Babylon
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "And there followed another angel, saying, [[Babylon]] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the [[wine]] of the [[wrath]] of her [[fornication]]." --''[[Book of Revelation]]'' | ||
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| + | "But it is too bad to convert the truncheoned custodians of public order into a set of "ponces" in uniform, levying a disgraceful tribute on the [[fallen woman|fallen maiden]]s of modern [[Babylon]]."--"[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]]" (1885) by William Thomas Stead | ||
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| - | :''Not to be confused with [[Babylonia]].'' | + | '''Babylon''' was an ancient [[city]] in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern [[Iraq]]), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of [[Baghdad]]. It was the "holy city" of [[Babylonia]] from around [[2300 BC]]. |
| - | '''Babylon''' was an ancient [[city]] in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern [[Iraq]]), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of [[Baghdad]]. It was the "holy city" of [[Babylonia]] from around [[2300 BC]]. Metaphorically, the term ''Babylonia'' denotes any city of great [[wealth]], [[luxury]] and [[vice]], taken to an extreme by Rastafarianism which uses the term for the so-called [[white man]]'s civilization. | + | |
| + | Babylon has achieved considerable prominence throughout the ages as a symbol and by-word of [[wealth]], [[luxury]], [[decadence]], [[vice]] and [[corruption]]. The New Testament [[book of Revelation]], for example, mentions the city on several occasions in this role. More recently, there has been the 1885 controversial newspaper articles on child prostitution "[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]]", and the 1959 Kenneth Anger book ''[[Hollywood Babylon]]'' which characterized the American film industry along the same lines. | ||
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| == Confusion == | == Confusion == | ||
| In the [[Bible]] the term ''babel'' interpreted by [[Genesis]] 11:9 to mean "[[confusion]]", from the verb ''balal'', "to confuse". | In the [[Bible]] the term ''babel'' interpreted by [[Genesis]] 11:9 to mean "[[confusion]]", from the verb ''balal'', "to confuse". | ||
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| Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon]] was one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]]. | Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon]] was one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]]. | ||
| - | ==In Rastafarianism== | + | ==Babylon in popular culture== |
| + | Due to the importance of Babylon in its time as well as the stories in the [[Bible]] the word "Babylon" in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling diverse city. As such, the word "Babylon" is used for various entertainment events or buildings. For example, [[sci-fi]] series ''[[Babylon 5]]'' tells a tale of a multi-racial future [[space station]]. [[Babilonas]] ([[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] name for "Babylon") is also a name for a major real estate development in [[Lithuania]]. | ||
| - | (''[[Rastafarianism]]'') Term for the so-called [[white man's civilization]]. | + | ===In Rastafarianism=== |
| + | In '''[[reggae]]''' music the term Babylon is often used since it is an important concept in the [[Rastafari movement#Zion vs. Babylon|rastafarian]] belief system, denoting the [[Sin|profane]] materialistic [[capitalist]] world or '[[white man's civilization]]'. | ||
| - | == See also == | + | ==Namesakes== |
| - | *[[New Babylon]] | + | *''[[The New Babylon]]'', 1929, Russian film |
| - | *[[Hollywood Babylon]] | + | *''[[Hollywood Babylon]]'', 1959, a book by Kenneth Anger |
| + | *"[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]]", 1885, controversial newspaper articles on child prostitution | ||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | :''Not to be confused with [[Babylonia]].'' | ||
| + | *[[Akkad (city)|Akkad]] | ||
| + | *[[Babel (disambiguation)]] | ||
| + | *[[Cities of the ancient Near East]] | ||
| + | *[[Code of Hammurabi]] | ||
| + | *[[Tower of Babel]] | ||
| *[[Whore of Babylon]] | *[[Whore of Babylon]] | ||
| - | *[[The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon]] | + | *[[Babylon (1980 film)]] |
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"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." --Book of Revelation "But it is too bad to convert the truncheoned custodians of public order into a set of "ponces" in uniform, levying a disgraceful tribute on the fallen maidens of modern Babylon."--"The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon" (1885) by William Thomas Stead |
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Babylon was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day about 80km south of Baghdad. It was the "holy city" of Babylonia from around 2300 BC.
Babylon has achieved considerable prominence throughout the ages as a symbol and by-word of wealth, luxury, decadence, vice and corruption. The New Testament book of Revelation, for example, mentions the city on several occasions in this role. More recently, there has been the 1885 controversial newspaper articles on child prostitution "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon", and the 1959 Kenneth Anger book Hollywood Babylon which characterized the American film industry along the same lines.
Contents |
Confusion
In the Bible the term babel interpreted by Genesis 11:9 to mean "confusion", from the verb balal, "to confuse".
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Babylon was an important city, both politically and aesthetically. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Babylon in popular culture
Due to the importance of Babylon in its time as well as the stories in the Bible the word "Babylon" in various languages has acquired a generic meaning of a large, bustling diverse city. As such, the word "Babylon" is used for various entertainment events or buildings. For example, sci-fi series Babylon 5 tells a tale of a multi-racial future space station. Babilonas (Lithuanian name for "Babylon") is also a name for a major real estate development in Lithuania.
In Rastafarianism
In reggae music the term Babylon is often used since it is an important concept in the rastafarian belief system, denoting the profane materialistic capitalist world or 'white man's civilization'.
Namesakes
- The New Babylon, 1929, Russian film
- Hollywood Babylon, 1959, a book by Kenneth Anger
- "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon", 1885, controversial newspaper articles on child prostitution
See also
- Not to be confused with Babylonia.
- Akkad
- Babel (disambiguation)
- Cities of the ancient Near East
- Code of Hammurabi
- Tower of Babel
- Whore of Babylon
- Babylon (1980 film)
