I am planning a book set in ancient Babylon, and would appreciate any tidbits of any aspect of life during that era. Literally anything. Medicine, literature, customs, clothing, religion, animals, social life, whatever.

If you happen to know or find out anything, please post it here. Thanks!

Literature!

I'm really into literature, and recently I did a study on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Chaldean creation and flood legend that Daniel and his friends would have studied under Nebuchadnezzar.

This legend is an example of epic poetry starring Gilgamesh as its epic hero. An epic hero embodies or represents the highest ideals and values of his culture, and performs grand, amazing deeds, often seeming 'larger than life'.

So, its pretty important from the Babylonian point of view, and I know a fair bit about it. I've also written an assignment on it which I can attach if you wish (the assignment is a letter from Meshach to Nebuchadnezzar about the epic). I won't make this post awfully long as I don't know exactly what you'd like. Would you prefer to read the book (which is actually really short and available from online bookstores)? Or for me to give you an overview? Or both? Or maybe read and then discuss?

By the way, the Epic of Gilgamesh being legend automatically includes description of the Chaldean gods and godesses, who they were, what they stood for, and also includes a number of details about ordinary life.

Just some tidbits (not explicitly Babylonian, but used by other civilizations of the time) since I'm taking an art history class at the moment and we just skimmed over this era...

On statues or most kinds of art:
A beard on a man (whether they had one in real life of not) as added in as a sign of wisdom. (ex. I believe it's a statue of Marcus Aurelius that shows him on a horse and having a beard when in real life, he had no such beard. It as merely added to signify his supposed wisdom)
Wings on any person or animal claim some sort of spiritual power or protection. (ex. the winged, lion statues of Nebuchadnezzar have wings to signify how he as protected by the gods as a warning to his enemies and an encouragement to his people)
Partial animal body (or animal with a human head) was use to show the strength of a ruler. (ex. again, the winged, lion statue signifies how powerful of a king Nebuchadnezzar was)

That's all I recall from today's lecture... if I chance upon any free time, I may just dive into this more myself


(Ooo! There was also a somewhat cool explanation about the ovens Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into... Did you realize when they were heated up seven times hotter than normal, they were burning at approximately 21,000 degrees?! (they normally burned at around 3,000 degrees to bake and glaze bricks)

I would definitely like to see your assignment, Flavia! I have a friend who has a book on the epic of Gilgamesh, but I have not read it yet.

Very interesting... Taking notes...



Would that be the vitrification process? (I mean the glazing) If you don't know for sure, don't bother looking it up for me; I'll look it up myself. One interesting thing I read in the apocryphal addition to the book of Daniel was that the flames coming out of the furnace went about forty feet high. Pretty amazing!

*nods* Ok, here it is. Consider it a brief introduction to the legend.



If you want anything else...

Btw, I just read your signature, and love it!

Yes, I believe it was for the glazing process

Wow, I enjoyed that, Flavia!

Thank you. *chuckles* It was awesome fun writing it.

Here's some info on the layout of Babylon:

Babylon buildings were built with clay bricks, and the city was surrounded with two thick walls that were built apart from each other. They served as protection from enemies because whoever could get over the first wall would be stuck between the other one. The tops of the walls were built wide enough for two chariots to ride over them. And, a large moat was even built around the walls as another way to protect the city. Babyon was a neat and planned city, with three to four story high houses that were sturdy and well built lining the inside of the city. Babylon was cut in half by the Euphrates River, with a bridge across it and a tunnel underneath it! Babyon was well known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, complete with trees, flowers, shrubs, vines, and a waterfall. Since the garden was built on raised pillars seventy-five feet above the ground, it appeared as if the garden was 'hanging' over you. The garden was said to be built because one of Nebuchadnezzer's wives missed the fertile lands of her home, and wished to have a wonderful tropical home instead of the flat, dry land that she lived on now. This garden was listed amoung the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by the Greeks.

Hope that helped! I have some more information, if you would like me to post more later.

Thank you so much for all that, Rachel!

My pleasure!

*Smiles*