Pacific Union College, Warren S. Ashworth, Ph.D.
             Comparing the fall of the Historical Babylon and the Babylon of Reveltion
             To understand the symbolism between the two Babylons of the bible, one must first understand the fall of each and how the two compare. There is a lot to be said about the events that took place during fall of the Historical Babylon how these events are related to the fall of the Babylon of Revelation.
             To begin with I will describe the fall of the Historical Babylon and then relate this to two mainstreams of thought regarding the fall of the Babylon of Revelation. These two ideas are the futuristic and the historical views of Babylon's fall. The reason for these two separate views is because there is certainly no book in the Bible that has given more difficulty to interpreters than the book of Revelation. Many things about it continue to puzzle the serious Bible student, and many points remain obscure.(ref.# 4, p.220)
             Babylon was an enormous city and thought by its inhabitants to be impregnable. Some estimates put the area of the city at as much as 200 square miles, with many fields and orchards within the city walls (ref.# 2, p320). The river Euphrates flowed through the city, entering in under the city walls. The walls of Babylon are believed to have been around 80 feet thick, with some area being over 120 feet thick (ref.# 7, p.68). 100 gates of bronze gave entry to the city.
             In 604 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar led an invasion of Jerusalem, taking many Jews captive and beginning the captivity and seven times punishment that had previously been prophesied.
             At this time Babylon was the greatest empire on earth, but a new force was emerging. The Medes and Persians were becoming a mighty empire. In the time of Belshazzar, grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, war was raging between the two empires.
             The Babylonians, which were not caring about the enemy who were even then at the gates of the city, engaged i...