A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of Old Babylon the Metropolis of Chaldee, and its Situation, and how it is ſtill to this Day, after its terrible Deſolation to be ſeen, with the Tower or Turret, and the old ruined Walls, lying in the Duſt.
THE Village Elugo lyeth on the place where formerly Old Babylon, the Metropolis of Chaldee, did ſtand; the Harbour lyeth a quarter of a League off, whereinto thoſe uſe to go, that intend to travel by Land, to the Famous trading City of Bagdet, (which is ſituated further to the Eaſt on the River Tigris, at a Day and a half's diſtance). At this Harbour is the place where the Old Town of Babylon did ſtand, but at this time▪ there is not a Houſe to be ſeen, whereinto we could go with our Goods and ſtay till our departure. We were alſo forced to unload our Merchandiſes into an open Place, as if we had been in the midſt of the Deſarts, and to pay Toll under the open Sky, which belongeth to the Turks. This Country is ſo dry and barren, that it cannot be tilled, and ſo bare, that I ſhould have doubted very much, whether this Potent and Powerful City (which once was the moſt Stately and Famous one of the World, ſituated in the pleaſant and fruitful Country of Sinar) did ſtand there, if I ſhould not have known it by its Situation, and ſeveral ancient and Delicate Antiquities that ſtill are ſtanding hereabout in great Deſolation. Firſt by the Old Bridge, which was laid over the Euphrates (which alſo is called Sud by the Prophet Baruch in his firſt Chapter) whereof there are ſome Pieces and Arches ſtill remaining, and to be ſeen at this very Day a little above where we landed. Theſe Arches are built of burnt Brick, and ſo ſtrong, that it is admirable; and that ſo much the more, becauſe all along the River as we came from Bir, where the River is a great deal ſmaller, we ſaw never a Bridge, wherefore I ſay it is admirable, which way they could build a Bridge here, where the River is at leaſt half a League broad, and very deep beſides. Near the Bridge are ſeveral heaps of Babylonian Pitch, to pitch Ships withal, which is in ſome places grown ſo hard, that you may walk over it, but in others that which hath been lately brought thither is ſo ſoft, that you may ſee every ſtep you make in it. Something farther, juſt before the Village Elugo is the Hill whereon the Caſtle did ſtand in a Plain, whereon you may ſtill ſee ſome Ruines of the Fortification, which is quite demoliſhed and uninhabited: behind it pretty near to it, did ſtand the Tower of Babylon, which the Children of Noah (who firſt inhabited theſe Countries after the Deluge) began to build up unto Heaven; this we ſee ſtill, and it is half a League in Diameter, but it is ſo mightily ruined, and low, and ſo full of Vermin that have bored holes through it, that one may not come near it within half a Mile, but only in two Months in the Winter, when they come not out of their holes. Among theſe Inſects, there are chiefly ſome in the Perſian Language called Eglo, by the Inhabitants, that are very poyſonous; they are (as others told me) bigger than our Lizards, and have *Rauwolff was here too credulous and facil to ſuffer himſelf to be abuſed and impoſed upon by theſe Relaters; for that there neither are, nor ever were any Animals with more Heads than one naturally, I do confidently affirm.three Heads, and on their Back ſeveral Spots of ſeveral Colours, which have not only taken Poſſeſſion of the Tower, but alſo of the Caſtle (which is not very high) and the Spring-well, that is juſt underneath it, ſo that they cannot live upon the Hill, nor dare not drink of the Water (which is wholeſome for the Lambs.) This is Romance.
From this Tower, at two Leagues diſtance Eaſtward, lieth the ſtrong Town Traxt, which was formerly called Apamia, mentioned by Pliny in Book VI. 26 and 27 Chap. between the Tigris and Euphrates, thoſe two great Rivers of Paradiſe, whereof is made mention in the Second Chapter of Geneſis; which two Rivers not far below it meet together, and are there united. The Town Traxt is ſurrounded with Ditches, and very well defended by two ſtrong Citadels, that lie on each ſide thereof, ſo that it is (as it were a Key and Doorway into the Kingdom of Perſia, to which it doth alſo belong, as others not far from thence, viz, Orthox, Laigen, which lie on the Road toward Media; and alſo Goa (which lieth a League and a half at the other ſide of the Tigris,) and Axt (two Leagues further ſtill) in the way to Perſia.
The next Day, the 25th. of October, we ſpent in beſpeaking of Camels and Aſſes to load our Goods upon, and after we were quite ready, we broke up the Day following early in the Morning with the whole Caravan, to travel to Bagdet. In the beginning the ways were very rough of the Stones and Ruines that lie ſtill from thence diſperſed. But after we were paſſed the Caſtle and alſo the Town of Daniel, the dry Deſarts began again, where nothing was to be ſeen but Thorns, neither Men nor Beaſts, neither Caves nor Tents, ſo that a Man that knoweth the ways never ſo well, hath enough to do to find them through it, which I did often obſerve in our Guide or Caliphi, who did ſeveral times (becauſe there was neither way nor mark neither of Men nor Beaſts to be found) very much doubt which way to turn himſelf, and ſo he did more than once turn ſometimes towards one, then toward the other ſide the whole Caravan. By the way we ſaw in the Plain many large, ancient, high and ſtately Buildings, Arches and Turrets ſtanding in the Sand (which is very fine, and lieth cloſe together, as you find it in the Vallies) here and there, whereof many were decayed and lay like Ruines; ſome to look upon, were pretty entire, very ſtrong, adorned with Artificial Works, ſo that they were very well worth to have been narrowlier looked into. Thus they ſtand ſolitary and deſolated, ſave only the Steeple of Daniel, which is entire, built of black Stones, and is inhabited ſtill unto this Day; this is in height and building ſomething like unto our Steeple of the Holy-Croſs Church, or of St. Maurice in Augsburg; on which as it ſtands by it ſelf, you may ſee all the Ruines of the Old Babylonian Tower, the Caſtle-Hill, together with the ſtately Buildings, and the whole Situation of the Old Town very exactly.
After we had travelled for Twelve Hours through deſolate places, very hard, ſo that our Camels and Aſſes began to be tired under their heavy Burdens, we reſted and lodged our ſelves near to an aſcent, we and our Beaſts, to refreſh our ſelves, and ſo to ſtay there till Night, and to break up again in the middle thereof, that we might come to Bagdet before Sun riſing. The mean while, when we were lodged there, I conſidered and viewed this aſcent, and found that there was two behind one another, diſtinguiſhed by a Ditch, and extending themſelves like unto two parallel Walls a great way about, and that they were open in ſome Places, where one might go through, like Gates; wherefore I believe, that they were the Wall of the Old Town (whereof Pliny ſays that they were 200 Foot high, and 50 broad) that went about there, and that the places where they were open, have been anciently the Gates (whereof there were a Hundred Iron ones) of that Town; and this the rather, becauſe I ſaw in ſome places under the Sand (wherewith the two aſcents were almoſt covered) the Old Wall plainly appear. So we found our ſelves to be juſt lodged without the Walls of that formerly ſo Famous Kingly City, which now with its Magnificent and Glorious Buildings, is quite deſolated and lieth in the Duſt, ſo that every one that paſſeth through it, in regard of them, hath great reaſon to admire with aſtoniſhment, when he conſiders, that this which hath been ſo Glorious an one; and in which the Greateſt Monarchs and Kings that ever were, Nimrod, Belus, and after him King Merodach and his Poſterity to Balthaſar the laſt, have had their Seats and Habitations, is now reduced to ſuch a Deſolation and Wilderneſs, that the very Shepherds cannot abide to fix their Tents there to inhabit it. So that here is a moſt terrible Example, to all impious and haughty Tyrants, ſhewn in Babylon, which may be ſure, that if they do not give over in time, and leave their Tyranny, ceaſing to perſecute the Innocents with War, Sword, Priſon, and all other cruel and inhumane Plagues (as theſe did the People of God the Iſraelites,) that God the Almighty will alſo come upon them, and for their Tranſgreſſions puniſh them in his Anger, for God is a jealous God, that at long run, will not endure the Pride of Tyrants, nor leave unpuniſhed the Potentates that afflict his People; wherefore be ſure, he will alſo in them verifie the Prophecies, which he hath uttered by the Prophet Iſaiah in his 12th. Chapter, and Jeremiah in the 51ſt. againſt thoſe inſolent and haughty Babylonians.
As I paſſed by, I found ſome Thorns growing in the Sand, viz. the Acacia, called Agul, whereon (chiefly in Perſia) the Manna falls, whereof I have made mention before; above all I found in great Plenty ſome ſtrange kinds of Cali of Serap., of Coloquints, and when Evening fell in, and the Night did approach, our Mockeries that drove the Aſſes, made themſelves ready again for our Journey, which kept every thing together in good Order, and were ſo quick in loading and unloading, that they were ready in leſs than a quarter of an Hour. By the way I ſaw again ſeveral Antiquities, but the Night falling in I loſt them; ſo we went on a-pace in darkneſs, ſo that we did arrive at Bagdet, by ſome called Baldac, two Hours before Day. In the Morning, which was the 27th. of October, I and one of my Comrades took our Lodging at an Eminent Merchant's Houſe, that belonged to Aleppo, and was lately come from the Indies; he received us kindly, and very readily, and kept us for four Days, when we took a Shop in the great Camp of the Turkiſh Baſhaw, in the other Town, on the other ſide of the Tigris, which we went into.