym and Yisra’el as well as hostility toward Gowym immediately prior to His return. In particular, the preceding section of Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13 addresses a future event, the final battle waged by men against God and His people. And while the poligious systems cultivated in Babylon evolved to shape Imperial Rome and become Roman Catholicism and even influence the United States and Europe, the ancient civilization is long gone.
Babylon, itself, was attacked and partially destroyed a number of times. And while it was eventually swallowed up by shifting sands, the chronology presented in Yasha’yah 13 requires us to either combine events that would play out over the course of five hundred years or interpret the story as a means to forecast future events. I prefer the latter, using this word’s-eye-view as a lens to telescope us into the Time of Ya’aqob’s Troubles.
Second, the primary issue being laid before us is: what is Babel? Is the reference limited to the ancient city of Babylon, to the Empire of Babylonia, to Chaldea which would include Sumer, Babylon and Assyria through their various iterations, as well as Persia and Iran, or does it also include the religious and political systems spawned by 498Babel which remain to this day? Our decision in this regard drives to the very heart of this book: Observations, which began as a quest to understand the conflict between man and God as it began and grew so that we might better appreciate how it will be resolved.
What we have discovered is that Babel gave rise to religion, confusing the masses and controlling them by commingling truth with lies. Mankind’s use of religion to conquer and rule metastasized in Babel, and its legacy is pervasive today.
The influence of Babel will be the last vestige of man’s and Satan’s collective rebellion to be vanquished upon Yahowah’s return. Therefore, set into the conquest of the battle, the fall of Babylonian institutions such as Roman Catholicism (religious Babylon), the United States (political Babylon), and the Islamic Middle East (geographic Babylon) is imminent and adroitly placed within this prophetic narrative.
Third, the last time an ancient civilization was mentioned by the prophet, it was Assyria, not Babylon. So, unless Babylon is seen as the heart and soul of Assyria, and / or as the most pervasive influence on humankind today, then Yasha’yah has upended the chronology and interrupted his thought process. However, since Yah’s perspective on time is different than our own, a sojourn through ancient history is only a problem if it takes our attention away from the point He has been making about why He is so disappointed with mankind.
Fourth, the fall of Babylon, the city, the empire, its Satanic underpinnings, and its religious legacy are foretold throughout Yasha’yah. The story dominates much of the 14th chapter of Yasha’yah, announcing Satan’s role in all of this. We learn of the fall of Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Syria, America, Egypt, ‘Edom, and Arabia in the intervening chapters before reading “Fallen, fallen is 499Babylon and all of the images of her gods are shattered on the ground” in Yasha’yah 21:9.
Having focused on the Adversary, we are encouraged to make a decision lest we be cast into the fate of nations. The prophet and his people sing a “Song of Trust” as Yahowah promises, in the 26th chapter, to once again save Yisra’el. Satan is ultimately held accountable and isolated as Yisra’el celebrates the Shabat of Sukah. Hoping that we might join them, in the 28th chapter, Yasha’yah presents the ultimate referendum on reason over religion.
Then the prophet resets his timeline and turns back the clock to the Assyrian conquests in Yasha’yah 30, where we are regaled with examples of Satan’s influence throughout this time and place. Shortly thereafter, in Yasha’yah 37 and 38, we are introduced to Sennacherib and then to Hezekiah, recounting one of the most important stories of salvation and reconciliation ever told – a lesson for our time if ever there were one.
In Yasha’yah 39, we return to the conflict between Babylon and Yahowah and emerge once again with the prophet emphasizing the path away from one and to the other. This story is dramatically presented throughout Isaiah 40 and 41. This leads to the role Yahowah will play in reconciling His relationship with His people in Yasha’yah 42.
Yahowah reaffirms His intent to liberate Ya’aqob from the influence of Babel in chapter 43, celebrating the redemption of His people in the 44th chapter. This eventually brings us to Cyrus, the implement Yahowah chose to subdue the nations and free His people from Babylon in the 45th chapter of Yasha’yah. Babel’s gods are besmirched in the 46th chapter and their religion is condemned in the 47th, which leads to Yahowah condemning all things Babel and calling His people out of Babylon in the 48th chapter of Isaiah.
500The concluding chapters of Yasha’yah explain how Yahowah will honor His Towrah and fulfill the Miqra’ey. It is a celebration of Yahowah’s outreach to His people, helping them prevail over the evil influences of Babel. We are told that the Earth will be restored, as will be Yahowah’s relationship with Yisra’el and Yahuwdym.
As a result, it’s hard to miss the idea that Babel is far more than an ancient city and fallen people. Babel encapsulates Satan’s influence over man’s religions and their deadly stain on humankind. As such, the prophecy which follows is all-encompassing and is, therefore, not limited to any one time, people, or place.
Fifth, Assyria’s capital, Nynowah | Nineveh, was attacked by the Medes and destroyed by them, not long after the following statement was written. But they would loot it for a month before returning home, nullifying some of what is said in this prophecy should it pertain to the Assyrian capital.
Therefore, with Yahowah expressly mentioning Media, we would be wise to at least consider Nineveh’s role in all things Babel. That said, the demise of Nineveh is detailed by the prophet, Nahum, not Yasha’yah.
Sixth, unless we see Cyrus as Median, and Persia and Media as one and the same, the Medes would only play a minor role in the bloodless coup for control of Babylon. The city would not be destroyed until long after Alexander’s conquests, four hundred years hence. And even then, the demise was more migratory than violent.
Seventh, we will encounter a number of words within this narrative that are more accurately rendered to depict a future battle fought in part by spiritual belligerents than the aftermath of one waged long ago. Attempts to render some of these words as “doleful creatures, owls, ostriches, porcupines, jackals, satyrs, and dragons” reveal more about 501the translators’ indoctrination than an understanding of the terms, themselves.
Therefore, I suspect that a number of things are being conveyed simultaneously, all of which are related and true, but not at the same time. Assyria had been the seat of Satan, the world’s leading superpower, and it would soon fall, with the Medes playing a significant role in its demise.
Babel is appropriately used to depict the Assyrians, in that the people and realms were often indistinguishable. While the lines are blurred, Chaldea would begin with Ur, Sumer, Early Babel, and Early Ashuwr, followed by Neo-Assyria, Neo-Babylon, and Persia – all centered between the rivers in and around modern-day Iraq and Iran.
That is not the end of the story. The Beast born in Babylon would evolve and morph into future empires, first Persia then Greece followed by Imperial Rome and the Holy Roman Empire, ultimately metastasizing throughout the world as Roman Catholicism. Further, the lands occupied by the Persians, and the people oppressed by them, would submit to Islam or die shortly after Muhammad’s death. In the West, both Europe and America would establish religious, political, and military systems based upon Imperial and Catholic Rome. Fortunately, and validating this prediction, soon everything Babel represents will be destroyed.
The forces which ultimately bring Babylon down will show no pity; they will not be bought off, nor dissuaded, and they will not strike a bargain. Pleading will not prevail. There will be no compromise or negotiation. As such, this depicts Yahowah’s attitude and approach prior to His return.
“Behold (hineh – pay attention to the details because they are relevant), I am (‘any) alerting and arousing (‘uwr – awakening and stirring up, rousing and raising, exposing and inciting) Maday (‘eth Maday – the Medes / 502Media, area south of the Caspian Sea in Northern Iran, formerly Persia; descendants of Yapheth; from mad – a measured, madown – object of contention, and madowah – as a deadly plague) against them because they (‘al hem – against them) have no regard for values (‘asher keseph lo’ – have no interest in similar yearnings, who give no credit for desires or longings, who will show no consideration for property or belongings, who will not impute a value to silver or any exchange).
And (wa) they will not be swayed by (wa lo’ chapets ba huw’ – they will not accept and cannot be dissuaded by) gold coins (zahab – precious metals, nuggets of gold, and gold as a medium of exchange).” (Yasha’yah / Freedom is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:17)
I do not think that this is about the Maday / Medes or Media. It does not fit unless we see Cyrus and his Achaemenid Empire as Median, and Media as indistinguishable from Persia. That is a reasonable assumption since Cyrus’ mother, Mandane, was the daughter of the Median king, Astyages, and his father was Cambyses, king of Anshan in eastern Elam.
The argument can be made that following his father’s death, when Cyrus assumed the throne, he unified Elam and Media, creating Persia. But even then, the Medes proved that their lust for gold was the equal of any other based upon their unquenchable plunder of Nineveh.
Therefore, I am inclined to see Maday as being symbolic of something else – perhaps a related people or idea deployed at a different time. But before we consider who this may be, and I explain my concerns, let’s complete the prophecy.
The fall of Babylon to Cyrus was purely strategic. Cyrus did not want to destroy Babylon but instead wanted to be the king of Babylon. As such, his quest was pursued with shovels, not arrows, and his approach was 503compassionate, not cruel. Cyrus had his men divert the Euphrates River into a marsh, which drained the protective moat, allowing his men to walk into the city unchallenged as the inhabitants celebrated a feast in honor of Sin.
That is not to say that there would not be bloody episodes in Babylon, because long before and long after Cyrus took control, the city was plundered, but neither attack was perpetrated by Medes. What follows reads more like what the Medes would do to their oppressors in Nineveh.
“With bows (wa qeset – weapons shooting projectiles and with archers) they will strike (ratsah – they will pierce) the young men (na’ar – adolescents and teenagers).
And (wa) they will show no mercy (lo’ racham – they will have no compassion, show no affection, no love, and no kindness, regard, nor concern) for the fruit (pery – produce and offspring) of the womb (beten). Upon (‘al) the children (benym – sons), their eyes (‘ayn hem – their glances and appearance, their presence and perceptions) will show no pity (chuws – will reveal and display no compassion and no desire to spare anyone).” (Yasha’yah / Deliverance is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:18)
This would be similar to the fate of those who will return to their homes in defeat after failing to destroy Yisra’el in the last days – so there may be a connection. There may also be one with the previous statement in that the failed militants will witness their own people abuse their women and children, a sure sign that they have no compassion or values.
In the Hebrew text, hayah, the verb in the next sentence precedes the highly modified subject, making it a little easier to read than in English following its subject-verb-object grammar. Therefore, be aware that God is 504saying that the things associated with Babel will ultimately suffer the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah.
“The appeal, the values, and the status (wa tsaby – the beautiful appearance, attraction, desirability, and glorification) of the empires, kingdoms, and nations (mamlakah – of sovereign governments, rulers and realms, monarchies and royal reign, kings and kingdoms, and of political and governmental authority) associated with Babel | Babylon (Babel – of Being Confused by the Lord, of being corrupted by intermixing and combining, of Babylon) of the Kasdym | Chaldeans (Kasdym – of Men as Sages, Dreamers, Fortune-Tellers, and Magicians, a synonym for Babylonia, Assyria, and Sumer; from kasdym – those who appear wise through interpretation, by attempting to predict the future, by performing magic tricks, through astrology, as a revealing religious cleric or theologian, and as the wisest of men), their arrogant and unwarranted need to impress and be exalted (ga’own – their presumptive uprising, acclaim, and self-adulation, their presumed superiority, their glorified and improper attempts to appear majestic, their conceited and prideful self-aggrandizing status, their unwarranted attempts at splendor, and ill-conceived desire to lift themselves up, elevating their rank and qualifications beyond their justification) with their glorified and haughty outward appearances (tip’eret – with the shining and brilliant projection of an exaggerated and false self-image, dressed to inappropriately appear beautiful and splendorous, and therefore worthy of a higher rank and renown which is derived from an illegitimate pride) will come to exist (hayah – will actually come to be for a time (qal perfect)) similar to when (ka – comparable with) God (‘elohym – the Almighty) overturned and demolished (mahpekah – overthrew and destroyed; from haphak – to change and transform by overturning and overthrowing that which is perverse) accordingly (‘eth) Sodom | Scorched (Sodom – to be scorched and burn, Sodom) and (wa‘eth) ‘Amorah | 505Manipulative Tyrants | Gomorrah (‘Amorah – dictatorial regime where lords and despots treat people as subjects and feudal slaves; from ‘amar – unscrupulously controlling the masses, manipulating them as if they were property by pulling the wool over their eyes then binding them).” (Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:19)
This has not occurred. Therefore, our initial assumption, that the prophet was continuing to discuss events leading up to Yahowah’s return, appears to have been validated to some degree. Nations are revered, and empires are perceived as great. Governments remain sovereign, kingdoms exist, and rulers reign. There has been no diminishment in political or governmental authority.
Babylon’s influence is more pervasive today than at any time in human history. And there has been no abatement in institutionalized ego. Man’s unwarranted need to impress is ill-conceived and unrivaled. Everything has become a projection of power predicated upon false pretenses. In this way, mankind has been remade in the image of his god. Our stars shine, but only by projecting an exaggerated and glorified image.
Thankfully, Yahowah is going to pop Satan’s trial balloon – and man will be overthrown along with his wannabe god. The forces of evil have had their day, but they will not endure.
“It will not abide (lo’ yashab – it will not remain nor be reestablished, never be inhabited; from yesh – the substance of existence (qal active)), remain in control, or glorified forevermore (la netsach – nor hold any status, prominence, or eminence for the rest of time, neither supervise, direct, nor lead any longer; from natsach – excel, appear bright, be preeminent, oversee, or endure), nor be a place to reside (wa lo’ shakan – never serve as a place to settle, live, or dwell; possibly from shakab – to 506lodge, lie down, rest, or relax) as far as any generation, place, or time (‘ad dowr wa dowr – during any age, people, lineage, or period, encircling position, or encampment).
Further (wa) no ‘Araby | Arab (lo’ ‘Araby – no Arabians, no panting animal with uncontrollable urges, no noxious swarms of flies, lice, gnats, or maggots, no questionable foreign occupiers, no traders, barters, or bargain hunters trying to make a deal to mingle in and gain a share as part of a dark religious order) will pitch a tent there (‘ahal sham – will reflect the light, name, and renown of the moon in this place, not even as nomads) nor will shepherds lie down (wa ra’ah lo’ rabats – and those who herd and pasture sheep will not rest) there (sham – thereafter in the proper designation or name).” (Yasha’yah / Freedom is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:20)
This is not meant to be interpreted literally. The city of Babylon would remain inhabited for six centuries after Yasha’yah penned these words. The Medes did not destroy it. Cyrus not only lived in Babylon, but he also ruled as the king of Babylon. Alexander the Great even lived there, devoting the last eight years of his life to restoring the city’s infrastructure and temples.
Further, there have never been any meaningful Arab encampments in or around Babylon. While Arab Muslims would conquer Persia following Muhammad’s death in the mid-7th century CE, Babylon had been buried beneath a mountain of sand hundreds of years prior to their invasion. Also, while Christianity is rooted in Babylon, Islam was born in Western Arabia, solidified in Damascus, and codified in Baghdad. Even today, the Shi’ite Muslims in Baghdad would consider themselves Persian, not Arab.
Additionally, the shepherd reference is also symbolic. The environs of Babylon have seldom been conducive to pasturing sheep. It was either overly populated, making 507land within the city too expensive to leave as fodder, or too marshy as the Euphrates migrated out of its banks into the lowlands, eventually breeding the kind of diseases in these swamps that killed Alexander. And what wasn’t overly watered, became overly dry – too desolate to support sheep.
As a result, I see this as a warning, as Yahowah letting us know that irrespective of time, those who choose to live among Babel’s influences will die. Babel’s mantra is unsustainable – always has been and always will be. Christianity was born bad and will not improve with age.
Secondarily, Yahowah is deliberately excluding mankind’s second-largest religion from this indictment – not because it is not Satanic, but because it wasn’t conceived in Babylon, unlike Christianity and Western culture. Therefore, Arabs would have nothing to do with this place. Even now, especially now, with the United States having given Iraq to Iran and reunified ancient Persia / Assyria / Babylonia, the Arabs of Arabia have become their foremost foe.
Saudi Arabians have declared war on Iran and have purchased hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American weapons to fight them. Interesting enough, the biggest and most deadly rift in the world today is between Arabs and those who inhabit the environs of Babylon.
As for shepherds, Yahowah’s people have long since been extracted from the land of Babel although far too many remain in the realm of babel. There isn’t a pastor or shepherd worth following in this. Also interesting, since the Babylonian Talmud was written in the outskirts of Babylon, Yahowah could be telling us not to follow their guidance.
From this point forward, the words Yahowah inspired Yasha’yah to write are universally symbolic. I am convinced that there is nary a reference to a “doleful 508creature, owl, ostrich, porcupine, jackal, hyena, satyr, dragon, or sea monster,” but instead a tale of impending religious doom.
“But (wa) the demons of the desert (tsyym – the wild beasts that prowl the lifeless regions and howling creatures stalking solitary places, those who yelp and cry) will haunt this place (rebets shem – will recline in this name thereafter).
Their homes (wa beyth hem – their houses and families) will be filled (wa male’ – it will be comprised of, be satisfied with, have an abundance of, and proclaim the end of) with screaming countrymen telling a tale of woe (‘oach – with howling animals, possibly indicative of jackals or hyenas if only symbolically; from ‘ach – alas, issuing warnings of woe).
There (wa sham), the female offspring of winged creatures (bath ya’anah – the daughters of birds of prey) will reside (shakan – will live, settle, or dwell) and (wa) demonic tempests (sa’yr – satanic storms, demon-possessed animals such as satyrs, representing devilish idols; from sa’ar – dreaded and shivering storms which are blusterous, whirling, fearful, and sweep away, devastating the region) will leap about (raqad – will skip and bounce around, will hop around in an energetic, yet ineffective, way).” (Yasha’yah / Deliverance is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:21)
If my interpretations are correct, Yahowah is revealing the demonic nature of Babylon. It is the birthplace of the five beasts described by Gabry’el. Those who reside under its influence are haunted by it. They scream out their tale of woe in concert with Satan’s fallen mal’ak – symbolically depicted here as the “female offspring of winged creatures.”
They have used circular reasoning in their blusterous demonic tempests to promote all manner of devilish idols, 509sweeping away the truth in the process. And they have managed to leap around the world, bouncing from place to place, estranging all they blow away.
Adding considerable credence to our assessment, the last to be infected by these woeful howls is an adversary situated on a faraway coastline, indicative perhaps of Western Europe and the Americas. And this monstrous gentile serpent, living in the lap of luxury and excess, will speak through its government institutions, military bases, most populous cities, and most especially its exploitive religious sanctuaries and worship centers.
“The woeful howls of the adversarial beasts of the coastlands (wa ‘y – the sorrowful wails of dark and hostile spirits and the agonizing warnings from the nocturnal ghosts of the dead, asking us to question where and why they came from the shores of the sea) will be vocally communicated (‘anah – will convey their response and provide answers explaining their preoccupation with affliction and oppression while wailing about the anxiety and suffering embroiling their environment) in its binding government institutions, military bases, and forsaken population centers (ba ‘alman huw’ – in its power centers, palaces, capitals, and cities now comprised of widows; from ‘alam – to bind and silence and cause to be forsaken) along with (wa) broods of snakes representing demonic adversaries (tanym – toxic vipers, packs of jackals, prostitutes, and mercenaries who sell themselves to the highest bidder will lament, retelling the tale commemorating the faults which lead to the relationship being severed and their abandonment) in the (ba) ridiculously absurd and exploitive (‘oneg – extravagant and mocking, senselessly pleasure-seeking and carnal) religious sanctuaries and worship centers (hekal – national shrines, central temples, stately government complexes, and palatial residences).
510Her time (wa ‘eth hy’ – its season) will arrive and is approaching (qarowb la bow’ – is becoming imminent, near, and close) and (wa) her days (yowm hy’) will not be deferred nor prolonged (lo’ mashak – will not be postponed nor drawn out).” (Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah 13:22)
The second to last beast in the list has indeed provided an interesting clue. It’s our old friend, ‘y, which Yahowah used in chapter 11 of Yasha’yah to describe the “remote ‘shores and coastlines’ of the sea” from which He was going to withdraw His children and bring them home. In addition to conveying the idea of “sorrowful wails of dark and hostile spirits, the agonizing warnings from the ghosts of the dead, and the woeful nocturnal howls of adversarial beasts,” ‘y encourages us to ponder the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of this issue so that we understand the “reason” behind the reference. ‘Y will be used again in Yasha’yah 18 as part of a long and descriptive depiction of the United States of America. That assessment begins with: “Woe!”
In that this is the conclusion of Yasha’yah 13, it certainly appears that the fall of Babel depicted herein is indicative of its rise and fall as part of religious and government influences during the last days. Her most shrill moments are before us, as is her ultimate demise. Babel will scream and then be silenced.
Let’s review verses 17 through 22 in summary form before considering the history of this haunted place.
“Behold, pay attention to the details because they are relevant. I am arousing and inciting Maday | Media, as an object of contention and a deadly plague, because they have no regard for values, and they will show no consideration for property or belongings. And they will not be swayed by gold coins, precious metals, or any medium of exchange. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:17)
511With weapons shooting projectiles they will strike and pierce the young men. They will show no mercy, no compassion, nor concern for the fruit of the womb. Upon the children, their eyes will show no pity and no desire to spare anyone. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:18)
The appeal of the values and status of the empires, kingdoms, and nations, associated with Babel | Babylon of the Kasdym | Chaldeans, with their arrogant need to impress and be exalted, their self-adulation and presumed superiority in their glorified and exaggerated self-image, will come to exist similar to when God overturned and demolished Sodom | Scorched and ‘Amorah | Manipulative Tyrants | Gomorrah (dictatorial regimes where lords and despots treat people as subjects and feudal slaves, unscrupulously controlling the masses, manipulating them as if they were property by pulling the wool over their eyes). (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:19)
It will not remain in control, be preeminent, nor endure, past this generation, place, and time. Further, no ‘Araby | Arab will pitch a tent there, reflecting the name or renown of the moon in this place, not even as nomads, nor will shepherds lie down there. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:20)
But the demons of the desert will haunt this place and their homes will be filled with screaming countrymen telling a tale of woe. There, the offspring of winged creatures will reside and demonic tempests of satanic storms representing devilish idols will leap about, bouncing around in an energetic, yet ineffective, way. (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:21)
The woeful howls of the adversarial beasts and the sorrowful wails of dark and hostile spirits will be vocally communicated throughout its binding government institutions, military bases, and forsaken 512population centers, even its capitals along with broods of snakes, demonic adversaries, prostitutes, and mercenaries who sell themselves to the highest bidder.
All will lament, retelling the tale commemorating the faults which led to the relationship being severed and their abandonment in the ridiculously exploitive and carnal religious worship centers and shrines.
Her time will arrive and is approaching, becoming imminent, and her days will not be deferred nor prolonged.” (Yasha’yah / Isaiah 13:22)
There have been scores of attempts to translate Isaiah 13:18-22, all grappling with the unfamiliar beasts prowling the ruins of Babylon. Many others have written commentaries, attempting to reconcile this prophecy with history. I would encourage readers to do both, jumping into this fray and adding their thoughts.
It is possible that some portion of the various divergent views could be right in their own way, and they could also be wrong. But no matter, any open and honest appraisal of history when combined with a thoughtful evaluation of Yah’s Word will pay dividends.
While I’m going to share some of what I have learned about the history of the people and places associated with Babel, please keep in mind that the perceived disconnect between the 13th and 14th chapters of Yasha’yah / Isaiah is wholly artificial. We have only paused in the midst of this discussion.
Yahowah has a great deal more to say about Babel / Babylon / Confusion and it will not cease with the 14th chapter. Babylon’s influence is ongoing and demonic. It’s 513important that we never lose sight of the fact that as a conjunction of “ba – with” and “bel – the lord,” babel means “to confuse and corrupt by commingling and intermixing” truth with lies so as to make the resulting deceptions appear credible.
Now for a brief history of time…
In Akkadian, Babel means “Gate of Bel | the Lord God.” It is first mentioned in Bare’syth / Genesis 11 when God intervenes to impede human efforts to confuse and corrupt the masses by building imposing shrines reaching up into the sky to create the appearance that their gods were awe-inspiring and therefore deserved to be worshiped.
The men who orchestrated the construction of these edifices to man’s manipulative nature sought to control the populace by imposing the religious edicts they had written on behalf of the gods they, themselves, had made. The subsequent influence of Babel, and its ultimate demise, is told throughout Yasha’yah and Yirma’yah. Not surprisingly, it is also mentioned throughout Revelation, in that Yahowchanan’s vision covers much of the same ground presented by the previous prophets.
The emergence of Babel coincides with Nimrod. He was the Rebellious Son who reigned around 3500 BCE. His capital city was Nineveh. This was among the reasons why God was so critical of what occurred in this place:
“Kuwsh (wa Kuwsh – Black (Noach’s grandson by way of Cham – Passionately Idolatrous Sun Worshiper)) fathered (yalad) Nimrod (‘eth Nimrod – the Rebellious Son). He was dishonorable and contemptible (huw’ chalal – he was proud and profane, defiled and diseased, polluted and pierced, wounded and harmful, from chalah – diseased and sickening) as a result of (la) being (hayah) a powerful politician and heroic warrior (gibowr – a mighty militant and prominent political individual with the ability to fight and who prevailed in his quest for military 514and political supremacy by becoming an influential and impetuous societal leader) in the region (ba ha ‘erets).” Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 10:8)
In this way, Nimrod became the first example of the top-down approach Satan would deploy to influence humankind, inspiring and possessing a cadre of arrogant and deplorable leaders to deceive and oppress their subjects politically, religiously, militarily, and economically. And through it all, men would impose their way and Satan would be worshiped as the Lord God.
With a warning such as this so prominently positioned at the beginning of God’s witness to humankind, it is a wonder that most people are patriotic and support their military.
“He would (huw’ hayah) prominently and impetuously, powerfully and militantly (gibowr – fight mightily to establish his political influence), hunt his prey (tsayd – act as a hunter pursuing game and killing animals, used metaphorically to depict someone who pursues the life of another in order to destroy it; from tsuwd – to stalk and victimize, capture and control, ensnare and kill (used in Mashal / Proverb 6:26 to reveal that the Whore of Babylon chases after and hunts down human souls)) in direct opposition to (la paneh – as an assault against and attack upon the presence of) Yahowah (Yahowah – an accurate transliteration of the name YaHoWaH, our ‘elowah – God as guided by His towrah – instructions regarding His hayah – existence and our shalowm – reconciliation).
Therefore (‘al ken – for this reason) it is said (‘amar – it is declared) that Nimrod (Nimrod – Rebellious Son) was unique in the manner (ka – was symbolic) of prominently and militantly (gibowr – impetuously, powerfully, and mightily establishing political influence) stalking controlling, and victimizing his prey (tsayd – 515pursuing the life of others to destroy it while acting as a hunter pursuing game by killing animals; from tsuwd – to stalk and victimize, capture and control, ensnare and kill) as an assault against and attack upon the very presence of (la paneh – in direct opposition to) Yahowah (Yahowah – a transliteration of , our ‘elowah – God as directed in His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence).” (Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 10:9)
Nimrod was the initial king of the first iteration of Babylon. He was proud and profane, militant and political. He was also among the first to be incarcerated in She’owl.
According to Babylonian mythology, during the vernal equinox while Nimrod was out hunting, he was mauled and killed by a wild boar. His queen, Astarte, wept for forty days, taking just enough time away from her sobbing to become impregnated by Bel, the Lord, via one of the sun’s rays. Nine months later, she became the Virgin with Child, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of God when Tammuz, the Son of the Sun, was born on the Winter Solstice (then December 25th). In this way, Christianity got its Lord, Easter, the Easter Ham, Lent, Sunday worship, Christmas, the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, the Virgin and Child, the Trinity, its Cross (the sign of Tammuz), and of course the mythos of a dying and resurrected Son of God with a birthday on the Winter Solstice.
“So (wa) this came to be (hayah) the beginning of (re’shyth – the initiation of the process, the starting point, as well as the firstfruit and first child of) his kingdom (mamlakah huw’ – his empire, realm, royal rule, and government) of Babel | Babylon / Confusing Corruption (Babel – Babylonia, to confuse by mixing together, to corrupt by commingling; a compound of ba – with and bel – the Lord, and the basis for the name Bible), including (wa) ‘Arek (‘Arek – Prolonged Self-Reliance), ‘Akad (‘Akad – Subtle, Deceitful, and Treacherous Deceptions), 516and Kalneh (wa Kalneh – Ignominious, Shameful, and Lowly) in the land (ba ha ‘erets) of Shin’ar (Shin’ar – Sumer which became Babylonia / Assyria, therefore Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates Valley). (Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 10:10)
From that territory (min ha ‘erets ha huw’ – from that realm or region), he went out to (yatsa’ – went forth and came upon) ‘Ashuwr (‘Ashuwr – Assyria, named in honor of the god, Ashur, the Great Lord of the Assyrian pantheon, meaning gracious, a warrior and conqueror who was depicted using the sun’s power to destroy), and he built (wa banah – then he established) Nynowah | Nineveh (Nynowah – transliterated: Nineveh, Refuge of the Fleeing Ninus, the Rebellious Son, Nimrod), Rachobowth (Rachobowth – the Open Way and Broad Path), and Kelah (wa ‘eth Kelah – finished, to perish unable to prevail even though physically strong).” (Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 10:11)
This is actually an important revelation pursuant to the prophecy we have been striving to unravel. Not only are Babel | Babylon and ‘Ashuwr | Assyria presented as a single entity along with Shin’ar | Sumer, but Nineveh was also the original capital of Nimrod’s kingdom. As such, the depiction of the Medes is accurate.
Since Yahowah is clearly disgusted with all things Babel, before we commence our historical review, let’s reconsider God’s second narrative on this confusing place…
“Now it came to exist with ongoing consequences that the entire region had one language, and so the words were closely related, sharing common characteristics. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:1)
Then as they migrated toward the east and from where they had previously existed long ago, while moving in the direction of the rising sun, they 517discovered a valley in the region of Shin’ar (Sumer which became Babylonia and Assyria in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates) and settled there. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:2)
Each individual to his immoral countrymen, and as loudmouthed public pontificators with troubling social and religious pontifications, said, ‘Come, I implore you to act, choosing to do what I want to be done, because I want you to allow me to control you, all while you ascribe excellence and greatness to me.
I want us to make as an expression of my will, sun-dried and whitewashed bricks and writing tablets. Then I want to burn an offering to the fiery serpent so as to approach the place of the serpent’s blaze.’
Then the whitewashed bricks and sun-dried mud writing tablets came to actually be for them as stone, and thus rigid. And the sticky, troublesome, and combustible tar which could be used as an adhesive to entrap, and pave over, or as fuel to burn, for a while came to exist as an intoxicating binding agent used to enrage and torment. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:3)
They said, expressing in words, vowing, ‘We want to control you so that you praise what we choose to worship. Let us continually build for ourselves a city with an inner shrine and temple complex and then a highly valued platform and imposing tower for religious worship with its top in the spiritual realm of the heavens.
Let us engage, actually creating for ourselves a name and reputation, or otherwise, we will be attacked, scattered, and dispersed over the face of the entire region.’ (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:4)
So Yahowah descended for the purpose of observing the city and temple complex and its imposing 518tower for religious worship, all designed to increase their importance, influence, and authority, which to establish their way, the sons of the descendants of ‘Adam had built. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:5)
Then Yahowah declared, ‘Pay attention and notice the details in this narrative, because, surely, this can change your perspective: one race, nation, and people with one way of speaking for all of them, considering what they have done, is then deadly, undermining life while lowering the people’s status by debasing their purpose.
They will not refrain from putting into effect and carrying out anything which they wickedly decide and propose with evil intent by agreeing together. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:6)
Come now, I implore you to pay attention to Me and then act, choosing to do what I want done, albeit of your own volition. I would like you to respect Me, choosing to communicate your response, ascribing value to what I am offering so that you allow Me to influence you.
Then let’s choose to go down, temporarily degrading an aspect of ourselves, because we must confound and incapacitate through commingling their ability to communicate so that they will not listen to the individual speech and rhetoric of their immoral countrymen, or to their loudmouthed and evil public speakers with their troubling religious pontifications which are improper and harmful.’ (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:7)
So Yahowah dispersed and separated them away from there and from that name throughout the entire region. And they ceased what they were doing, rejecting the process of building and establishing the city with an 519inner shrine and temple complex. (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:8)
As a result, He called it by its name, thereby denoting her reputation as ‘Babel / Confusion and Corruption / Babylon,’ because there Yahowah commingled and mixed together, thereby confused and confounded the rhetoric of the entire region.” (Bare’syth / Genesis 11:9)
Now that we have Yahowah’s perspective on this place and understand His disdain for their propensity to be religious, His condemnation of their willingness to confuse and confound the people by mixing truth and lies, and then dominate the masses by building shrines to false gods, let’s consider what the historians have to say about Babylon.
The first city to bear this name was likely founded sometime prior to the reign of Sargon of Akkad, who ruled from 2334 to 2279 BCE. While he did not claim to have founded the city, he was the first to brag of having built temples in Babylon. He chose this site because it was a port on the Euphrates closest to the Tigris River and thus could influence the spread of trade and religion in multiple directions.
Babel’s most famous king was Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE), who ascended to the throne upon the abdication of his father, King Sin-Muballit, and quickly transformed the port into one of the most influential cities in Mesopotamia. His legal codes were among the earliest recorded, but to his shame, he built opulent temples and was a committed warrior, building the first Babylonian Empire by conquering and controlling the people of Mesopotamia.
Upon his death, the Babylonian cult of Hammurabi unraveled, such that by 1595 BCE it was conquered by the Hittites. The Kassites were the next to sack the city, renaming it Karanduniash. Over the rubble, Second 520Babylon was built by the Amorites following the collapse of Ur. It dates to around 1200 BCE, but that’s an educated guess based on the artifacts which were carried away from the city after the Persian invasion.
But no matter when the cornerstone for Second Babylon was laid or by whom, the Assyrians conquered it, dominating the region during Sennacherib’s reign from 705 through 681 BCE. A place of continuous tumult, the city would be severely damaged after Yasha’yah penned these words – but not by the Medes.
In 689 BCE, the aforementioned Sennacherib sought to suppress a revolt, and had the city sacked, razed, and the ruins scattered as a lesson to others. His actions were so brutal, so unrestrained, Sennacherib was denounced by his court and assassinated by his sons. However, his successor and assassin, his son, Esarhaddon, quickly rebuilt it, turning Babylon into the jewel of the Assyrian Empire.
The restored city would revolt again, this time against Ashurbanipal of Nineveh who ruled from 668 to 627 BCE. He is renowned for being the last “successful” Assyrian king. He is mentioned in Ezra 4:10. And while he was responsible for Assyria’s most extensive territorial expansion, he was extraordinarily cruel toward those he conquered.
As an example, there is a relief in his palace depicting a defeated king with a dog chain through his jaw, being forced to live in a kennel after his capture. Pursuant to this prophecy, however, while Ashurbanipal would besiege and defeat Babylon, he did not destroy the city. Instead, he personally intervened to “rid the city of evil spirits.”
Upon Nabopolasar’s death in 604 BCE, his son, Nebuchadnezzar II, engaged in a whirlwind of expansion, enlarging Babylon such that it covered 2,200 acres and boasted the most impressive temples, public buildings, palaces, and gardens in the world. He is credited with 521having created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Ishtar Gate (sorry Christians, but Ishtar was the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, the Madonna with Child from whom Easter gets its name).
Every early writer, with the lone exception of Yahowah’s prophets, describes the city in reverent tones. Herodotus would say: “The city stands on a broad plain and is an exact square, a hundred and twenty stadia in length in each direction. While such is its size, in magnificence there is no other city that approaches it. It is surrounded by a broad and deep moat, full of water, behind which rises a wall fifty royal cubits in width and two hundred in height.”
Of the gardens, Diodorus Siculus (90-30 BCE) in his Bibliotheca Historica would claim: “The Hanging Garden, as it is called, which was built, not by Semiramis (the Queen who became known as Ishtar), but by a later Syrian king to please one of his concubines, for she, they say, being a Persian by race, longed for the meadows of her mountains.”
In reality, however, Diodorus was never in Babylon, and so his depiction of its Hanging Gardens may have been a myth. No trace has ever been found. Everything about Babylon is exaggerated, consistent with Yahowah’s indictment. Antiquity’s only known Hanging Gardens were constructed by Sennacherib and were planted around his palace in Nineveh.
It was at this time that the Euphrates River migrated to the point that it dissected the city, with the Temple of Marduk and the Great Towering Ziggurat now visible from the river. As a storm god and agricultural deity, Marduk was called just, compassionate, magical, healing, and regenerative. The Greeks associated him with Zeus and the Romans with Jupiter.
In religious artwork ascribed to this period, Marduk was depicted like the Christian Jesus, in human form 522wearing robes. His only non-human representations were as a snake, dragon, or bull. The name, Marduk, actually means “bull calf,” but this god was more commonly known as Bel, meaning “Lord.” He was the head of a Trinity which included the Queen of Heaven and his son, although their names, relative positions, and proclivities evolved over time.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire continued after the death of Nebuchadnezzar II, although it began to falter under Nabonidus and his heir, Belshazzar. And this in and of itself is an interesting story, one which sheds considerable light on Yahowah’s condemnation of this place. Nabonidus (556-539 BCE) was the son of the Assyrian cleric, Adda-Guppi, the High Priestess of the moon god, Sin in the northern Assyrian city of Harran.
Two copies of her autobiography have been found. The first was discovered by H. Pognon in 1906 on a broken stele excavated at Harran. The other was found fifty years later by D.S. Rice. And to Islam’s shame, it was written on the pavement steps of the entrance to the Great Mosque at Harran. In it, the High Priestess claims that she orchestrated the religious rites in the sanctuaries of Sin for 95 years. She specifically credits Sin for the role the moon god played in her son’s ascension to the throne of Babylon in 556 BCE when she was 92 years old. Her autobiography is filled with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving to Sin, especially at this time and for this reason.
Adda-Guppi alleges that she received the following prophecy from Sin regarding her son: “Through you I will bring about the return of the gods to the dwelling in Harran, and by means of Nabonidus, your son. He will construct Ehulhul. He will complete its work. He will complete the city Harran greater than it was before and restore it. He will bring Sin, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna in procession back into the Ehulhul.”
523As a result, Nabonidus paid homage to Sin during his reign as king of Babylon, increasing the funding for the temples of Sin in Harran and Ur. Then in an act that would lead to his demise, Nabonidus converted the temple of the Lord Marduk in Babylon into a Sanctuary for Sin, turning the priests and people against him.
While we are discussing Sin, it should be noted that the moon god served as the forbearer of Osiris, Dionysus, and Bacchus, and thus of “Jesus Christ.” He was presented as the “Son of God” in the Sumerian, Chaldean, Assyrian, and Babylonian religions, the product of the Father and Mother of the Gods, Enlil (Lord of Storms) and Ninlil (Lady of the Spirits / Wind).
Sin also had a role in the conception of Islam, well beyond the incorporation of his sign, the Crescent Moon, into the symbol of the religion. Sin was the principal god worshiped throughout pre-Islamic South Arabia. The Hanifs in Yemen extolled his virtues, calling him, “Ar Rachman – the Merciful.”
The first score of Surahs allegedly received by Muhammad and subsequently incorporated into the Quran were plagiarized from these Hanif poems. Another surah is devoted entirely to Ar Rachman. In fact, Ar Rachman was the Islamic god’s name a decade before it became Allah. And that would explain why the High Priestess of Sin’s autobiography was etched into the entrance of the Great Mosque of Harran. Her religion evolved into Islam.
Sin was first conceived and worshiped in Ur and called “En-Zu – Lord of Wisdom.” His mark was XXX. This was during a time (circa 2600 – 2400 BCE) in which Ur exercised supremacy over Mesopotamia. As head of its pantheon, Sin was thought to be the “Father of the Gods” before he was personified and made more approachable as the “Son of God.”
524He was called the “Creator of All Things” and “Wisdom Personified,” which must have been a hard sell considering the relative difference between the size and intensity of the sun and the moon. But this does shed considerable light on Yahowah’s creative reference, when on the fourth day He depicted the Adversary as the lesser luminary who would rule the darkness.
Sin’s goddess wife, Ningal (Great Lady), bore Shamash (Sun) and Ishtar (Venus / Easter, the Morning Star), thereby centralizing the powers of the heavens and establishing the doctrine of the Trinity. The Ziggurats of Ur pierced the sky in devotion to Sin.
Returning to the impending fall of Babylonian supremacy under Nabonidus, this absentee landlord entrusted Babylon to his son, Belshazzar (the Lord Protects the King). Belshazzar is actually mentioned by Daniel in conjunction with a feast and “seeing the writing on the wall.” Daniel interprets mene mene tekel upharsin as the foretelling of Babylon’s fall. As previously mentioned, the king was overtly religious and a bit of a recluse, becoming exceedingly unpopular with his subjects, particularly the priestly and military caste. The Babylonian priests were naturally devoted to Bel Marduk and thus did not appreciate Nabonidus’ reverence for Sin.
Things deteriorated for Nabonidus to the point that Cyrus, who claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ancient Babylonian kings, was actually more popular in Babylon than Nabonidus or Belshazzar, his son. And with the Bel Marduk priesthood angry at Nabonidus’ suppression of their cult in favor of Sin, the Babylonian citizenry was turned against him. Thereafter, his military leaders began to rebel because Nabonidus wasn’t around to defend the city but instead preoccupied himself with religious matters, rebuilding temples, restoring scripture, and proselytizing, particularly in Arabia.
525In the sixth year of Nabonidus’ reign, Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid Persian king of Anshan in Elam, revolted against his father-in-law, Astyages, the king of Media. Astyages was actually betrayed by his own people, giving Cyrus control over Media without firing a shot. Ascending in power, within three years, Cyrus would be king of all Persia. All while Nabonidus was camped out in Arabia, leaving the increasingly unpopular Belshazzar in command of a disgruntled army.
Cyrus’ own account of the invasion of Babylonia, and what is now known as the Babylonian Chronicles, both describe Babylon being taken in 539 BCE without battle, consistent with Daniel’s depiction of it being captured during the night. Because the city straddled the Euphrates, some of the river’s water was used to form its protective moat.
Cyrus had his men divert much of the Euphrates into a nearby marsh, thereby lowering the water level in the moat and making the city accessible. As this occurred, Babylon’s residents were distracted while celebrating a religious festival, and so Cyrus’ army was able to capture the city without a fight. Cyrus put Darius, a Mede, in charge. The city was not plundered by anyone at this time.
Thereafter, Babylon was absorbed into Persia. As this occurred and as Yahowah predicted, Cyrus immediately freed Babel’s Yisra’elite captives. That hardly qualified him as a saint, in that Cyrus would call himself, “King of Babylon, and the Avenger of Bel-Marduk, the Savior, chosen by the Lord Marduk to restore order and justice.”
Darius would exert his influence after Cyrus’ death and rule on the authority of the Zoroastrian gods. Although Babylonia briefly recovered, becoming independent again under Nidinta-Bel in 521 BCE, they were subjugated again when the Persians stormed back in the following year. It was on this occasion that many of the city’s inhabitants 526may have been brutalized. The rebel king and his most loyal supporters were impaled according to an inscription written by the Persians.
Babylon’s walls were not actually destroyed until 514 BCE, when the city sought independence under Armenian King Arakha. Its Great Temple to the Lord Bel, however, was spared, continuing to serve as the epicenter of Babylonian patriotism. Then in 482 BCE, following another rebellion, Xerxes sent an army to regain control, this time destroying these temples and robbing them of their gods, removing Bel Marduk in particular.
Over a century thereafter, Alexander the Great would defeat Darius and conquer Babylon in 331 BCE. He would die there eight years later. But in the intervening years, the Macedonian was devoted to restoring the city and its temples to their previous splendor.
Upon his death, Babylonia and Assyria were absorbed into the Macedonian Seleucid Empire. However, Seleucia I did not share Alexander’s grand vision for Babylon, and he built a new city, Seleucia, nearby on the Tigris River, ordering the more affluent population of Babylon to move to Seleucia upon its completion in 275 BCE.
The ancient city was looted for building materials as the new capital was constructed. So over time, Babylon was gradually depopulated, continuing to contract throughout the 1st century CE. This occurred for a number of reasons: the region was engulfed in chaos, the Euphrates continued to migrate, swamps proliferated, disease was rampant, and life became too difficult to sustain in the area. So, Babylon went out with a whimper, not a bang.
Today the ruins of Neo-Babylon, the most famous and extravagant city in ancient Mesopotamia, lie 60 miles southwest of modern-day Baghdad. Inspired by what became known through Moseh, and then expounded upon by Yasha’yah and Yirma’yah, German archaeologist 527Robert Koldewey became the first to excavate the ruins of Babylon, beginning in 1899 CE.
Hampered by the rising waters of the Euphrates and Islamic influences, these German archeologists discovered very little about life in Babylon because almost everything from its building blocks, idols, and artifacts had long since been looted. And nothing was learned of First Babylon because the entire city is submerged under the Euphrates.
Then in 1978, Saddam Hussein began to rebuild portions of the ancient city, beginning with some temples, a palace, an amphitheater, and portions of the walls. Since his death, the ruins have been plundered, but have otherwise remained undisturbed.
None of this invalidates this prophecy, however, because everything Yahowah said would occur did eventually transpire. And every agent listed in each prophecy played a role. For example, by 539 BCE, Medes were fully integrated into Cyrus’ government and military, holding some of the highest positions.
Fighting under Cyrus, Medes were acclaimed for their courage. As we will discuss in a moment, according to Herodotus, Cyrus’ mother was the daughter of a Median king. Moreover, since Cyrus’ first act was to overthrow his father-in-law, the king of Media, he became the de facto ruler of both Persia and Media.
Since the Medes would play a significant role in the destruction of Nineveh and the subsequent fall of the Assyrian Empire, it is important to recognize that there actually isn’t much known about Media, other than the uncorroborated suggestion of Herodotus that six tribes living north of Assyria united under Deioces prior to 700 BCE to form Media – but even that is highly suspect. Herodotus was prone to exaggeration and had no compunction against blending legends and hearsay into his histories.
528It is fair to say that the Median tribes never rose to the point of being considered a civilization, much less an empire. However, they did form a loose federation around 625 BCE and wielded their alliance effectively for a short time thereafter. Archeological excavations into their past haven’t revealed much to date and didn’t even commence in the region they occupied prior to the late 1960s. These digs have subsequently ceased under the Iranian theocracy.
At the time of Yasha’yah’s prophecy, anyone living within this region, including the Medes, would have been a vassal within the Assyrian Empire. But since Assyria was beginning to weaken, some Medes may have migrated southwest, infiltrating land abandoned by others. The lone temple which has been unearthed says very little about the Median religion, other than they worshiped fire.
Nonetheless, the Median faith is believed to have served as the antecedent for Mithraism, the religion of Rome’s legions, and they may also have integrated Zoroastrianism precepts, the religion the Persians made famous. Mede priests were called Magi, yet another black eye for the Christian New Testament.
Having peacefully infiltrated the Assyrian heartland during their initial decline, as the Neo-Assyrian Empire reestablished itself, its tentacles grew again, stretching from Cyprus to Iran, and from the Caucasus to Egypt. Assyrian kings such as Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, and particularly Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal imposed tariffs upon all subjugated peoples, including the Medes, and demanded homage. However, following the long Assyrian civil war from 626 to 612 BCE, Assyrian subjects such as the Medes, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Scythians, Lydians, and Arameans ceased paying tribute and contemplated rebellion.
It was then that Median King Cyaxares, in alliance with Nabopolassar of Babylon and Chaldea, the father of 529the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and other allied tribes, attacked and eventually destroyed the Assyrian Empire, capturing Nineveh in 612 BCE. As a result, the Midian people are said to have reconstituted their kingdom. But, if so, it wouldn’t last.
As previously mentioned, in 553 BCE, Cyrus the Great, the father of the Achaemenid Empire, rebelled, claiming Media as his own in 550 BCE. It was a bloodless coup because the aristocratic caste in Media became dissatisfied with their king and actually turned him over to Cyrus. From this point forward, Median tribes blended into Persia, becoming indistinguishable. Based on the names listed in their histories, the Median nobility permeated the Persian government.
The bottom line is that while Media existed, most ancient writers found no clear distinction between the Persians and the Medians, and in any event, their kingdom was short-lived. There is no indication of them being especially brutal, and their nobility appeared to be like all others, and therefore, coveted gold. Further, the Medes didn’t conquer Babylon but instead played a role in the conquest of Assyria’s capital, Nineveh.
Since there is considerable cross-contamination between Assyria and Babylon, as well as between Media and Persia, let’s take a closer look at the Median-Persian conquest of Nineveh, circa 612 BCE. The allied army of Medes and Chaldeans, together with the Scythians and Cimmerians, rebelled against their Assyrian overlords, besieging and sacking the greatest city in the world at that time. Earth’s most dominant civilization up to that point was destroyed and its capital of Nineveh was de-urbanized and depopulated. For the first time in nearly 1,000 years, Babylon became the imperial center of Mesopotamia, setting up the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
530According to the Chronicle Concerning the Fall of Nineveh, a historiographical text from ancient Babylonia, Nabopolassar’s capture of Nineveh was among the most shocking events of ancient history: “After the death of King Assurbanipal in 631 BCE, the Assyrian Empire became unquiet, and the Babylonians seized their independence. Initially, the Assyrians were able to stymie the Babylonians, but in 615 BCE the Median tribal federation intervened, initially in the area of modern Kirkuk, taking control of the region.
Then in 614, the Medians under Cyaxares succeeded where the Babylonians had failed, taking Assur. Nabopolassar arrived after the battle had been won, but nonetheless he commemorated the success by signing a treaty and then cementing the new alliance with a royal wedding. The Babylonian crown prince Nebuchadnezzar married Amytis, Cyaxares’ daughter.
Working together, the Median Federation and Babylonians laid siege to Nineveh in May 612. The city fell in July. King Sin-Sarkikun committed suicide rather than be captured. The Medes would loot the city through mid-August when they finally withdrew and went back home. The siege was predicted by the prophet Nahum (circa 660 BCE). His detailed account, written forty years before these events unfolded, is wholly consistent with what would actually occur. “
No one doubts that the Medes played a crucial role in the conquest of Nineveh, or that they looted the city and thus coveted its wealth. It is also certain that they were amalgamated into Cyrus’ empire before the capture of Babylon. We know that Babylon was taken without a fight, and that it continued to endure for centuries thereafter. All of this caused us to consider alternative interpretations of this prophecy even though it is largely resolved by the Bare’syth account in which Babel, ‘Ashur, Sumer, and Nynowah are joined.
531Before we turn the page, a little background on Assyria may be helpful. The Middle Assyrian Empire, circa 1366 to 1074 BCE, was the largest and most powerful the world had ever seen. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was second to it, reaching its zenith between the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. They controlled the entire region of the Caucasus Mountains in the north, Egypt, Arabia, and Nubia in the south, central Iran/Persia in the east, and Cyprus and Hellenic Greece in the west, including the Phoenician coast, Anatolia (western and central Turkey), and the Levant (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Israel).
With the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 BCE, the onslaught of civil wars weakened the empire sufficiently prompting those from which it extracted tribute and homage to begin pushing their tormentors away. The Assyrians, even in their own accounts, were vicious, brutal well beyond the depraved standard for their time – a tactic that generated enemies faster than they were now able to subdue them.
Adding to the Assyrian problems, they were fighting on multiple fronts, trying to retain control of Egypt while battling the Elamites (tribes southeast of Sumer along the Persian Gulf). As a result of these wars, and their internal wars of succession, by 625 BCE Assyria was losing its grip over the Middle East, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and Eastern Mediterranean.
As a consequence of this turmoil, internal decay, and having manufactured more enemies than they could now resist, vassal states allied, led by the Chaldeans, who took control over Babylonia – all with the aid and support of the people who were tired of being taxed and terrorized. Their goal was to overthrow the squabbling Assyrian dynasty by taking the capital, Nineveh, and then transferring the seat of government and religion to Babylon. In this regard, Nahum’s prophetic portrait of what occurred is corroborated by the Egyptians and Babylonians.
532The Assyrian Chronicles conclude in 639 BCE after the destruction of Susa, the capital of Elam. It was subjugated by Ashurbanipal’s brother, Shamash-Shum-Ukin. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, there was a bitter twelve-year struggle between Babylonia and Assyria, climaxing in the tenth year of Nabopolassar (616 BCE), when the Babylonians defeated the Assyrian army and marched up the river, sacking Mane, Sahiri, and Bali-Hu.
During the fighting season the following year, the Assyrians forced the Babylonians back to Takritain, but their victory was short-lived. The allied forces of the Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Cimmerians, and Scythians would prevail, with the Median army taking Tarbisu on the outskirts of Nineveh.
The Medes would then attack Assur, destroying Assur’s temples and sacking the city, plundering it before the Babylonian troops arrived. That same year, the Babylonians joined with the Median king, Cyaxares, again, laying siege to Nineveh for three months. In July of 612 BCE, the combined Median and Babylonian forces broke through Nineveh’s defenses, plundering the city, and then burning it to the ground. They would claim that the Assyrian king, Sin-Shar-Ishkun, bowed down in vassalage before he was killed.
According to the prophetic record and Greek historians, the Tigris River was diverted, and then redirected, ultimately flooding the city. This story is told in the Book of Nahum 2:8-13 and 3:1-19. Further, history tells us that the Medes abandoned the city they had conquered after there was nothing left to loot. The Assyrians received what they deserved.
As we have attested, the histories of Assyria and Babylonia are as intertwined and commingled as the religion they thrust upon the world. Babylon rose and fell, 533only to rise again as did Assyria. Neither really died but instead metastasized, spreading like a cancer into the Persian Empire. The Persians would poison the Greeks, the Greeks the Romans, and the Romans the Catholics. Soldiers died, and cities were buried, but in the end, it was mostly just the names of the kings, their fiefdoms, and their gods that changed.
Fortunately, Yahowah has announced an end to all of this. Babylon will fall and be no more. May the United States, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Muslims of the Middle East be forewarned.
