the interior all the splendor and elegance of refined luxury. The floors were of marble; alabaster and gilding were displayed on every side. In every great house there were several fountains, playing in magnificent basins. The smallest house had three pipes-one for the kitchen, another for the garden, and a third for washing. The same magnificence was displayed in the mosques, churches and coffee houses. The environs presented, at all seasons of the year, a pleasing verdure, and contained extensive series of gardens and villas.

THE GREAT AND SPLENDID CITY OF BABYLON.-This city was founded by Nimrod, about 2247 years B. C., in the land of Shinar, or Chaldea, and made the capital of his kingdom. It was probably an inconsiderable place, until it was enlarged and embellished by Semiramis; it then became the most magnificent city in the world, surpassing even Nineveh in glory. The circumference of both these cities was the same; but the walls which surrounded Babylon were twice as broad as the walls of Nineveh, and having 100 brass gates. The city of Babylon stood on the river Euphrates, by which it was divided into two parts, eastern and western; and these were connected by a cedar bridge of wonderful construction, uniting the two divisions. Quays of beautiful marble adorned the banks of the river; and on one bank stood the magnificent Temple of Belus, and on the other the Queen's Palace. These two edifices were connected by a passage under the bed of the river. This city was at least 45 miles in circumference; and would of course include eight cities as large as London and its appendages. It was laid out in 625 squares, formed by the intersection of 25 streets at right angles. The walls, which were of brick, were 350 feet high, and 87 feet broad. A trench surrounded the city, the sides of which were lined with brick and water-proof cement. This city was famous for its hanging gardens, constructed by one of its kings, to please his queen. She was a Persian, and was desirous of seeing meadows on mountains, as in her own country. She prevailed on him to raise artificial gardens, adorned with meadows and trees. For this purpose, vaulted arches were raised from the ground, one above another, to an almost

inconceivable height, and of a magnitude and strength sufficient to support the vast weight of the whole garden. Babylon was a great commercial city, and traded to all parts of the earth then known, in all kinds of merchandize; and she likewise traded in slaves, and the souls of men. For her sins she has been blotted from existence even her location is a matter of supposition. Great was Babylon of old; in merchandize did she trade, and in souls. For her sins she thus became blotted from the sight of men.

THE KINGDOM OF ASSYRIA.

THE foundation of the Assyrian Empire was laid by Asshur, the second son of Shem, and the grandson of Noah, about 2229 years B. C. Its name was derived from that of its founder.

He built

Mr. Rollin, and other writers, state that Nimrod, the son of Cush, or Belue of the ancients, was placed over Assyria, and afterwards made himself master of the country. By the moderation of his government, he became very popular among his new subjects. several cities. Bélue, according to the statements of some writers, was the same with Nimrod, the great. grandson of Noah. Belue was succeeded by Ninus, in honor of whom Nineveh had received its name. And he, in gratitude to his father, obliged his subjects to pay divine honors to the memory of Belue, who was probably the first king that the people deified, on account of his great actions. Ninus appears to have been the first prince who united the spirit of conquest with political science. He divided the Assyrian Empire into provinces; and instituted three councils and three tribunals, by which the government was administered and justice distributed.

Ninus, the successor of Asshur, is said to have united the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. He made war upon many of the nations, for the sake of extending his empire. He reduced the greater part of Asia, and totally subdued the northern province of Persia, now known by the name of Corassan. After this, he rebuilt

Nineveh, and married Semiramis, a female conqueror and able sovereign, who could assemble 200,000 men; and by her had a son, named Ninyas. Semiramis assumed the sovereign power during the minority of her son. She swayed the sceptre with great dignity, for the space of forty years. She enlarged her empire, and visited every part of her vast domains. She built cities in various districts of the Assyrian kingdom, and cut roads through mountains, in order to make the intercourse between the provinces easy. [Assyrian Chronology.]

The early history of Assyria is involved in obscurity. We know from the sacred history that it was a powerful nation. (Num. xxiv. 22.) And its capital was one of the most renowned of the eastern world. [See NINEVEH.] It fell into the hands of the Medes; the monarchy was divided between them and the Babylonians, and the very name of Assyria was thenceforth forgotten.[See GEOGRAPHY OF THE BIBLE, page 24.]

ACCAD. (Gen. x. 10.) A city in Shinar, built by Nimrod. Modern travellers have intimated the probability that the ruins of this ancient city are to be seen about six miles from the present Bagdad.

The present city of BAGDAD stands upon the site of Seleucia. It was founded A. D. 762, by the Saracens, and continued to be the seat of their Caliphs for 500 years. It then experienced various changes, till A. D. 1638, when it fell into the hands of the Turks, who still retain it. Though greatly reduced from the splendor and size it had when under the Saracens, it still enjoys a great trade, especially to Persia; and has a population of 20,000 inhabitants.

The great city of HAMATH was founded by the descendants of Ham. [Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath, the great. ]—(Gen. xi. 18; Amos v. 2; 2 Kings xvii. 24; 2 Chron. viii. 4.)

The city of RIBLAH, in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave judgment against Zedekiah, king of Judah, and slew Zedekiah's sons before his eyes. Also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah in Riblah, and bound Zedekiah with chains, and carried him to Babylon. — (Jer. xxxix. 5–7.) CALNEH, (Gen. x. 10; Amos vi. 2.) One of the cities.

of Babylonia, built by Nimrod, and supposed to be the same with Calno, (Isa. x. 9,) Canneh, (Ezek. xxvii. 23,) and the Ctesiphon of more modern times. It was situated on the east bank of the Tigris, opposite to Babylon, and was a place of commercial importance.

CARCHEMISH. (2 Chron. xxxv. 20.) A town on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, the Chebar, or Khaboor, falls into it. It is now known as Kirkisia. It was taken from the Assyrians by the king of Egypt, (2 Kings xxiii. 29,) who left it in charge of a garrison. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, afterwards took it from the Egyptians, with great slaughter, in fulfilment of the remarkable prophecy of Jeremiah.-(Jer. xlvi. 1–12.)

ERECH. (Gen. x. 10.) A city of Chaldea, built by Nimrod, on the Tigris. It was called Erecca and Aracca, by the Greeks and Romans. Some have supposed there were two places of this name; and others, that Erech was the same with Edessa, [now Orfah,] in northern Mesopotamia.

HALAH. (2 Kings xvii. 6; xviii. 11.) A province of Assyria, supposed by some, to be the same with Calah, (Gen. x. 12,) and with Holwan, or Cholwan, of the modern Arabs.

It was called after the Near this town occurred Parthians, of the Roman

HARAN. A town standing on a small river of the same name, which flowed into the Euphrates through the northwestern part of Mesopotamia. eldest brother of Abraham. the celebrated defeat, by the army under Crassus, who was slain, with 20,000 of his men, B. C. 53. The place still retains its ancient name, and is peopled by a few Arabs.

The city of NINEVEH, (Jonah iii. 6,) the capital of Assyria, (2 Kings xix. 36,) and rival of Babylon, was situated on the Tigris, north-east of Babylon, probably near the modern village of Nania, opposite to Mosul. It signifies the dwelling of Ninus, and therefore we may presume was founded by Nimrod, also called Niņus, after his son, though some regard Asshur as the founder. According to Diodorus Siculus, Nineveh became one of the largest cities in the world. It was 19 miles in length, and 11 in breadth, and from 48 to 50 miles in circumference, [as may be inferred from Jonah's account, (Jonah

iii. 3,) confirmed by that of Strabo,] and contained a population of 600,000.- (Jonah iv. 11.) It was surrounded by a wall 100 feet high, and wide enough for three carriages to go abreast; it was fortified by 1500 towers, of 200 feet in height. For its luxury and wickedness, the judgments of God fell upon it. (Nahum iii. 1; Zeph. ii: 13-15.) In the twenty-ninth year of the reign of Josiah, king of Judah, Nineveh was utterly destroyed by the Medes. It was afterwards partially rebuilt, but never became considerable, and was finally destroyed by the Saracens, in the seventh century. It is now called Mosul, and is only famous for being the residence of the patriarch of the Nestorians.

REZEPH. (2 Kings xix. 12.) Probably it stood where Arsoffa now is, from 20 to 30 miles west of the EuphraRabshakeh mentions it among the cities conquered by the Assyrians. (Isa. xxxvii. 12.)

tes.

The city of SELEUCIA was situated 45 miles southward, on the banks of the Tigris. It was sometimes called New Babylon. It became the capital of Babylonia, and in time utterly supplanted the old city.

SEPHARVAIM, or SEPHARVITES. They seem to have originally dwelt north of Media, or about Siphora, on the river Euphrates. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, ravaged the country about the days of Hezekiah, and after destroying great numbers, colonized most of the remainder in Canaan, where they at length became a tribe of Samaritans.

TIGRIS was founded by Ninus, the son of Nimrod, who began his reign, according to Usher, A. M. 2737.

TELABIB- -a city or district between the rivers Chebar and Saocoras. -(Ezek. iii. 15.)

UR-an ancient city of Chaldea, or Mesopotamia, where Terah and Abraham dwelt. (Gen. xv. 7.)

THE KINGDOM OF ETHIOPIA.

ETHIOPIA. (Acts viii. 27.) The Hebrew word Cush, which is here and elsewhere translated Ethiopia, seems to have been applied to at least three distinct countries. The Cushites were the descendants of Cush. Calmet