Babylon's Grand Processional Gateway, the so-called "Ishtar Gate," as restored by Saddam Hussein, the original Gateway is in a Berlin Museum (for the below photo cf. p. 50. Andrew Lawler. "Babylon, Gate of the Gods,
1800BC-AD 75." Smithsonian. Vol. 34 No. 3. June 2003. Washington, D.C.)
Below, an Iraqi workcrew, digging down to the ancient brick foundations of Nebuchadrezzar's Babylon, to use these corner-stone foundations to "re-erect" Babylon's ancient walls and buildings, as ordered by Saddam Hussein (for photo, cf. p. 51. Andrew Lawler. "Babylon, Gate of the Gods, 1800BC-AD 75." Smithsonian. Vol. 34 No. 3. June 2003. Washington, D.C.)
Lawler on Saddam's restoration:
"The most recent attempt to raise Babylon took place in 1987, when under Saddam Hussein's orders, parts of Nebuchadrezzar's palace were rebuilt. But the salty soil and rising water table have played havoc with the new walls, causing them to crack and twist the fragile foundations below. Bergamini says he and other archaeologists could not prevent this folly. "It's complete nonsense- the right thing is to destroy the [new] walls." It won't be hard to distinguish old from new: each new brick is stamped with Saddam's name." (p. 51. Andrew Lawler. "Babylon, Gate of the Gods, 1800BC-AD 75." Smithsonian. Vol. 34 No. 3. June 2003. Washington, D.C.)
According to the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah, Babylon was never to be rebuilt:
Jeremiah 51:26 RSV
"No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation but you shall be a perpetual waste, says the Lord."
