HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

SOME STORIES INDICATE THE HANGING GARDENS TOWERED HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR AND WERE BUILT ABOUT 600 B.C.  ACCORDING TO ATCHAEOLOGISTS THE CITY WAS A WONDER TO ANCIENT TRAVELOR'S EYES.  A GREEK HISTORIAN IN 450 B.C. SAID IT SURPASSES IN SPLENDOR ANY CITY IN THE KNOWN WORLD.  SOME SAID THE OUTER WALLS WERE 400' IN LENGTH X80' HIGH X 320' WIDE MUD BRICK AND WATERPROOF WITH LEAD. IT ROSE ABOVE THE CITY AND HAD A FAMOUSE TOWER OF BABEL, A TEMPLE TO THEIR GOD MARDUK.

ACCOUNTS INDICATE THE GARDENS WAS BUILT BY KING NEBUCHCHADNEZZAR WHO RULED THE CITY FOR 43 YEARS.  THERE IS NO WRITTEN EVIDENCE.  THE GARDENS WERE BUILT TO CHEER UP HIS WIFE .  THE LAND SHE CAME FROM WAS GREEN WITH MOUNTAINS.  SHE FOUND THE TERRAIN HERE DEPRESSING.  THE PLANTS OVERHUNG TERRACES OR BALCONIES OF VARIOUS LEVELS. THE BALCONIES WERE FILLED WITH EARTH TO ALLOW TREES OF A LARGE SIZE TO BE PLANTED.

THE ASCENT TO THE HIGHEST STORY IS BY STAIRS AND AT THEIR SIDE ARE WATER ENGINES BY MEANS OF WHICH PERSONS ARE HIRED TO WATER THE GARDENS.  SINCE BABYLON RARELY GOT RAIN THEY NEEDED TO USE WATER FROM THE EUPHRATES RIVER.  THEY MAY HAVE HAD USED A CHAIN PUMP WITH 2 LARGE WHEELS.  ONE ABOVE THE OTHER CONNECTED BY A CHAIN ARE HUNG BASKETS.  BELOW THE BOTTOM WHEEL WAS A WATER SOURCE.  A CHAIN COULD LIFT THE UPPER WHEEL WHERE BUCKETS ARE TIPPED AND BUMPED.  THEY MAY CHANNELS TO ACT LIKE ARTIFICIAL STREAMS.  SOME ENGINEERS POSTULATE THAT A SCREW PUMP COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO MOVE WATER TO THE UPPER LEVELS.

THE GARDENS WERE BUILT OF HUGE STONES OR SLABS MADE OF LAYERS OF REED, ASPHALT, AND TILE.  THEN OVER THIS PLATFORM WAS PUT A A SHEET OF LEAD SO THE FORMATION WOULD NOT ROT.  THE GARDENS WERE BUILT OF HUGE STONES OR SLABS MADE OF LAYERS OF REED, ASPHALT, AND TILE. THEN OVER THIS WAS PUT A SHEET OF LEAD.  SO THE FOUNDATION WOULD NOT ROT.  THE GARDENS WERE AN AMAZING SITE.

SOME HISTORIANS THINK THE WERE ONLY A FICTIONATION CREATION. ONE ARCHAEOLOGIST EXCAVATED HERE FOR 14 YEARS AND FOUND THE WALLS AND TOWER OF BABEL THAT WAS UNDERTHAT WAS UNDER A MOUND OF MUDDY DEBRIS.  THE RUINS OF BABYLON IN 1932 SHOW A JUMBLED REMAINS AND THEY MAY HAVE BEEN RESTORED BY AN EARTHQUAKE.  OR IT MAY HAVE BEEN SLOWLY ERODED WITH INFREQUENT RAINS.  NOONE KNOWS IF THE QUEEN  WAS HAPPY WITH HER FANTASTIC PRESENT OR THE GREENMOUNYTAIN.

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