Hazel W. Perkin
The
Hanging Gardens Of Babylon
"As
described by the Greek historian Herodotus in 460 B.C.
during his visit to Babylon (cf. Hist. 1, 178-88), the
gardens were regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the
World. Located by Koldeway at the NE corner of
Nebuchadnezzar's palace near the Ishtar Gate, the gardens
were probably developed on a zigguratlike foundation and
built in the form of elevated terraces.
Among Koldeway's discoveries at the site were vaults and
massive arches, which may have formed the base of the
structure. He also uncovered spaces that were consistent
with the functioning of an ancient hydrolic system similar
to a chain pump.
It has been estimated that the gardens, which were laid out
at different levels, grew within or on top of a building
that itself was about 75 feet high. Such an elevated terrace
would form a prominent landmark, visible from a considerable
distance in a city set on a flat plain.
Built by Nebuchadnezzar, the gardens are thought to have
been designed for his wife Amytis, daughter of King Astyages,
who was homesick for the mountains and vegetation of Media
her native land."
Hazel W.
Perkin, Contributor "Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1983) pp. 86-87
|